So I have been taking a honey-do vacation this week. My wife told me I should do something with my trains today. Then she asked what I would do. Well, it was supposed to rain, so I couldn’t play around with my new DCS system on the Patio Pacific RR. The dog would be there, and she always attacks the trains on the Carpet Central RR. The ¼ scale construction crew working on the Ceiling Central RR walked off the job in May to work outdoors and left two 612 scale feet chasms on the mainline with 2 freights and passenger train waiting indefinitely for the golden spike. I am still collecting material that doesn’t come from a hobby shop for a scratch building contest, but construction doesn’t start until Sept 1st. So what would I do?
Then she suggested I go to a hobby shop. Good idea, but I didn’t want to spend any money because one of our daughters is getting married in October. What good is it to go to a hobby shop and disappoint the owner that I left without buying?
Then it hit me. I have been telling myself for a long time I need to pay a visit to Dave at Mercer Junction Train Shoppe in Mercer, Pennsylvania, a 45 minute drive away. It has been almost 2 years since I was there. (Yes, that is a crime!) I will go and see what I can order for a Christmas gift for me. Every year I am told to pick something out for myself.
That is what I did. We looked over the 2014 MTH catalogs, since I have MTH modern steam engines and a DCS system that I don’t know how to use yet. (I do have two post war engines and a bunch of cars to keep you post war guys paying attention) Dave let me use the DCS to run a Hudson he had on the layout. Then he ran some impressive Heritage.
I did buy some track components for the Patio Pacific and went home with both 2014 MTH catalogs to peruse, look at ‘prospective’ ship dates with the idea of contacting him later to put in an order.
To those of you in the Western Pennsylvania – Eastern Ohio area, you probably already know about Mercer Junction Train Shoppe. If you don’t or are from elsewhere and coming through the area you owe it to yourself to pay Dave a visit. He is located close to I-79 and I-80. He is also a Forum Sponsor, so you can find a link to his Web site in the top banner area.