Any Train Stores That You Miss?

colorado hirailer posted:

LOUISVILLE LOU:  I used to visit Fischer's downtown and climb the stairs to get Hudson Miniatures antique car kits (large wood, paper, plastic).  I think I only bought one Lionel item there, one of those oversize crossing gates. (I had Marx, and Fischer's, as usual for those shops, did not carry it),  After school I too came back to Louisville and visited a shop Mrs. Fischer had of mostly HO, on the side of that same "mall" that the remaining shop, Roundhouse, is in today.  Where did Mrs. Fischer have another shop.  I only remember the one near the Roundhouse.  An old train dealer was in a store in a stripmall between Buechel and Fern Creek out Bardstown Road, at what was the end of Watterson Trail,  but it was not there long.  There was another tiny little shop further into Louisville in the Highlands on Taylorsville Rd.,  (old trains) but it was not there long either.

The first suburban shop that Fischer's had was in the Dixie Manor Shopping Center on Dixie Highway.  I think that it was opened while the shop downtown was still open.  Thus they had two shops for awhile.  I also remember the shop near Watterson Trail and I bought an Atlas O Turntable there.  But they seemed to be more interested in slot car racing?  My brother-in-law used to stop there for his HO needs and wants when in town.  I am not familiar with the shop on Bardstown Road in the Highlands.  Fisher's shop downtown was a small place but they always seemed to have your Lionel item "in the warehouse" (wherever that was?).  They tore down the old Rialto theater in the late 60's, a beautiful Italianate place.  Now that part of 4th street is being rejuvenated, what a shame to have lost this beautiful piece of history.

I really wish Barry's Train Shop in Elizabethtown, PA would reopen.....even if just out of his home. Barry is a great guy and his selection and pricing were second to none. 

Downtown Lock & Electric on 14th Street, DC got our family back on the rails in the mid 70s.  The store is still there but their Lionel business is long gone.

Purkey's in semi beautiful Sykesville, MD is well remembered.  He's been gone 6 years now.

Justrains is still in business but it's not the same as when Kirke was alive.  A real shame, too.  I bought a lot from them back in the day.

Actually, the old Nicholas Smith, on 11th Street in Philly.  The old guy, Ed, was a character.  It's where I purchased my first Lionel set as an adult.  The Heartland Express, with a GM&O GP-20 loco.   For some reason, Ed took a liking to me.  I would stop there on the way home from work, some days, and if there was a new customer in the store, watch with humor as Ed tried to make a fool out of them.  Not that I was laughing at the customer, because I wouldn't want to be in that position.  

One day, Pete Camile came in to buy some trains.  I think he was a long time customer.  For those that are wondering who in the hell Pete Camile is, he was some sort of politician in the Rizzo administration.  

There used to be a bunch in my area. Iron Horse being one... A.B. Charles is still around, but little to no trains.

Keith6700,

   When I was younger AB Charles always ran some real great sales on rolling stock to compete with Dave @ Bill & Walts and Frank @ the Iron Horse, lot of times he would undersell them, AB Charles was a great place when the old man was still running it.

NEPA,

   I am with you buddy on Barry's Trains Shop in E-Town, Pa, the very last thing I purchased from him was my Scale Legacy Northern Pacific, in the Pittsburgh Steelers Colors.  Barry is a great guy and we wish him all the best, I do miss his store badly.  

PCRR/Dave

H&L Childs n Son in Northampton, Ma.  Grew up there, finally closed in the late 90's.  They had a huge Lionel billboard outside the store.  Hope it got saved when the old store front became a furniture outlet.

Keith6700 posted:

There used to be a bunch in my area. Iron Horse being one... A.B. Charles is still around, but little to no trains.

AB Charles closed about a year ago. They had just moved to the stripmall location in Peters Twp and had very little train inventory. They didn't last very long there at all.

