I just read on the Facebook page of the Train Station in Mountain Lakes, NJ, that David Shaw had died. He along with his father Don Shaw owned and operated this store for 40 years. I’m not sure what happened but it’s another sad day in our hobby . It says that the store will be closed until further notice. When I got back into the hobby 26 years ago, I bought my first TMCC loco from Dave. He was a really nice guy!!!!
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The Train Station was always my go-to local train store if I needed Lionel parts or needed things serviced. One of the best Lionel service stations, for sure.
Dave was a very knowledgeable man and was easy to work with if I wanted something they had, anything new I wanted preordered, or needed something fixed. The Lionel Classic Locomotives 1 & 2 videos he and his father Donald produced on the Trainmaster and F3 respectively are extremely valuable sources of information for any hardcore postwar Lionel collectors, even today.
May he Rest in Peace. I hope the store can continue, but it really won't be the same without him.
Yep. Awful news. I've been back in the hobby seriously for the last 2-3 years and got to know Dave and did most of my ordering/buying through the shop. He will be missed.
So sorry to hear the sad news, Dave was the reason i got into the hobby, always ready with help and information for whatever i needed, may, condolences to his family.
I received an email this morning regarding Dave’s passing, very shocked and saddened by the news. I know he had been ill for some time and appeared to be on the mend.
This was what I received via email this morning:
The Shaw family is extremely saddened to share the sudden, unexpected passing of David Shaw.
Many know Dave as the man behind the counter with the answer for everything. Dave was known for his passion, knowledge and unwavering commitment to supporting both customers and the model train industry as a whole. He took great pride in leading a small family owned business.
His contributions to the model train community will be greatly missed.
Final arrangements will be held on Saturday, August 17th at the Par-Troy Funeral Home, located at 95 Parsippany Rd Parsippany, NJ 07054.
Please join us for visitation from 4-7 pm.
The Train Station will be closed until further notice. Thank you for your understanding.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to be made to the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation in Dave’s honor.
Your thoughts and prayers are appreciated during this time.
I had the fortune to have met Don at the beginning of my venture into trains back in 1988 at my first TCA show in New Orleans. He and several fellas were instrumental in the new 72' scale K-Line 'The Heavyweights' which were beautiful additions to the hobby then. Then a few years ago, Steve Maier and I were on our way to Trainstock and stopped in to see the store and met David. He was very nice to us and spend about 30 minutes showing us around the back rooms!
Sure hope someone is able to continue the tradition of The Train Station
I also just read the Train-Station email announcing Dave's passing. I am still in shock trying to write this reply. I have been a customer of Daves for over 40 years. He was always helpful sharing his knowledge with me. Always would match any pre order price that I brought in. He and his wife Sue recently celebrated their daughter's wedding. When I recently (Aug 3) went to the store to pick up my Base 3, Dave was home under the weather and not in the store. Hopefully the store will eventually continue to offer great service to our hobby, but more importantly my thoughts and prayers go out to Sue and the Shaw family.
The sad news just keeps coming. May God be with Dave and his family.
I'll echo what others have said.
The Train Station was my go-to local train shop since it was actually located in a train station (across the street from the current location). It was the train store we all wish we had when we were kids.
Dave was the guy behind the counter, always ready with sound advice or conversation. He helped me greatly when I got back into trains, and he never steered me wrong. I was never a big spender, but Dave always took as much time as needed to help me out. He will be sorely missed.
P.S. Is there any way we can forward this thread to Dave's family? It may provide some solace for them to know how the model railroad community regarded Dave.
WOW!!!! More sad news!! I got to know and enjoy Don, Dave, Sue, and Dan at York shows over many years. They were real people as well as train people and kind to me. I will always remember what Dave did to honor his father. My thoughts and prayers are focused on the family.
Very sad news indeed. Dave was truly one of the best - always accessible, knowledgeable and helpful. The Train Station has been my favorite store for the last 20 plus years. Rest in peace Dave. Sincere condolences to Sue and the Shaw family in this difficult time.
Wow, very sad to hear this RIP Dave
Here's a link to Dave's obit. Click on "Obituary & Events" to read it.
More sad news for the train world. I was last there 2 years ago when I was in the area. RIP Dave.
Very sad news He was a real nice guy Dave used to come to our train shows and hand out flyers to people coming in the door It was a benefit to our club to see a friendly face as soon as you walked in. Dave also built the layout that was featured in the Soprano's TV show The layout that was in the garage that Bobby Bacala had was daves creation It is now housed at our club and was the one we transported to Sopranos Convention in the meadowlands
I've worked with Dave (and his dad Don) in the store selling trains and maintaining their office and online systems since 1987. I got to see not only the man at the store but also the man raising his family when the store felt like a 24/7/365 job. It's always been obvious how he cared for Sue and the kids. I will miss him so much not just for his train expertise but also for his friendship.
Very sad, very disheartening to see the news of his passing. The Train Station was my first experience with a hobby store, when I got back into trains around 2000. I really enjoyed going in there and just walking around, looking at the beautiful collection of postwar collectibles that were behind the glass, seeing the trains running around the wall in that middle room. As I got further into the hobby and building my layout I’d be in there quite often and got to know Dave a little bit. Got a quick tour of “the warehouse” one afternoon. He was a nice guy. Really enjoyed his wry sense of humor. A great advocate for the hobby who will be missed by all who knew him. R.I.P. buddy.
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