So...Catoctin Mountain Trains is closing.
And the Toy Exchange in Wheaton MD just opened a brand new location in Mt. Airy, MD.
Nice to have another place to go and shop. He carries Lionel and MTH!
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I wish the owner good luck. It is a tough business to do a start up on.
And Train Depot is already in Mt. Airy, MD. Mainly an O Gauge shop. Love those guys. Good product, and good advice
Although I haven't been there in years, I'm aware of the Toy Exchange in Wheaton but I remember trains aren't his primary product. His is Mt. Airy location going to be more train related?
I'll make one last trip to CMT tomorrow. It is going to be hard to say good-bye. Another great, new store is Toy Trains and Collectibles in Manassass.
Somehow appropriate. Mt. Airy grew up around the B&O Old Main Line at Parr's Ridge. The ridge is the watershed between Baltimore and Frederick. When the railroad first negotiated the obstacle they utilized inclined plains.
He does have other collectible toys,,, but the entire right side of the store is tinplate, a little flier right now and lots of O.
He said to me that he would be filling the store more as time went on, as people knew he was there.
Always nice to learn of a new train shop. Good luck to them.
Interesting news. Haven't been down to the Toy Exchange in a few years now. Fun store to browse in. Trains and otherwise.
Funny, the new spot in Mt. Airy is probably just as convenient for me. Especially considering volume of traffic down around Wheaton. I'll have to get up to the new place soon.
I wish Perry well in his additional location. His Wheaton store is real close to me and is an authorized MTH and Lionel repair shop. He also has toys you never knew you needed. New and used O gauge too.
Originally Posted by POTRZBE:
I wish Perry well in his additional location. His Wheaton store is real close to me and is an authorized MTH and Lionel repair shop. He also has toys you never knew you needed. New and used O gauge too.
Perry being an authorized MTH and Lionel repair shop is news to me. His website does not mention it (it does say he is an authorized retailer) nor does MTH's website which says he is not a repair center. CMT's MTH and Lionel service folks are still doing repairs (contact the store for contact info prior to closing on Tuesday). Outside of CMT's folks doing repairs (will still be certified by MTH - MTH has agreed to continue working with them although they are no longer involved with CMT), Engine House Hobbies in Gaithersburg is now the Washington Metro Area's only authorized MTH and Lionel repair/service center that I know of.
Quite frankly, I'm more interested in MTH/Lionel authorized repair centers. I can buy from anybody but I want a local, reliable, competent service center that I can do business with. I will use CMT's folks and EHH as well as I have in the past.
The Toy Exchange is an MTH and Lionel Repair.
His techs moonlight at MTH as well.
I went to the MTH site.
There must be an error... They don't show Engine House or CMT as authorized dealers either.
But MTH has put up a new site that they said was having some issues.
But the Toy Exchange is authorized. I have seen him taking in Authorized repairs all the time. Has the window stickers and everything
I live less than 10 miles west of Mt. Airy, and don't understand why would someone open up another train store in Mt. Airy? I am surprised that the shop isn't opening in Frederick instead. Frederick is a larger city and there currently aren't any train stores in town.
Still, I wish them the best of luck in opening up their new shop!
Jim
I went to the store today. Very nice. Great location: easy in/out, plenty of parking, other stores nearby, including food establishments. Great selection of MTH and Lionel products. New, used, and MTH prototypes (really cool, actually). Has a nice selection of AF (original) and HO as well. Since The Toy Exchange is an authorized MTH and Lionel dealer, clearly Perry can order anything for anyone, just like any other authorized retailer.
I did notice one thing as well. All the new items were not at MSRP, they were marked below.
Sorry to see Paul close Catoctin Mountain Trains; how ironic that another store opens 3 days before Paul closes. And that is a great thing - a new store. How many postings here have we seen recently where a store actually opened? 
SJC: The Toy Exchange is authorized. Had a repair done there, fixed properly and at a VERY reasonable price. Technician was (and still is) MTH-certified. I asked today - Mt. Airy is authorized as well. MTH web site must not be up to date or not working properly.
Where in Mt. Airy is the new store? I know where the Train Depot is. It's a very small town to have two train stores.
Scott Smith
Scott:
On Rt. 27 at Twin Arch Rd (where the FD Carnival Grounds are). Go into the shopping center. It is to the left side of the Weis Supermarket.
Hope that helps.
Good to know Perry IS an authorized MTH Service Center (his website really should reflect that). Nice to have options for repairs.
That is unusual for two stores in Mt. Airy. We are in the East visiting and I bought stuff at both Star Hobbies and MB Klein. We were planning to go to Mt. Airy for antiques but learned they are mostly closed so we went to Westminster and Hagerstown instead. In Westminster they were selling several beautiful PRR photo prints by Glen Arm Rail Photos. I searched online for a website but couldn't find one. Does anyone know how to contact them?
Here is their business card from the store
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dont mean to hijack this thread, but.............HOW COME I NEVER RUN INTO YOU GUYS such as jdtrain or cooperthebeagle?
