New Website...Catoctin Mountain Trains...Must See!!

I have been dealing with Paul since he first opened the doors. I cannot think of a nicer person in this hobby anywhere. Folks will come in and just hangout(me) for hours enjoy the conversation with Paul and others. A really great place and a place you must stop if you are in the Central MD, South Central PA area. Just minutes from Gettysburg and Frederick.

Very nice store (and website).  The site is visually clean, neat, organized, and inviting.  I really like those virtual tours...a very cool idea!

Nice job on the web site. I'm fortunate that CMT is in my sphere of LHSs. Don't get up there that much,  but always a great experience and Paul is a real class act.

What a nice site! Packed with information with a really nice visual element.

Not only is the website well done, but even if you don't buy, it is so worth the trip to see Paul and Marcia in Thurmont, MD.  You will have to search far and wide to find another dealer who is so fair, reasonable and reliable.  You get an extremely fair price and you are gauranteed to always get exactly what you order!!  Paul and Marcia have a very rich history with the Federal Capitol Mounted Police as well as the National Park Service so they bring much more to the table to make your visit very memorable.

A very nicely done website. I have been dealing with Paul since June 2010 and have had nothing but wonderful experiences. I spent my Freshman year at Mount St. Mary's University and spent many hours there throughout the year. While I am no longer a "local", I still visit occasionally. Not as often as I would like but I still get up there and always look forward to it. Paul and Marcia are absolutely wonderful people - always with a smile and genuine good folks. Wish I had met them earlier...

 

And for those thinking about making the trip, nearby Walkersville Southern Railroad (www.wsrr.org) will be hosting the Flagg Coal #75, an 0-4-0T steam locomotive for three weekends in June and July 2012. See www.haveenginewilltravel.com for locomotive info. 

That store is pretty much the way I remember it. If I am not mistaken you had to pass under a WM bridge from the west to get to it.

 

Maybe one day I will have a chance to visit again and maybe spend a buck or two.

Well it maybe a nice looking website but how does it help the bottom line? I see no postings as to "what's in stock" and "if any" specials as well as Point Of Sale items.

 

In other words, this maybe a drain rather than a help to the owner. A website like this was acceptable 10 years ago but as of today's standards, -a dinosaur [or a boat] where the owner is just sinking $$ into it.

Nice website but not useful to shoppers outside the store area such as myself. Guess I'll stick with internet sites such as Charlie Ro or SidetrackHobbies even if those sites are not as good looking. When I go internet shopping, I need to know what specific items are available and what is the price of the items.

Since several above say it is a nice place and the owners are good folks to deal with, I hope the regular customers suggest a stock list and prices be added.

 

Tony

Up on "The D & H Bridge Line"

I agree with the two above posts. Why would a shop owner want to limit his market to the local market when he can reach out across the country and the world for that matter, on the Internet. In today's market, creating a website that does not have product, availability, and prices is akin to an electronic business card. Nice to look at, but it doesn't tell you anything. To be truly competitive you need a web presence that operates as a virtual store. I would highly recommend this to the owner. When I ran my fishing guide business, I had a full website with all information on it in along with the ability for clients to book me for trips. I did all of my advertising strictly on the Internet with Google and no other medium. It works. If you're in this business to make money, it's the only way to fly today. Andy

You have an e mail address for CM Trains...and if you have a "helpful" suggestion, then e mail Paul since this is a brand new website and they are in the process of adding and upgrading.  No need for the type of criticism that is starting and certainly not the reason for this post.  Calling it a dinosour or suggesting folks are better going to another dealer is pretty lame. 

I looked, no where to see what's for sale or place an online order.  I'd be willing to give them a try if they listed items in stock.

 

Email on it's way!

Jim,

 

Thanks for passing along the link to this site.  My wife and I visit friends in Frederick from time to time, so this will be a natural stop!    The website makes the store look very inviting, and the virtual tour is an effective marketing tool when the store itself is so neatly organized.

 

David

 

 

Bob, glad you are passing along your thoughts via e mail to Paul.  Until it is completed, you can always go, for instance, to the MTH product locator if that is your interest.  Paul religiously posts all his MTH in stock items there.  Just got off the phone with him and he wanted all the helpful folks to know how much he appreciates the constructive advice and suggestions.

Jim,

 

Thanks for posting this, I'm always looking for options

Catoctin Mountain Trains is well over an hour drive for me but it's always well worth the trip.  As Jim said, you can use the MTH product locator to see what Paul has in stock.  As for other brands, just pick up the phone and give him a call or send an e-mail.  Paul stands behind every product he sells.

But, if you live within a 90 min driving radius, it's well worth the trip.  Also, the Thurmont Kountry Kitchen is an excellent place to eat (good food, reasonable prices and all the locals eat there.).