OK, Here is one for Those folks out in the Dallas Texas Neighborhood, Do you remember Cullum and Borum Hardware in Downtown Dallas?  I think I have the name right, and if not please correct me. When I was a young lad of 8, I visited this store with my parents and saw one of the nicest In Store Layouts, which really turned me on to Lionel Trains.  Anyone remember this Store?

As a young lad growing up in Philadelphia in the 1950's , it seem to me that almost every local hardware store sold Lionel trains . I even remember seeing a lot of various ads for trains in the Inquire and The Evening Bulletin leading up to Christmas .  Jim

Growing up in Sunnyside, Queens, my first trains (Marx) were purchased at the local 5 & 10 store. Years latter I wanted real Lionel trains. There was a Strauss store on 48th Street and Queens Blvd. That sold Lionel trains. My first purchase was a Lionel rotating searchlight car. I still have it.

Another store I miss would be Ridge Road Station.  While for me it was an on-line store, they did have a brick and mortar shop up in New York State.  While buying LGB he always had the best deals and was easy to deal with.  He also sold all other scales.

I always enjoyed taking the Kids and stopping at Loco Louies.  Lou Caponi was always interesting to talk with.  He had New MTH and Lionel and you could also find a variety of older trains. RIP Lou.

H & L Childs in Northampton, MA was a childhood favorite.  While I grew up in NY, my grandparents lived in Springfield, MA.  While my birthday fell was on 2/1, we ended up celebrating on President's Day weekend when we visited my grandparents and was able to go Childs for a few presents.

A local favorite was Caffero's train shop in Binghamton, NY, which was actually in the front foyer of Mr. Caffero's house.  Crammed full of trains. 

Any body familiar with Rosewood Hobby in NJ? I purchased train stuff from them in the 1970's through the mail. I don't know whether there was a retail store.

Atlanta Trains which was 3 miles from house and was so convenient.  I used to stop in there every 2 weeks because I could or happen to be passing by.

Definately Madison Hardware, the first place I bought trains... I got my love of trains from my mother - she took me to Madison Hardware many times when I was young. Later in life, I went to college a short walk down 23rd Street and then went to work on 26th street. Whenever I went into Madison, Lou would always ask "how's mama"? After I was working, I was able to buy my mother her favorite engine (which she could never justify purchasing for herself when my brother and I were growing up) - a new/old stock 2360 GG1.

I've had this Angela Trotta Thomas print hanging in the house for probably 15 years. My one quibble with the portrayal... I don't think the shelves inside ever looked that neat!

All Nation Hobby Shop in on Madison in downtown Chicago.  Long, narrow, stock stacked to the rafters (or so it seemed) usually crowed and busy, at least the times I went there.

Also my home away from home, Windsor Hobbies in Berwyn.  Great view of the CB&Q racetrack.  Small, limited stock, the "good stuff" in back.

Rusty

Apples55/Paul, awsome pic!     Madison Hardware was amazing.  If you wanted to stay on the  northern nj side of the river, there was Hiway Hobby on  rt 17 in Ramsey.

How about the Gingerbread Stop in Warren New Jersey. Owner Bob Fischer. Small, friendly with scratch building supplies.  He had lots of HO brass. Me being in O Scale traction I went there a lot for his supplies. Every now and then he would surprise me with some items he knew I would grab. 

Nate

Yep.  Four  of them in Washington, D.C., home for the first 22 years of my life.

Keene's Model Railroad Shop....strictly HO.  Clark Keene....I'll never forget him and his smiling encouragement of a gangly teen venturing into a new realm of the hobby.

Corr's Hobby Shop....a full line hobby shop....trains, ships, planes, etc. 

Superior Lock and Electric....whence the Lionel trains of my earliest youth came.  Wooden creaky floors, dim lighting, orange/blue boxes, ......neophyte's Nirvana.

Vicar's Camera and Hobby....Western and Wisconsin Avenues...at the terminal loop of the Tenleytown D.C. Transit streetcar run....or a short bike ride from my home for this 'free-range' (new PC term?) kid.

