What a great hobby store, do you still have a favorite?

The BEST one in St. Louis, (IMO) is Train Town in Rock Hill, Mo. It's about 15 mins. from my house. Bob, Mary, and John are the nicest people you'd ever want to meet. Great selection, All Gauges, All time frames, and they even do in house repairs with reasonable turn around time. The prices are more than reasonable.

Caboose Stop Hobbies in Cedar Falls, IA, Caboose Hobbies (how sad), Peterson Supply.

Dick

Mercer Junction, Stockyard Express, and Mr. Muffins.  Only Stockyard is relatively close (under an hour). The others are several hours away, but worth it.

I 2nd Caboose Stop Hobbies in Cedar Falls, IA. Merlyn and Carol are the nicest people and when it comes to Atlas, no one can touch their prices, selection and service.

Now that I'm in the process of switching from 3-rail to 2 they will get all of my business. They are without question the preeminent Atlas O dealer, especially for 2-railers.

JDFonz posted:

Well I'll tell you what, I just got back from Sommerfelds trains in Milwaukee and I've got to tell you I'm so thankful to have such a great store to go to. The guys, Jack and Matt are always super helpful, they always have a great selection of product, and they will always will order stuff in and not have to have a down payment. I know they can't do that for everyone, but it sure is good service. They also always have super competitive prices, I hope they're around for a long time. If you have a chance to stop there, do it. You won't be sorry. Do you still have a store close by?

I like your pick! I was just there last week, and spent almost $1100. I wish we had a store as good as that left in the Twin Cities, but alas, the best ones are long gone.

Gee guys, 

It must be nice,

Good train shops are few and far between down here in southwest Tennessee. It's mail order 99%of the time.  I use Muffin, Ro, and Nicholas Smith for most of my purchases. Our one  and only LHS is good for paint, building supplies and hobby tools.

Richard 

I am fortunate to have two hobby shops close to my home and work. Both overlap in some areas, but both also offer much different product selections.

Americas Best Train in Itasca, IL, has the best display of engines and rolling stock on display for demo. Both new and used, almost one of every new Lionel engine type makes it to the wall for display. This is a much-valued service that is rarely used today… including the so-called “big guys”. They also have a full line of hobby related accessories (track, transformer etc.) ready for purchase.

The other is Des Plains Hobbies in Des Plains, IL. Also a full line hobby shop, again, not just a train peddler. While his line of 3 rail has expanded over the last few years, his focus has been on the scale end of the hobby.

Between these two shops I can get anything needed for my needs.

If you are ever traveling in the Chicago area and have time to visit, these two shops would be my recommendation to visit.

Charlie

I am fortune it to have a local life long model train store ... MB Kleins ... started in Baltimore City 100 years ago ( yep 100 ) as a hardware store that converted to a train store as long as I can remember ( I am 68 now) they moved to Cockeysville , a suburb of Baltimore years ago ( closer to my house : )  ) always have what I wanted or needed. They made a smart business move and grew the business by selling on the net ... under Model Train Stuff.. Always found there pricing pretty much as good as it gets.  All brands and gauges. I am a MTH guy now, They send a truck to MTH, not far away, once a week, if they don't have it but Mikes has it, they pick it up, then I have it. Good Train people and good service... and that's my good fortune.

In France, we have…………

Nothing.

Only JEP, Hornby, Lenz, ETS, Rivarossi, Lima, Märklin, Brawa, Fulgurex, Preiser, MTH european models, and one MTH train shop in Paris with crazy prices but I have OGR Forum « For sale and Trade » !!!

Well I like where you guys are coming from, I spent almost 900. 00 dollars the other day, and I gotta tell you, all of my purchases were special order and the guys weren't calling me every three days to come and get my stuff. It was just there when I stopped in and Jack says, boy I think I got a bunch of your stuff. I like that.

I have two favorites... The Old & Weary in NY, which specializes in O&W special runs. The owner in super knowledgeable on everything O&W and part of the O&W historical society. This is my favorite RR, and being it has a cult following, I'm glad between them and JR Junction I can fulfill my O&W needs. My local fav is Trains on Tracks in NH. They take very good care of me, considering I work on ships and my schedule means I can't always pick up my orders in a timely fashion. They never have a problem holding things for me, sometimes for months, until I get home and can pick them up.

