LHS in San Francisco

http://www.chanstrains.com/

chanstrains@aol.com

Chan's Trains & Hobbies

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Franciscan Hobby

1920A Ocean Ave. San Francisco, CA 94127
Mon, Wed-Sat: 10am - 7pm		Tel: (415) 584-3919
Sunday: 12 noon - 6pm		Fax: (415) 584-9112
Hours Effective: 1/28/2013		Email: FranciscanHobbies@Comcast.net

Matt is Western Depot over in Yuba City(east bay area) worth while going to?

 

Any thing down toward San Jose?

Alan;

 

In the Bay Area, Justtrains in Concord is probably the best...it is just off Hy 4 in an industrial area but worth the search.

The Train Shop in San Jose is at 1829 Pruneridge.

Western Depot is well worth a visit...also in an industrial area just off Hy 99.

 

Allan

Western Depot is a bit of drive north east from San Fran but they do have a good selection lots of Williams and everything else. + ask for the Warehouse tour huge! 

Sounds like several shops to be checked out.

Western Depot is quite a little drive from the Bay Area.  I've ordered from them online but I've never actually been to their store.  Matt

Matt thank you.

Hi Folks,

 

Unfortunately there aren't any real good O gauge train stores in the SF Bay Area.   The local shops focus on selling HO trains.

 

The only shop that I am familiar with in San Francisco is Francisco Hobbies.   They have a modest selection of O gauge items.  Most of their stock is HO.

 

I have been to Chan's Hobbies in SF once and that was many years ago.  As best as I can remember, the shop is located in a residential area and there is absolutely no parking.  Take the bus or taxi if you are going to Chan's.

 

Just Trains in Concord is about an hour drive from SF.   It is a large shop that has a modest selection of O gauge trains.   They do carry all kinds of scenery materials, etc.  The shop's large HO layout is worth seeing.  Check out Just Trains website for a list of local train clubs to visit.   The East Bay Model Engineers in Richmond have one of the finest O gauge (2 rail) layouts anywhere.   They also have wonderful HO an N scale layouts.

 

The Train Shop in Santa Clara (near San Jose) is another large shop.  They also have a modest selection of O gauge trains.   They do carry 3rd Rail Trains and the railroad book selection is the best that I have ever seen in any shop.   Santa Clara is about an hour drive south from San Francisco.   

 

One of the best places to visit, in my opinion,  is 3rd Rail Trains in San Ramon.   You should call first to see if Scott Mann is in town.  Scott is always willing to show modelers his organization and his models.   You may not be able to get a tour if Scott isn't in town.  San Ramon is about a 45 minute drive from San Francisco.

 

The Western Depot in Yuba City is a huge train store.  The focus is on O gauge trains.  Yuba City is about a 3 hour drive from San Francisco.   You are looking at a 6 hour round trip if you go there.   

 

If you go to Yuba City, you might as well go to the California State RR Museum in Sacramento.    The museum has one of the largest collections of vintage tin plate trains anywhere.  This is one of the best train museums in the USA.   Sacramento is about a two hour drive from San Francisco.  

 

There is another large train store in Roseville (near Sacramento) that has a large selection of O gauge trains.   I can't recall the shop's name.

 

The SF Bay Area is very large and most of these shops are located 30 to 60 miles from each other.   You will need to do a lot of driving on very crowded freeways to see them.  

 

 

Joe

 

 

  

thank you all!

 

now I just need to be able to get away for a bit as this trip is ostentatiously for the purposes of visiting my son whose first job is in SF.

 

Alan 

 

 

If you head to Just Trains in Concord, you should stop by Berkeley Ace Hardware. Their Hobby Shop is in the Basement.