All gone.  Of course, i'm no longer there, either.  Now in Meeeshigan for the past 50 years.  Just the sweet memories of a by-gone era.

  When I first got back into trains I had started with HO and then eventually moved to Lionel postwar. I remember having quite a few stores to visit. Back before all of these scale offerings it was kind of an adventure trying to locate cars you were looking for. There wasn't any internet and I would look forward to visiting these stores to see if they may have gotten a car I was looking for over the week. I made a lot of friends at these stores. Some of them would even call me to tell me if they bought a collection that might have something I was looking for.

  Sadly I'm down to only a couple stores left of about fifteen. I like the new scale stuff but it doesn't have quite the same adventure as trying to locate a postwar piece and feeling the sense of satisfaction when your carrying it home. Now I just order and wait for it to come in. A lot of the people I knew have since passed on or moved to another state. I know that things change and we have to move on with the future. But I cant stop the feeling that we gave up a big piece of the hobby to the internet.

  bob

I would have to say that Jim's Train Shop is greatly missed.  But,I have more money in my wallet.  Jim is a great salesman and promoter of toy trains.  I also miss visiting Bill Oberst's train shop in Georgetown,SC.  Bill is the consummate southern gentleman.  Even though Bill's business was mostly mail order,he had quite an inventory on hand for viewing.

Norm

I would have to say that Jim's Train Shop is greatly missed.  But,I have more money in my wallet.  Jim is still a great salesman and promoter of toy trains.  I also miss visiting Bill Oberst's train shop in Georgetown,SC.  Bill is the consummate southern gentleman.  Even though Bill's business was mostly mail order,he had quite an inventory on hand for viewing.  It was always fun to stop in and visit with Bill.

Norm

The Hobby House in Cleveland and Jaye and Jaye in Euclid...I used to ride my bike as a teen from Willoughby to Euclid to visit Jaye and Jaye back in the early 80s before I started driving. I miss those days. My #8002 Lionel Berk came from Jaye and Jaye as did my ZW Transformer. Good memories.

there used to be a restaurant on (or near) Broad St, Newark, NJ where your burger and fries were delivered to you at the counter on flat cars behind a Lionel postwar locomotive.   i sure do miss that place.  ok, there was probably 2-3x the RDA of sat. fat in those meals, but as kids we had no problem burning calories by running around outdoors in the pre-X-box era.

cheers...gary

Yep - Roy's Train World. It was a fixture in Mesa AZ for years.

Jim's Train Shop for mail order.

Tinplate Junction and San Antonio Hobbies for local.

I have recently found Mercer Junction and am very happy with the service and selection.

overlandflyer posted:

there used to be a restaurant on (or near) Broad St, Newark, NJ where your burger and fries were delivered to you at the counter on flat cars behind a Lionel postwar locomotive.   i sure do miss that place.  ok, there was probably 2-3x the RDA of sat. fat in those meals, but as kids we had no problem burning calories by running around outdoors in the pre-X-box era.

cheers...gary

Gary,

  That sounds like a cool place to eat..even considering saturated fat!  

 Tom 

Mountain Trains in Manchester NH when Tom Smith owned it before he sold it to the morons who destroyed what he had built.

I have to agree Jim and Peggy of Jim's Train shop are truly missed.

I dealt with Jason's Train Shop in Johnstown before he had his misfortune event. Jason for was great to work with also.

Al's hobby shop in Elmhurst, Illinois was the place to go for me when I was growing up here. The Train Department got smaller, RC became bigger. After 63 years, I'm still here and Al's closed a few years ago. Progress took over and the town is different, and I guess we all change through the years. But those were good times.

Hey Pine Tree, I'm in Elmhurst too! South side, near York and Butterfield. 