HI  there GUYS & GALS 

To JDFONZ ,  I agree with you 100% about Sommerfeld's Trains !   Jack & MATT & LEE are great !  I was there Saturday afternoon !  Greg cleans up the used trains on Saturdays ! 

I picked up a MTH railking Isalys boxcar !   

I also Like Hiawatha Hobbies out in WAUKESHA, WI .  They have friendly service as well !  They carry HO,O, N, G, Hon3 ,and  On30 ! 

I also like South Side Trains  in Milwaukee's  South Side !  Tom is great as well  !  This store does more in HO & N !  Tom does great Ebay Sales if you choose him to sell your used trains for you !  

I have three great shops within 30 min of me !  

Being that I live in the Philadelphia area I am very fortunate to be close enough to some fine places in Nicholas Smith and Just Trains and Bussinger's Trains in Ambler is really good as well. I also used to go to Trains R Fun in Fraser too.

I consider myself truly blessed to have The Model Railroad Shop in Piscataway, NJ as my local train store. Opened in 1933 by Mr. Howell Day, I believe it is now the oldest continually operated train shop in the country. 

Bob

I grew up in Philly and went to Nicholas Smith growing up. Got married and moved out to the suburbs and discovered Hennings was just 5 minutes from my house. Best customer service and he is great with any repairs. The most important thing is how they treat my kids, a 4, 7, and 8 year old. They always encourage them to actually touch and run the trains. Great family business.

Here in Southern NH, we have Brentwood Antiques.  Richard has one whole floor devoted to trains.  He's always been fair with me and I'm heading over this morning to pick up two Blue Premier Pan Am passenger cars.  He has  MTH & Lionel, Atlas,etc.  I'm partial to Premier MTH now, andI'm able to run DCS, TMCC or Conventional.  I'm 40 minutes north of Charles Ro.  I like Charlie and his guys, but I don't like to pay Massachusetts SALES TAX.  

Unfortunately, where I live (Westchester, NY), there are not many train stores around. We have 2 LHS that are decent and that I will buy from occasionally, but most of my shopping is done thru forum sponsors/other parties. However, my personal favorite is Scranton Hobby Center in Scranton, PA. We have been dealing with them for 20 + years. Jack, Tim and Bill are all stand up guys!

Regards,

Greg

www.youtube.com/trainbros89

Here in Pittsburgh on the west side we have the Imperial Train Company.  When we lost the Iron Horse our gang gave them a try and never looked back. Regis, Victor, and Rich have been keeping trains on our layouts for the last 5 years. They are my first stop for trains. 

Charles Ro hands down the best. He is in Malden, Ma. just an hour & a half drive from me. He has an excellent staff that are very helpful. I've been going to Charlies for over 40 years.

JD,

   Got to admit my favorite Train Shop & it's owner are long gone, when Frank passed away  in reality so did the Iron Horse.  I do get to recall a lot of great memories however. MTH produced a P2 Pittsburgh Street Car, with Frank doing the announcements for each stop, every Christmas season the Iron Horse Train Club & Store reopens just for me, as Frank's voice resonates from the moving Pittsburgh Street Car.

PCRR/Dave

Rest in Peace Frank and Thanks much, for the incredible memories!  During WWII Frank was a Military Police Investigator, he worked investigating Military Railroad Crimes, thru out the world.  One of his most difficult investigations was the disappearance of a Nazi Train with Box Cars full of Gold, Frank found at least 1/2 of that missing Train, and it's contents.   The rest even today has never been found.

CNJ 3676 posted:

I consider myself truly blessed to have The Model Railroad Shop in Piscataway, NJ as my local train store. Opened in 1933 by Mr. Howell Day, I believe it is now the oldest continually operated train shop in the country. 

Bob

Great to see the store,I grew up around the corner from this store and was in there daily late 50's early 60's

Another vote for Sommerfeld's in Butler, WI (Milwaukee). I try to make the trip from Memphis twice a year - once for sure.

I finally got a chance to visit Mr. Muffins earlier this year and give Steve's place good marks as well. Looking forward to seeing the new place.

Finally, Scale Model Supplies, in St. Paul, MN is another place I like in the midwest. I visited there in June for the first time since 1989. The place looked surprisingly familiar despite things having been moved or replaced. In addition to trains they have a lot of unique stuff I hadn't seen in stores for years (e.g, stamp collecting kits).

