In the Indianapolis area does anyone remember Train Express and Larry Pfost and further back Kelly's Coin Cupboard and Charle E Kelly that sold coins and Lionel trains? Anymore you can think of in your area?
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My favorite in the South Jersey area was Antique Trains in Turnersville, New Jersey. Trains and Things in the Vineland New Jersey area was a close second. Ted's Engine House in Pennsauken , New Jersey was also one of my favorite haunts. The first used Lionel engine I ever bought was from Ted's. It was a 736 Berkshire in excellent condition and I bought it in 1977 for the princely sum of $110.00. I still have it to this day and it still runs great. 
I should also note that I purchased my very first mail order train set from Train Express back in 1988. It was the Lionel Fallen Flags 3 Great Northern Freight set headed up by a Great Northern EP5. Again, I still have this set today and it also runs and tracks really well.
I ordered starter sets for my boys from Train Express. Nice people to work with
I used to stop at Train Express on my way to Wheaton... "good old days"...also stopped in Lafayette at a hobby shop that moved a couple of times..
I remember Train Express. Excellent train store & friendly staff.
I remember the Train Express ads that ran in CTT.
I ordered my dc powered Badlands Express from them.
I bought a lot from Train Express including, sadly, much from Larry’s going-out-of-business sale. Larry and Train Express used to donate the door prizes for the Indy-area TCA shows back in the 80’s. As a kid, I would go to the shows with my dad and Larry would let me pick the winning tickets out of the hat. I once picked my dad’s ticket - he won an orange Lionel gondola. We still have it.
My favorite train store as a kid was Steve Varga's Hobby Shop in New Brunswick, NJ. Every month (give or take), my Dad and I would go to the New Brunswick train station on a Saturday afternoon and watch GG1s, Metroliners and other trains fly by on the Northeast Corridor. Afterwards, we would always pay a visit to Mr. Varga's shop. He and my Dad were good friends for many years, and I have great memories of the 2 of them talking toy trains during those visits. Dad and Mr. Varga are both long gone, but the memories live on.
My favorite stores were Catoctin Mountain Trains and Hobbies in Thurmont MD and still alive and well The Rail Yard in Roanoke VA great folks to deal with and proud to call both Paul at Catoctin and Jim at The Rail Yard friends in Jim’s case over 40 years and Paul 30 years.
@Lionel/MTH Railroader posted:In the Indianapolis area does anyone remember Train Express and Larry Pfost and further back Kelly's Coin Cupboard and Charle E Kelly that sold coins and Lionel trains? Anymore you can think of in your area?
I just saw Larry a few months ago when he attended an auction over at Stout Auctions that I happened to stop in for. It was good to see him for the first time in a few years. The stories he has about the hay-day of Train Express are wonderful. I have a fair amount of correspondence in my personal archives from his work with licensing Frito-Lay and Pepsi products for his K Line train sets. I'll always appreciate spending time with him over the years.
For me personally, my long gone is Valparaiso Pet and Hobby. Joe and Sharon Henley were my version of Lou and Carl at Madison Hardware. I can't count the number of Saturday's Joe watched me peer into his Lionel display cases at the store. When the store closed, I acquired a number of the Lionel display signs and one wall display case from the store. So in a way Valpo Pet and Hobby lives on in our basement. The best part was when I wrote the Madison Hardware Story back in 2017, I was able to personalize a copy for Joe and Sharon and sit with them at their kitchen table and tell them just how much of an inspiration their store was to me. I will always appreciate them and how they encouraged my passion for Lionel.
When I used to travel for work, on trips to Indy, Train Express was a must stop. Learned of them due to their magazine ads.
sadly, here in Chicago, we used to have Town House, who sold appliances and trains all year, Hill’s Hobby and most recently, Chicagoland Hobbies.
Rex Hardware, Broad St, Augusta, GA..............
Choo Choo Edfies in Rutherford, NJ
Madison Hardware 23rd St NYC
The Train Shop Johnson City, NY, The Village Train Shop in Windsor, NY [last of the shops in Broome Co.]
Scranton [PA] hobby up the block from Steamtown.