Chuck

Thanks for posting this website information about Catoctin Mountain Trains Jim.

As TrainPop said it is certainly worth the trip to Thurmont if you're within a 90 minute or so drive. The town of Thurmont is also worth visiting as it will bring back memories of small town America.

 

I've been doing business with Paul since 1999 when I first got into the hobby. I'm sure that this new website will be adding more features like in stock items with prices somewhere down the line. I do know that Catoctin Mountain Trains does do business on the internet. This website upgrade looks like it was done to enable them to do more online ordering in the future.

 

Dealing with Paul and Marcia is an absolute pleasure and as someone else pointed out you can just stop by to browse or chat. It's that folksy type of atmosphere that will bring you back time after time. They have an excellent repair technician and they stand behind the products they sell.

 

Steve Tapper

Folks all the suggestions are great, but calling Paul with your requests is the best way. I know that he sells and ships all over the country and will without hesitation stand behind everything he carries and sells. He has been know to accept trade ins of trains and other such things that he enjoys. I must confirm with Steve Tapper dealing with both Paul and Marcia is a pure joy and lots of fun also. But I must warn all of you that deal with Paul, DON'T PLAY POKER WITH HIM.

This is a nice site...but everything today boils down to pricing and availability. Period.

I don't see that dealers have anything else to offer the skilled modeler/operator.

Everthing else is handled through the manufactureror on the forums. Most dealers I've spoken with don't have a clue what's going on. But as long as their pricing is rock bottom, I don't care. I know more than they do; that's what's important-knowledge is power.

Here's a little story I have about Catoctin Mountain Trains.  

 

I had missed out on pre-ordering the MTH B&O ABA F7 set and was searching for one.  I found it listed on the MTH product finder as in stock at their store.  While talking with Paul for the first time, and receiving a very fair price, as he was taking my shipping address he noticed my close location to York.  He asked me if I planned on going to the Greenberg Show at the Fairgrounds that was being held the next week.  I told him I was and he offered to bring the set to the show and save me the shipping costs.  I did not ask for nor expected that, it was a very nice customer service gesture.  Only was able to speak with Paul briefly at the show as he was pretty busy, but he is a pleasure to talk and deal with.

 

I highly recommend doing business with Catoctin Mountain Trains.

This is a nice site...but everything today boils down to pricing and availability. Period.

I'll have to very respectfully disagree with you on this.

Catoctin Mountain Trains is one of a shrinking number of dealers that adds value to the sale - before and after. Period. Paul has resolved so many issues for me in regard to purchases that were outside the scope of the sale, that they cannot be counted on one hand. He's approached the dealers and distributors on my behalf as well. He offers guidance and friendship in the hobby - something that you cannot quantify by staring at the sale price posted on-line. If knowledge is in fact power (and I whole-heartedly agree with you on that one) where do you truly obtain it? I would say dealers like Paul Johnson (and there are fewer every year) offer that in spades. People turn to Paul and Marcia because they are fair, kind and considerate to their customers, whether it's someone in Texas that they deal with strictly by phone (ie: have never met) or a local hobbyist that visits every other week. And when you visit - they know your name. When you walk in there it's like walking into an episode of Cheers. Some folks could care less about this - they'd rather see all stores conform to the same look, feel, mode of operation. Full list on-line - lowest price gets the dollar. I see the point - but I think - no, actually - I guarantee you miss out.

They have THRIVED for the past twenty-years with the old site which most folks who've responded here never saw. If they decide to keep on grinding it out - they'll continue to thrive. I guess it boils down to how you look at the hobby. I love the trains, but they're just trains. The people I've met and friends I've made along the way because of the trains are the treasures.

Well said John and an excellent point about the added value of good personalized service. While there are some people who do not have access to a well managed, friendly, knowledgeable hobby shop that consistently offers fair pricing and personalized service, and one that creates a large percentage of repeat business, those of us fortunate enough to be customers of Catoctin Mountain Trains do.

 

We often hear complaints on this forum about dealing with online dealers. While we all love to shop for the cheapest price we don't appreciate the lack of service. There are trade offs for every type of transaction and I for one am willing to pay a bit more for good service and reliable support should I ever need it.

 

Shopping online can never replace the personal satisfaction of visiting a successful hobby shop like Catoctin Mountain Trains where they treat you like a family member and not just a customer.

 

Steve Tapper

I think John has a point about the hobby, it is not always about the trains. Trains just bring us together, it is about the people in the hobby. I don't believe you will find any nicer people than Paul and Marcie. His point about remembering your name is a reflection on the type of folks Paul and Marcie are. They care about the people and the trains. If all you care about is a bargain you will find that with Paul and so much more. They both make it fun to be in the hobby and to visit the store.