I'm in South Jersey and my go to guy for the last 25 yrs. is Larry Lillo at Holly Beach Trains.

Joe B.

For my time and money,  America's Best Train in Itasca is a fantastic hobby shop. For many years, I have visited this store to address my modeling needs. Tim and Tony are train experts and are readily available to share their train and modeling knowledge. Joe, the technician does repairs correct the first time. The store's selection is extensive.

In addition, Greg at Chicagoland Hobbies is also extremely helpful. 

I feel very fortunate to have these two hobby shops close by.

Frank

Yes I have two here in So Cal Arnie's and The Train crossing. Although both are far from me they are always worth the trip. One has a great selection of MTH and the other one Lionel so it's a great balance. I will shop there as long as I can and help them stay in business as long as possible.

When I was in Southern California I like Mini Trans in Costa Mesa, CA until they retired.

Currently don't have a favorite one in Saint Louis yet.

The greatest compliment you can pay your favorite train store is by posting something here in this post. 

Trains and Things in Ewing, NJ. Always friendly, helpful, and primarily O gauge. 

jim sutter posted:

The greatest compliment you can pay your favorite train store is by posting something here in this post. 

Jim's Train Shop

The Best Store in Pennsylvania! We hope that we can emulated the Service that you gave your customers.

Your Friend

Pat

Mine was Mizell Trains, Westminster Colorado.  Closed several years ago.   Next was Caboose Hobbies in Denver, soon to close.   Now my favorite is The Train Shoppe Salt Lake City.   If you are in Utah check them out.  Nice selection of O gauge as well as other scale trains.  Also in back they have their coin operated G Scale and O scale layouts.

Steve

I don't think listing ones that are closed is helping anyone here, but that was inevitable, I guess.

For me, I like Tacoma Trains in Washington State. Small but decent overall selection and good prices. Almost all the track on my layout came from there.

Whistle Stop in Portland, Oregon is good. It's geared toward the detailers and 'out of the box' types. Good selection in stuff between N scale and 3-rail. Not much in O scale narrow gauge, but that's not unusual.

You guys are lucky!! No one anywhere near me here in South Carolina.. I have to rely on eBay, Forum Sponsors and recommendations from other Forum members......

I think we are pretty lucky to have all of the advertisers and sponsors available to us right here!!!

Alan

OGR Ad Man posted:

I think we are pretty lucky to have all of the advertisers and sponsors available to us right here!!!

Alan

I couldn't agree more, Alan!!

aznjbill posted:

CNJ 3676 posted:

I consider myself truly blessed to have The Model Railroad Shop in Piscataway, NJ as my local train store. Opened in 1933 by Mr. Howell Day, I believe it is now the oldest continually operated train shop in the country. 

Bob

Great to see the store,I grew up around the corner from this store and was in there daily late 50's early 60's

What a wonderful place!

I'd be there every Saturday when I started my model train hobby back in the 70's. Jam-packed with everything, and really nice people.

Woodson posted:

You guys are lucky!! No one anywhere near me here in South Carolina.. I have to rely on eBay, Forum Sponsors and recommendations from other Forum members......

The two I just named are quite a haul from me. Tacoma Trains is over 50 miles north and Whistle Stop is almost 100 miles south of me.

There was a local hobby shop about 12 miles south but it didn't last long. Seattle Trains moved to Centralia, WA, just a couple of blocks from where the defunct hobby shop was, but they haven't set up their store yet...

+1 on M.B. Klein mentioned above.

They've been around longer than anyone posting here's been alive!

For years Mizell's  in Westminster, CO (Denver suburb) was my favorite by far...even though I lived 700 miles away.  Huge stock of old and new (Their "train wall" was outstanding in its variety).   And their unique selection of outstanding structures was unsurpassed.  I wish I could still access their repair facilities...expert and efficient.   But they are gone...and Caboose Hobbies, another Denver must-stop is closing.  Now Mr. Muffin's is my closest major store...4 hours away.  I haven't visited it yet...but I plan to when their move is complete.  I look forward to it.

          Logan

OGR Ad Man posted:

I think we are pretty lucky to have all of the advertisers and sponsors available to us right here!!!

Alan

Yep Alan,

For those of us out here in the hinter lands ( train shop desert) the adds on the OGR banner are a great help when looking for somewhere to spend our train dollars.

Richard