AB Charles Hobby Shop

Yep. He's gone. Couldn't make it anymore.

Their train inventory was really slim at their last location.
Nothing like when they were on west liberty ave. in the late 80's.

I stopped in a few times, just to look for O gauge stuff.  It was almost non-existant.  And, the counterperson was not very welcoming.  Seemed to be pre-occupied with his cell-phone.  

There was a lot of modeling stuff in the store, but no customers to speak of.  Bob S.

AB Charles was an institution back in the day.  I still remember when my parents used to take me to their Dormont, PA location to pick out a few unusual items you couldn't find at the toy store.  I distinctly recall peering through a glass case at Corgi tanks and trucks and cars...  I still have the Batmobile and the Range Rover Emergency set.  Probably other stuff too... Dinky, Britains, etc.    <sigh> The good old days indeed!

 

They still had a decent inventory at their Banksville location;  the train guy (Mike?) was pretty good as well.  He disappeared eventually.  They had an elaborate setup there, with two floors, a massive slot car setup, and a big RC area.  For a while they were active on eBay, and they got into buying a lot of estate stuff and re-selling it.  The owners lived out in the South Hills and often talked about moving out there because there was no Hobby Shop in the area other than Iron Horse (also a memory).  

 

Their last location was literally at the bottom of my hill - I could walk to that plaza - my daughter frequently does (Yikes, now Bob knows where I live...).   No one knew they wre there.  The shop was an empty shell of what it once was, with a lot of pre-owned train stuff and such.  They at one time had a few good O gauge engines (used); I still kick myself for not buying the Premier F7 ABA set they had for a steal.   No new inventory to speak of; even their bins of Fastrack was largely pre-owned.  

 

Nice guys, but they didn't understand the value of marketing, and they only scratched the surface of online sales.   I remember telling one of the brothers that they could be relevant in the online hobby business, but got a line about "the other brother, blah blah blah...".  

 

Shame to see them gone.  I bought from them when I could and it was about as convenient as it gets, but with little to no inventory and a new, apathetic sales staff, I suppose it was inevitable.  

Gentlemen,

   AB Charles was a good train store way back, his store sat between Franks Iron Horse and Dave's Bill & Walts giant trains store on the Blvd of the Allies and Charles still

competed with the 2 largest trains stores in western Pa and made a good living doing it. Even Frank and Dave would tell us to make sure we supported AB Charles, the old man was a great guy and knew his train business, after he was gone, the store inventory faded and the business moved, what has happened has been headed that way for a long time, to bad too, the store at the top of the hill was really something at one time, and was close to South Hills Rod & Reel, both fantastic businesses in their day, I have great memories of both.

PCRR/Dave

Sad. I grew up in Dormont and that was the place. I bought a bunch of HO things there, mostly engines.

South hills rod n reel was great. Bought my first good fly rod there. Dormant rocked!

Ditto for AB Charles in Dormont. Only went to the Banksville Rd store once and that was enough.  Too bad things have to change.

 

Rick

IMO the downward fall began when they moved to the "barn".  Now from what I understand Mr. Charles sold the building they were in to much dismay of his son.  The problem I saw was the barn was just too big.  There was a loss of focus.

 

My favorite part of AB Charles in Dormont was leaving with a new purchase wrapped in brown paper.  Heck I even saw Mayor Murphy in there once.

 

I believe if he could of relocated to a similar size store in a neighborhood like Brookline he probably would have done ok. 

Did you see him during "sparkle season"?   

 

I am in agreement 100%.  It always annoyed me.

Oh man I COMPLETELY forgot about the brown paper!!!!    FLASHBACK!!!!

While in college in the late 80's, my apartment was a stone's throw from the Dormont location. During that time, I took all of my Dad's postwar stuff, which was in really bad shape, and got it rehab'd at AB Charles. We didn't have any good train stores in my area when I was a kid so while we had a milk car and culvert loader, I never saw them in working condition until they made the trip to AB Charles.

I still have some of the service tags that he'd attach outlining the repairs done.

 

That store was likely the reason for getting back into trains during my adult years.

 

I used to go to the Dormont store in pusuit of some of my non-train hobbies when I was in college.  I remember wishing it was closer to home because it was so cool.

 

After I got back into trains, I went to the barn location once.  Wasn't anything special that made me want to ever go back, especially considering that it was now even farther away from me.

 

It is sad to see any business go, but businesses have to put effort into their business as well as adjust to the ever-changing realities of the internet age.  The days of just being able to hang up the sign and have customers come flocking to it are over.

 

Andy

I visited the Dormont location a few times when I was working in that area in the mid '70s.  I was modeling HO trains and 1/24th plastic cars then.  I never went back after I quit working there and never was in the South Hills location.  There were other places that were closer.

Yes Sparkle Season doesn't cut it.

The disappearance of train stores is a reflection of the times. In simpler times electric trains were prestige items representative of the highest technology available. They formed a core of a leading indoor recreational hobby. That was a time with Black & White manual TV sets and where most homes had a single telephone. People kept busy with simple hobbies like model building of cars, ships military equipment, toy soldiers,  Erector sets, radio kits, chemistry/microscope sets. Today technology and communications seem to run the average persons life. Model trains now represent a very simple technology but a hobby where you must use manual dexterity. This no longer fits the needs of the average person.

I grew up in Brooklyn, NY  which in the 1950's could have been considered train city. Trains were sold in stores in just about any neighborhood. NYC had numerous train stores. Now you have to travel to find a store, or buy at shows or online. The loss of a hobby shop or train store is sad, as it illustrates the loss of interest in our society   with having a working hobby.

I too miss the old, REAL,  AB Charles on West Liberty Ave in Dormont.  I agree with all you guys about their past.  When you entered the old shop,  all the trains and related items along with the die cast vehicles and figures were on the left upper split level with Ed(Bud) Charles behind the counter.  I think he had a photographic memory of every train related item in his shop!.  If you turned to the right and went down a couple of steps to the lower split level,  you were in his son Scott's domain of plastic models, hot wheels,  model airplanes,  rockets and radio controlled vehicles.  The basement was like going into the catacombs.  In one area was a slot car track where a couple clubs would meet once or twice a week and back in another area is what I called the archives.  There were shelves full of dusty trains in boxes from all gauges.  Bud didn't just let anyone go into that area until he got to know you a little better.  I used to take my dad there in the mid 70's to mid 80's after he had his strokes and he enjoyed himself just looking at all the stuff.  It always cheers me up to remember the good times.

 

Nick 

Oh yes!  I do remember there was a lower split level, but I only went to the store a few times.  Never got to go to the inner sanctum!

Yup, exactly as I remember it from the '70's.   Near the store, trolleys left the road at the top of McFarland Road.

Thanks for the post Nick.

"THEY ARE GONE" • We are seeing to many of these brick & mortar shops going under.

What can be done?

 

I got a $100 gift certificate for there when I retired (2/2011).  Had a REALLY hard time spending it because there was almost nothing in 'O' and the few pieces available were over $100.

 

Landed up buying street lamps, backdrop, scenery stuff, etc...

 

Sure not like the Delmont location that's for sure.  I had been there a few times and could have easily spent $100 there.

 

- walt

Many memories from the old Dormont store.  It was here back in the late '50s, that I saw my first piece of brass.....a Max Gray PRR 2-10-4 J !  Hey you could still see the real ones over in Pitcairn.  My folks bought me a big die cast Corgi bulldozer there, and within a week I'd run the tracks right off it !  Later on, I got to know Bud quite well and bought a number of HO engines from these folks, along with a ton of plastic kits.  Too bad, way too bad.