Pt. Pleasant NJ Train Shop
Walkers Hardware Totowa, NJ
The Train Shop in Hillsdale. NJ [mostly large scale]
Long's Drugstore in Moreno Valley CA. One part drug store, three parts massive all gauges train store. It was a crazy pairing. Gone for many years now, I've never seen or heard of anything like it since.
John
This is a frequently recycled forum topic.
This eight year old thread has quite a few long gone train/hobby shops.
For a crazy drugstore pairing +, how about the one in South Dakota (no trains, though), but a store with trains was the florist and trains south? of Lancaster in Pa., that burned.
Let's not forget Jim's trains of Homer city PA !
Train Express was our favorite train store. I bought almost all of my trains from them when they were open (they didn't sell 3rd Rail or Weaver, so those were the exceptions). They were very good with customers. My son, pre-school age at the time, got his first trains there (wooden Thomas the Tank engine set - similar to Brio trains), and every trip after that he added an engine or car (or two), and they always would take time to chat with him, show him new items, etc. They even helped my wife surprise me one year for my birthday by hunting down a rare item that I'd been wanting for some time (Disney hi-cube boxcar from the 1970s).
Off-topic trivia: Larry Pfost was once a contestant on the Hoosier Lottery game show. He came in second out of 6 (or 8?) contestants, so didn't get a chance for the "big money" round.
Bruce’s Train Shop, Sacramento, CA. Closed in 2012. Bruce has since passed.
Handy Dan The Hobby Man Yonkers N.Y.
Telly Electric Supply Mount Vernon N.Y.
Oval Pharmacy Bronx N.Y.
Jim’s Train Shop, Homer City, PA
@Notch 6 posted:I just saw Larry a few months ago when he attended an auction over at Stout Auctions that I happened to stop in for. It was good to see him for the first time in a few years. The stories he has about the hay-day of Train Express are wonderful. I have a fair amount of correspondence in my personal archives from his work with licensing Frito-Lay and Pepsi products for his K Line train sets. I'll always appreciate spending time with him over the years.
For me personally, my long gone is Valparaiso Pet and Hobby. Joe and Sharon Henley were my version of Lou and Carl at Madison Hardware. I can't count the number of Saturday's Joe watched me peer into his Lionel display cases at the store. When the store closed, I acquired a number of the Lionel display signs and one wall display case from the store. So in a way Valpo Pet and Hobby lives on in our basement. The best part was when I wrote the Madison Hardware Story back in 2017, I was able to personalize a copy for Joe and Sharon and sit with them at their kitchen table and tell them just how much of an inspiration their store was to me. I will always appreciate them and how they encouraged my passion for Lionel.
I got your Madison Hardware book and you should do another book or article on Indiana train dealers etc. Write a chapter on Train Express and Larry's tales, stories and interactions with Lionel Trains upper management and staff. It all started with Scheid Tires and Lionel collector Roy Scheid selling Lionel trains at his tire stores around Indianapolis in the early 70's and then Larry entered the picture. Do an interview with Greg Stout and his start in the mid 90's auction of Trains. I know there is some others in Indiana too and the one you mentioned. Just a thought.
Might have less to count if we remember the ones still i business.
Lionel used to supply a list of all service stations which was included in the train/accessory box. Dig out some of those and you will see how many shops are gone. At one time, shops in Europe and other countries were listed.
Davis Trains in Milford, Ohio. I got into trouble every time I walked into the place. It was like all the catalogs came to life!
Tom
@Tom Densel posted:Davis Trains in Milford, Ohio. I got into trouble every time I walked into the place. It was like all the catalogs came to life!
Tom
We would make a day trip to Davis Trains between Thanksgiving and Christmas, then to the CG&E(Cinergy then Duke) building downtown Cinci to see the B&O train display, and then to the Union Terminal to watch trains. Davis Trains had rooms(2-3 buildings) full of every scale of trains and accessories at great prices!
Thank you Mark and Dave.