Al's was nice into the early 2000's or so. I don't know if it was a change in management or something, but it was like they gave up on trains. Even the Lionel selection was good. Towards the end I even tried to special order some new Lionel, but nothing I ordered ever arrived, so I gave up.

I miss Jasons Trains in Johnstown Pa. He was great to talk to and got me into remote trains. Maybe that wasn't so good but I'm having fun. Thanks Jason

I have only two that are worthwhile to mention:

The first shop I'll mention was where I began my journey to (eventually) becoming a "serious" modeler. I think it was the mid-1960s or so that I discovered "Spotlight Model Railroad Shop" in Kansas City. What a huge difference between the "Joe Faulk Toys" and such that I frequented for my hobbies in my section of KC (North KC at the time). At Spotlight there were rows and rows of shelves with NOTHING but train stuff. Wow. To this kid, it was like that question asked in Field Of Dreams: "Is this heaven?"

It was at Spotlight that I discovered decals and that wonderful smelling concoction "Solvaset". I also learned about Floquil (also smelled good to me), on and on. It was through Spotlight that I began to learn that if it wasn't available, I could make it myself.

Even after we moved to Arkansas in '69, on my nearly annual trips to KC, I would stop by "Spotlight Model Railroad Shop" and browse n' buy.  It was a sad day when I swung by during one of our annual KC visits to discover that Spotlight was no more.

The second shop I'll mention is the shop that contains my best memories: The Golden Spike, of Fort Smith, AR.  This became my "Spotlight" once in Arkansas. I think I discovered The Golden Spike in April of '69 or so.  The hobby shop was upstairs at the "Cottage Florist". Both businesses were owned by Dave and wife Shirley McDonald.  Long story short: Through The Golden Spike, Dave and Shirley have become my oldest friends, having known them since '69. They are like family, including both sides being there for the other during times of loss and or family tragedy. They are treasured friends to this day.

Though Dave and Shirley retired and closed their shops years ago, our friendship continues.  In spite of The Golden Spike closing, the wonderful modeling memories from there remain, with the added bonus that friendship memories continue to be made.

Don't believe everything you read on forums: This hobby has a lot of great people in it.

I did not see any mention of Hobby Hangout in Easton PA, which was run by Forum member Phil Kropp (don't know if spelling is correct). Out of the two hobby stores in Easton PA, HH was my favorite. Phil was always helpful when asked a question or to provide advice. He was a major influence on my club (Black Diamond Society of Model Engineers, Bethlehem PA) purchasing Legacy Control for our 3 rail layout. We also purchased MTH DCS from his store as well.

JohnB

Summerdale Junction posted:

As a young lad growing up in Philadelphia in the 1950's , it seem to me that almost every local hardware store sold Lionel trains . I even remember seeing a lot of various ads for trains in the Inquire and The Evening Bulletin leading up to Christmas .  Jim

Also growing up in the 50's, from South Jersey, I would accompany my father to center city Philly around Christmas.  We would take a trolly to "Miller's" where he bought favorites like 726, GG1 Trainmaster and SF's.  I don't recall exactly where it was but seemed to be in business for awhile.

I've seen it advertising in old magazines.

I also enjoyed taking my son to "Train 99" out on Rt202.

Anyone remember

Bambergers (Now Macy's) in Newark NJ

Branch Brook Co. Bloomfield Avenue Newark Near Branch Brook Park. and,

Polks in Manhattan . 5 or 6 floors of all day fun!

Buzz

GG1 2340 posted:

Bambergers (Now Macy's) in Newark NJ

Branch Brook Co. Bloomfield Avenue Newark Near Branch Brook Park. and,

Polks in Manhattan . 5 or 6 floors of all day fun!

 

Buzz

Dad bought a 1966 Virginian Trainmaster set at Bam's (thats what mom called Bambergers). The woman at the register rang up the price incorrectly and Dad said he paid something like $19.99 and got the hell out of there.

Still have the set, its been around "the tree" about a million times.