Chicago O Scale!! Hobby Shops

Probably not.  There is so much stuff on eBay that it doesn't make sense to spend the gas driving to the few that remain.  Caboose Hobbies in Denver, Whistle Stop in Pasadena, and maybe that place on 46th street in NYC are still worth an occasional visit.

I used to love Chicagoland.  Got an All Nation Mountain there for $35 on a layover, and got to ride the CNW to and from the hotel!

I would recommend Caboose Stop Hobbies in Cedar Falls, IA. Merlyn and Carol will treat you right and they have a ton of O Scale. 2R and 3R for that matter.  While not in Chicago, definitely worth the trip.   Great railfanning opportunities as well in the Cedar Falls/Waterloo area.

In addition, while both ChicagoLand and Berwyn Toy's and Trains are predominately 3R you can usually find a decent Lionel or MTH car to convert. 

Although not exactly a "hobby shop", I order all my O Scale detail parts from Ted Schnepf, of Rail Unlimited

http://railsunlimited.ribbonrail.com

Or phone him at (847) 697-5353

Ted generally has a pretty large inventory, and what he doesn't have in stock, he can get for you in reasonably short order.

I would also say Caboose Stop Hobbies..lot of good stuff.

Check them out.

Chris

Chicagoland has a smattering of 2 rail, but the bulk of their trade is 3 rail.

Des Plaines Hobbies has more 2 rail O Scale than any Chicago area shop I know of.

http://www.desplaineshobbies.com/store/

Thanks...is Caboose Stop Hobbies run by the guy that sets up both at Wheaton, and

in the March Meet.  There is a guy from Iowa with a lot of O that does that.  He set

up in the third bldg. at Wheaton for years a couple of aislse over from where I kept

a table for a couple of years.  He was about the only O source at Wheaton.

My son and I were at the last wheaton show..I'd honestly say 1/3 of the show was O, but alot was HO and the last 1/3 was a combo of S, N and G.

I guess it basicly depends on what your looking for...kitbash projects, old school conventional or what? There was alot of new O there..mostly rolling stock..but there was old O there too.

I'm sure my son and I are slated for the next show again{will be his 2nd time there then}, and we'll go hunting for some more treasures and parts{more LED light bulbs and lionel replacement pieces}.

I was surprised by the "new to me" show time of 9:30-3:00 and the parking lines in the gravel upper lot....guess I've been away too long.

There is O SCALE, and there is O THREE RAIL. If there was much O SCALE, to include

any structure kits (I was set up there a few years, and do not remember buying

much if anything O SCALE at that show, except from the guy from Iowa mentined above), it has changed remarkably.  There was, and I suspect, is, tons of O THREE RAIL at Wheaton (except, usually, anything I was looking for).  I always, as I think I've said on here before, found that strange given that All Nation (O scale car kit builder and parts supplier), and, historically, many other O SCALE makers were in the Chicago area).  True, in any train show, excepting the March meet, the Strasburg show, and the few other dedicated O SCALE shows,  any O SCALE has to sniffed out, like panning for gold.

I was thinking that's alot of capital letters{O Scale}...then checked...you have this in the 2 rail "scale" forum...Sorry, I just noticed that! My apologies for not catching that till now.

Where's the dunce cap emoticon for me?....

Ted Schnepf, and his business is Rails Unlimited.  Ted also owns the home which is the location of the Fox Valley O Scalers Club.   A layout that must be seen in person to enjoy!

You might want to take a look at this web site.  oscaleresource.com

If you go to Des Plaines Hobbies, be aware of your prices, as Ron is notorious for raising the price on old stock to reflect the newest pricing!   An $84.00 Atlas car might just cost you $90.00, or more, at his retail plus surcharge policy, (as I like to call it).   One of the resons why I only go up when he has a worthwhile sale  (30% or more off), which is not too often.

Oh but when he does, you can go on quite a shopping spree!!!    That's the time to purchase.  Earlier this year, they had a 30% sale on EVERYTHING!    You could have grabbed a ZW-L for $550 which is pretty much an unheard of price level for that jewel.  Even Atlas-O CZ cars were on sale for $105.  Can't go wrong there!!!

David

In my area shops have come and gone. Arkansas Traveler Hobbies is a great place for a visit if you live in either Little Rock, St. Louis, Memphis or Dallas. It's a drive from any of the cities except for Little Rock, but it is a fantastic place to visit. It's in an old depot along the STL-DAL mainline for UP (former MP). On the end of my range, Legacy Station in Atlanta is another great place to visit. In Memphis there is Midsouth Hobbies. They have radically improved in the last 6 months, after hiring someone from another shop in the area that had closed. Nashville has lost many of their shops, but Thor's still offers a nice collection of old stuff and current conventional. In Iowa there is Boone Hobbies. There are places in the mid-Atlantic states as well. Sommerfield Trains in Butler, WI (Milwaukee) is another of my favorite places to visit. They have a fantastic variety.

Yes, the hobby has largely gone to eBay and the big internet dealers, but there are still gems out there. And eBay is generally more expensive with the risk of acquiring junk. It's not a good place to buy unless you know what you are doing. Many retailers post higher prices there while simultaneously reserving lower prices for other sites. 

Len B:  Arkansas Traveler I have heard of....Some others no...I don't think Legacy

Station existed when my work was sending me to/through Atlanta.  Thanks.

EBay fees, of course, forced me to raise my prices when I was selling on there, vs.

what I would ask for the item in a club mag or train show.