Although there are a number of train shops I could site (some due to online purchases over some time), two close to home that I visited often and truly miss would be Amer's Hobby Shop in Youngstown, OH, which is where many if not most of my childhood trains were purchased, and more recently Dave Minarik's Mercer Junction Train Shoppe, in Mercer, PA, which resulted not only in many purchases over its decade in existence, but also led to many new and highly valued friendships.
Aaron's City Trains on Grant st. In Akron Ohio.
My earliest train shop memories were of Schafner's Trains in Canton, Ohio.
When I got back into the hobby when I went to college (which is a weird time to re-enter the hobby) I learned of Glen's Train Shop in Akron, which has been discussed many times on this forum over the years, but was such a great place and they had so much product (and sometimes an adventurous hunt to find it).
But I also discovered Smithville Model Trains over in Smithville, Ohio. I loved going in and talking with Lucky about trains. He was such a great guy and such a fun smaller shop.
@Tom Densel posted:Davis Trains in Milford, Ohio. I got into trouble every time I walked into the place. It was like all the catalogs came to life!
Tom
Does anyone know whatever happened to Steve Rider the expert train repair guy employed by Davis? I knew He opened a shop but I believe it has closed. I often wonder if He is still doing repairs on MTH product. He always took care of all my repairs.
@nkp4me posted:My earliest train shop memories were of Schafner's Trains in Canton, Ohio.
When I got back into the hobby when I went to college (which is a weird time to re-enter the hobby) I learned of Glen's Train Shop in Akron, which has been discussed many times on this forum over the years, but was such a great place and they had so much product (and sometimes an adventurous hunt to find it).
But I also discovered Smithville Model Trains over in Smithville, Ohio. I loved going in and talking with Lucky about trains. He was such a great guy and such a fun smaller shop.
My first purchase of a train was from Schafners on Cleveland Ave. in Canton. Was always WOWED by how much stuff He had
Let's not forget Big Mike from Train America in Canfield, Ohio I am sure a few of you on here know who I am talking about!!
Amer's Hobby Shop Youngstown Ohio.
Ron
I bought my first train at Amer’s. Howard Amer was a class act.
My favorite now closed shops:
Roy's Train World - Mesa Az
Mesa Models - Mesa Az
Arizona Train Depot - Mesa Az
Burling's Ton of Trains - Fountain Hills Az
Grew up in northeastern Ohio, Glen's Train Shop was undoubtedly my favorite. I'll never forget that cinder block building, the heavy steel door, that buzzer and the aroma once you walked in. Trading Post in Cleveland was another. Great owners and wonderful service.
Jaye and Jaye in E. Cleveland, Ohio, was the place to go on the east side of town in the fifties and sixties. Got my first Lionel set from them in 1955. I’ll never forget shopping there with my dad just before Christmas. What a great memory.
Later on, I became a regular at Jim Berilla’s Trading Post Trains on the west side of the city. And a semi-regular at the famous Hobby House on Huron Rd. in downtown Cleveland. I also shopped at Hinch’s Hobby on the south side of town for a number of years in the 1980s and 90s. The owner, Merrill Hinchcliffe, was a fine fellow, as well, but met a sudden and untimely death in the late 90s.
. Also, I should mention Allied Model Trains in Los Angeles where I now reside.
All super-fun stores in their time that have provided a lifetime of fond memories.
Hi-Way Hobby House on Rt 17 in Ramsey, New Jersey. They were there since 1953 and sadly closed in 2010. There is some fitness center there now when I pass by on 17.
They had a huge mail order presence in magazines like Model Railroader DBA Standard Hobby Supply
John
When I was like 14 about 1967, I had a hobby shop route in Downtown Philadelphia, Millers Union Station, Quaker City Hobbies, Tom Thumb Trains, Beckers and The original Nicholas Smith when he was living, they're all gone now. In Upper Darby where I grew up, we had Todds, Warrens, and another hobby shop at 69th & market that closed about 1960. When I moved to Tampa Florida back in 1973, we had Chester Holley, Happy Hobo, Hans Hobby Shop. West Coast Model RR & Toys & Hobbies. Out of all the above stores only Nicholas Smith is still in business under different owner and different location.