 

In regards to Skyhook, I think Paul has a lot to offer to anyone in the hobby new or skilled. It is his knowledge about the hobby. CMT is the old fashioned kind of store that we wish that there was more of them to feed and encourage the newbies in the hobby so it will continue to grow and to offer new ideas to us old farts the been around and think we know it all.

I too would consider ordering; their website needs a more active listing of Lionel/MTH items for sale.    Its hard to purchase from afar when you are not able to review choices...   

Jim...

 

Thanks for posting this thread.  One of the main reasons I come to this forum is to read about others' experiences with various dealers around the country.  I have been meaning to check out CMT for some time and I will try to make a point to stop there on my next trip to the area.

 

I'd like to comment on the criticisms regarding no way to order online.  I recently had the opportunity to help one of my local hobby shops with their store website.  I have done a lot of web development but this was the first time I actually worked on one with a "storefront" for online ordering.  What I found was that even with the "drop in" solutions offered by some of the ISPs and hosting services, it was a more complicated thing to implement than we thought.  Lots of different things can make this true.  In my case the shop elected to (at least temporarily) forego the cart and online ordering and just stick with updating the site.  In their case, it has brought them a lot of business even without the cart.

 

It takes a great deal of effort to put together a good website.  Most of the time it is implemented and rolled out in phases.  You don't do one like the one at CMT in a Saturday afternoon while watching a basketball game or three.  I'm guessing that their plan is to roll out improvements as they are ready in the months ahead.  So, the cart/online ordering is missing...  I'm guessing that they haven't forgotten about it.

 

Is the site a "boat anchor" or a "waste of resources"???  No.  It is a beautiful introduction to their shop and who they are.  It makes me want to go there or at least call.  That's what an advertisement is for and if it accomplishes that goal then it has served its purpose.  I bet that over time the development and hosting costs will turn out to be way less expensive than advertising in a magazine.  Also, if they handle search engines well, a Google Search for "Catoctin" or "Catoctin Mountain" will pull up a link to their shop for someone who might never pick up a train magazine.

 

Regards,

Eric S.

Saline, MI

I agree with John, if you are looking for something specific, just shoot an email or call them, his service is exemplary. The only bad thing about visiting Catoctin Mt. Trains is that stuff has a tendency to follow you home. Everyone in the store, owners, helpers and "hangers-on" are friendly and happy to see you. That is a refreshing feeling compared to some I have visited. Great store!

The year before last I was working in DC. I have a brother who lives north of there, so I periodically traveled up the 15 to visit. It goes right past Catoctin, and the store is not far off the exit. I'd heard good things about CMT on the forum, so I stopped in a few times. It is a nice store with fairly good stock and the owners were very friendly and helpful. Even the regulars who were standing around were nice and friendly. I don't buy much, so I only bought a few things, but was surprised to receive a decent discount when he gave me the bill. I recommend the store. The new web site looks good.

Very nice but useless to an internet shopper..makes sense to put your inventory and prices out there otherwise whats the purpose ..

Joe G;

The whole point is to either pick up the phone to call or e-mail them and ask them if they have what you are looking for.

Try it.  It doesn't hurt even the least little bit.

Too much work ...

Most of you make some terrific points with which I heartily agree.  As I said, this site is in its infancy. Paul and Marcia are working on various suggestions that have been passed along...e.g., showing more manufacturers on the home page and certainly increasing the listings of stock.  However, its always worthwhile to call Paul or Marcia since they are so very helpful and will go well out of their way to find what you want if they don't have it.  If you are too lazy to pick up the phone, then no room to complain.

Amen to that Jim!

 

As I mentioned and you confirmed this new website is in it's infancy. I suspect that Paul and Marcia were looking for some constructive feedback before adding more features to the website.

 

While many on this forum are used to dealing with large, well established online dealers who have invested heavily in their websites, Catoctin Mountain Trains still does the bulk of their business from its retail store.

 

Website development is not inexpensive and it makes sense to spend your dollars on features and content that will deliver the most bang for the buck.

 

Catoctin Mountain Trains enjoys a well deserved reputation for a well stocked inventory, fair pricing, and good service. All of their in store customers are aware of that. This website, when it is fully implemented, will offer the same for their mail order customers.

 

I also agree with you that if you are too lazy to pick up the phone to call Paul or Marcia than stop complaining and go to your favorite online dealer and do business with them.

 

Steve Tapper

 

 

 

Catoctin Mountain Trains is a great store.  I found them years ago and they are my primary LHS. They have outstanding customer service and a nice selection.

 

Chris