I grew up in the Philadelphia area (Upper Darby) and Downtown Philly had several hobby shops. Tom Thumb on 15th St had HO & N parts that you wouldn't expect to find anywhere. Another HO and N shop was Quaker City Hobby in Chestnut St and for O & S Gauge There was Beckers & Nicholas Smith on 11th St and Millers Union Station around the corner on Arch St. We had Todds in Upper Darby for HO & N, Warrens in Drexel Hill & Hobby & Pet in Broomall. Incidentally I would occasionally work at the real Nicholas Smith on 11th St on Weekends during the Christmas season and occasionally during the Summer when I was about 14.
@John Knapp posted:Originally, back in the '50's, Trainland was an auction house called House of Mulraney. There were works of art to the right as you walked in and there were trains to the left. Likewise, I used to bike there from Oceanside. I remember them building a Super O layout in the front window where the G scale products are now (1957). I used to go once a week to see what progress was made on the layout. I also remember buying a closeout of the Lionel 6464-500 there with my paper route money. Still have it!
John
Now that you mention it Mulraney does sound familiar....
I guess I am the only one who grew up in a rural area and can't remember going to any train stores at all. Or else it was such a long time ago I just don't remember. I have thought about it, I must have gotten interested and into the hobby by reading Model Railroader magazine. And that wasn't until I was a adult. I did have a Marx set I played with as a boy that was a Christmas present.
I flat can't remember the 1st layout I ever saw.
I remember getting into trouble with my Dad when he found out I used to ride my bicycle to the "Model Railroad Shop" on Vail Ave, originally addressed as "New Market" now Piscataway NJ. I would go in and stand by the beautiful HO layout displayed in the front section of the building and owned then by Fred Diebert. He would see me standing there looking at the layout and always offered to start up the trains so I could watch. That was back in the early fifties.I remember Jim Weaver always told me that model railroad shop was the oldest in the country operating in the same location from the late thirties and still there today.
Toy Craft in Norfolk, Virginia
Those who lived in Miami, FL in the 60's, 70's and 80's will remember Orange Blossom Hobbies.
Todd's Model Shop, E & H train store across from the Terminal theater in Upper Darby and the original location of Nicholas Smith at the Reading terminal.
There was another model train store where the late Gordon Whitlock (who much later became my drug...er Sunset supplier) worked on 15th street in Philly just south of Market back then.
Of course every Christmas season EVERY department store had large Lionel train layouts running all day long.
@FECRailroaddog posted:Those who lived in Miami, FL in the 60's, 70's and 80's will remember Orange Blossom Hobbies.
Shopped there several times when on vacation in Sunny Iles Bch.
@Tom Tee posted:E & H train store across from the Terminal theater in Upper Darby
I remember the Hobby Shop across from the 69th St Terminal but couldn't remember the name. They went out of business about 1960. And the shop on South 15th St was Tom Thumb, if you needed a HO part they always had it.
i couldn't wait till christmas my dad wold set up a lionel train and village under the tree i would play with it for hrs and watching the train go by in the glass ordermants
kevin