I've frequented the Train Depot in Mt Airy in all it's locations since 1994.
Must say....the gang at Train Depot are great and top notch!
as an addendum.............there is that rail and car museum in Frederick down by Shab Row. Last time I went they had said they may start selling trains as a Train Store in addition to the nice B I G layout.
Because I have always gone to Catoctin Mtn Trains in Thurmont and Moose Caboose in Sykesville. Too cramped and smoky in TD. You asked, there is the answer.
Tom (owner of TD) is a great guy; he has a great team of repair folks. I have gone there for help from time to time, but just not my regular stop.
This thread is just to inform everyone that a new store opened and its nice. Not to take away from TD. redjimmy1955is correct: they are nice folks at Train Depot too. Great to have many options.
Originally Posted by redjimmy1955:
dont mean to hijack this thread, but.............HOW COME I NEVER RUN INTO YOU GUYS such as cooperthebeagle?
I've frequented the Train Depot in Mt Airy in all it's locations since 1994.
Must say....the gang at Train Depot are great and top notch!
cooper...I wasn't trying to pick on you (nor rant) ...just amazed that I have never run into you. and oh yes...the smokey Train Depot kinda does turn me off...and yeah it is quite small......luv those guys though!
Since CMT is closing I'll have to be a tour guide for H Clarke and show him these stores when he passes by on 270 in April!
Took your comment as a question, not a gripe. Thanks for your clarification, though.
My regular hang out for trains will be The Toy Exchange (in Mt. Airy) or Moose Caboose (in Sykesville).
We may not have crossed paths since I have been going to Catoctin Mtn Trains mostly. Also, you are in Nice, France (according to your profile); so it may be hard to cross paths - only because of the time difference. 
Originally Posted by redjimmy1955:
cooper...I wasn't trying to pick on you (nor rant) ...just amazed that I have never run into you. and oh yes...the smokey Train Depot kinda does turn me off...and yeah it is quite small......luv those guys though!
Since CMT is closing I'll have to be a tour guide for H Clarke and show him these stores when he passes by on 270 in April!
Originally Posted by redjimmy1955:
dont mean to hijack this thread, but.............HOW COME I NEVER RUN INTO YOU GUYS such as jdtrain or cooperthebeagle?
I've frequented the Train Depot in Mt Airy in all it's locations since 1994.
Must say....the gang at Train Depot are great and top notch!
Probably because I don't spend much time physically in any local hobby shops. I have purchased very little Lionel or MTH over the past 10 years, so most of my purchases have been over the internet. If I could find a store with more building kits and supplies, I would visit them more frequently. I was doing a little shopping locally at Hobbytown, but with their latest move, they basic dumped all of their trains and got rid of their paints and building supplies.
Jim
I just had my first and definitely my last dealing with the Train Depot in Mt. Airy.
I dropped off a Lionel Challenger that was having issues on a Saturday. The gentleman I spoke with (an employee of the Train Depot) was very courteous and helpful. He stated that they did all of their repairs on site and they would call me when it was ready. After waiting for over a week without a call back, I called the store on a Tuesday.
Strike 1 - The owner of the store answered the phone and after explaining that I was looking for an update, I was told that nobody had looked at the engine. I stated that I knew it needed a part, to which the owner told me that I should have brought it in earlier if I knew it needed parts. I then told the owner that the only part I knew that it needed was the bulb for the headlamp, to which he replied that they should have it in stock. I was then told it was going to be "a while" before someone could look at it. I asked if the engine would be ready for pickup by Saturday and he agreed that it would definitely be ready by then.
Strike 2 – Before making the two and a half hour round trip from my house to pick up the engine, I called that Saturday to make sure it was ready. I was again told by the owner that no one had looked at it, but someone would look at it that morning when they came in. I received a message from the owner later that day that there was a programming problem and that the engine would need new boards. I called later that day and was told by the owner that I have an old engine (2009), that Lionel may not make the boards anymore and that he would have to get pricing and availability. I told the owner that I had been on Lionel’s support site and that all of the boards used for the engine were still available. The call left me with a very uneasy feeling. The following day I called again and told the owner to obtain the pricing and availability only and to call me with the complete repair price before purchasing any parts or performing any service.
Strike 3 – As of the following Friday, I had not received a call from the store. I had enough and went to the store that day to pick up the engine. While waiting for service, I heard the owner, who was obviously frustrated that he could not find some pricing, say to the customer in front of me, “Sometimes I wish I had never bought this place.” I went from “uneasy” to “you’re out” in the blink of an eye. The owner told me that the engine wasn’t ready. I told the owner that’s why I was picking it up.
No apology. No “What can I do to remedy this situation?”. No “I personally guarantee that it will be ready by …”. No effort. Nothing.
I’m sure many others have had positive experiences with this establishment. For me however, I will never patronize the Train Depot at Mt. Airy again and I will always highly recommend that others not visit the store either.
