Not meaning to be a broken record, but...

Eastside Trains in Kirkland, WA.

Excellent LHS customer service, nice demo layouts with G, O, S, HO, N scales running, extensive Brio/Thomas wooden train set with locos/cars/accessories right there for the kiddies.

The top tech bleeds purple and can fix any brand that runs; the owner bleeds orange and can stock any brand that sells. So there is plenty of L, M, A, to go around in stock. Demo layout includes TMCC, Legacy, DCS, conventional.

Extensive scenery materials selection, with a good amount of small-maker things that rotate in as they learn what new things sell. Some used & "junk-box" stuff for the guys that want to modify/repair/bash.

My all time favorite train store was Antique Train and Toy World on Falls Rd. in Baltimore. They specialized in Pre & Post War Lionel trains. They had it all and it just had that right smell - ozone, smoke pellets and 3 In 1 oil. Gone are those days. Now it's M.B. Klein's new store for local and Just Trains for internet/phone orders.

I liked Mikes Train Land in Suffolk VA. Gone now but they had a great Muesum with running layouts in the back and Even a huge Playmobil G scale layout. Good memories. I think it is gone now.

Glad to see a couple other folks here that grew up in Evanston. I too enjoyed Hobby Models, esp. going down to the basement and looking at all the planes they had hanging in the disply cases. I also used to frequent Noren's Bike shop as I could peddle over there. After Hobby Models closed, Dad used to take us out to Hill's in Des Plaines. I also used to hang out at Tom Thumb with my brother's and race slot car's. That place was sooooo cool!

Jim's Train Shop in Homer City, PA.

Outstanding selection, discount pricing and wonderful humor.

There are at least three in the Chicago area that are very good.

Chicagoland Hobby - Big selection, all major brands, great service
Berwyn Hobby - Large selection, all major brands, good prices, very nice people, operating layout
America's Best - Large selection, mostly Lionel, good prices, small operating layout

Caboose Stop, Cedar Falls, IA - Large selection, all major brands, Merlyn & Carol are very nice people, good prices

Art

Bobs Hobby and Collector Shop in Watervliet Michigan Exit 41 off of I-94.
Largest Hobby Shop in Michigan with over 12000 square feet. 80& Trains!! All scales, but specializing in Collector Trains such as Lionel, American Flyer, Ives, etc.
This is a very nice train shop with extremely knowledgeable and friendly people!!

Halls Hobby Shop in Dallas (gone for many years), owned by the late Bobbye Hall, an absolutely wonderful woman who took care of her customers better than any other hobby shop operator that I've encountered. Bobbye died in early 2007, about six months after her autobiography was published, a must read for anyone interested in women in model railroading. People who have never visited her store may know her as the importer of Hallmark models.

Here's a photo of Bobbye taken at a book signing at the December, 2006 Oklahoma City Train Show:

We have quite a few very good train shops in our area including Catoctin Mountain Trains, Purkey's Toy Trains, Engine House Hobbies, Just Trains and one that I've heard a lot about and plan visit soon, Side Track Hobbies in Leonardtown, MD.

I've met the owners of Side Track Hobbies at various train meets and understand that they have an extremely large store with a wide variety of product representing all of the major manufacturers.

Steve Tapper

quote:

The former Hobby Models of Evanston Illinois had every thing in the 1970s.

quote:

Yes!! Hobby Models was my favorite place on Earth when I was growing up (60s/70s). I enjoy seeing posts here from others who remember it.

In it's time period this was an excellent train shop! Lots of great memories!

Remember the models they had downstairs? They never quite finished what they were trying to do though.

If I had to pick a current shop, of what I have seen, I'd have to say Ready To Roll, or Chicagoland hobby. Another is Grand Central in Lincoln, Nebraska but I've never seen it! Great selection and prices though.

Gandy Dancers in Chamblee,GA (Atlanta) Drew and Carol Tuggle and staff were the best people I have ever dealt with. They made a pile with Beanie Babys and Olympic pins and retired about 10 years ago. The shop closed shortly after that.
Brad

For MTH selection, definitely Glen's Hobby Shop in Akron, OH - it's a bit hectic and crowded inside, but he's got 6 of everything MTH makes

Ready to Roll in Miami. Bill, Jim and Rick treat you right.

Allan O

I'll go along with Steve;Catoctin Mountain Trains, Purkey's Toy Trains, Engine House Hobbies, Just Trains are all good, and add Jim's Trains via phone orders, too!

quote:

Originally posted by Sunrise Special:
This is an easy one....Sidetrack Hobbies in Maryland. The selection of trains is overwhelming and the staff provides great customer service!!!

Second that. They have the largest selection I have ever seen.

M.B. Klien in Baltimore is very good. They were "local" for me, and I just tried mail order from them - excellent.

Caboose hobbies in Denver is also very good, although I wish they had more O-gauge in stock.

Chris

All,

Engine House Hobbies and Purkey's Toy Trains. It is great to have them as LHS.

Chris

Well, I guess I would separate them by gauges. For O gauge it's Aurora Rails
http://www.aurora-rails.com/ Ron has more stuff jambed into the store with great prices and he fixes the stuff too. A lot of MTH.
For G gauge its Ridge Rd Station http://www.ridgeroadstation.com/
Got everything for G gaugers and great prices and service.
For N and HO its LBC trains in Buffalo, NY. Jim has everything and knows alot about all. He got out of most of his O scale. I bought allmost all my HO through him.
We also have Niagara Hobby for all scales, very good clean large store, and KVAL Hobbies whos really into O gauge. He's seems to be in a declining area and I wonder if he's struggling. His inventory is smaller but a great guy who will get anything. He displayed the new Legacy w/ bigboy right away.
So I have to say which scale, to answer the question, Joe

As for current train stores. Jim's Train shop for my MTH needs. Amhobbies for my AtlasO needs. For my Lionel needs maybe Trainz.

I started my purchases, large and small, in our hobby, as an adult, at Walker's Hardware Store, Totowa, NJ, in 1994 and have remained loyal ever since. The proprietor, Ken Webster, has greeted every concern i have had about any MTH &/or Lionel product - there have been very few - with pleasant, polite, total co-operation, affording me swift return, repair, mechanical adjustment, or replacement. I trust Ken completely, and since I have spent a good amount there, over the last decade+ , I have put my money where my....etc.

Brentwood trains in Hampton Falls, NH. Northeast trains, Norms Trains, Charlie Ro. Neal's in Hampton, NH.
I like em all. However I find myself still bidding on ebay for deals, unforunately the LHS can not comptete or are to high priced (or in the dark price wise/markup) for most of the time .I still shop at LHS store as I think its important to keep these guys going.

Trains-n-Lanes in Easton PA. We probably have some old piece of Lionel you haven't seen in a while. Plus we have R/C cars, boats, planes and even three slot car tracks. Unfortuantly we don't have a web site running at the moment, but if you call we do ship all over. #610-866-7092 Ralph

Cool Trains in Salunga, PA just of Route 283 outside of Lancaster, but not far from Harrisburg. Ted has all gauges but lots of "0" and my favorite he sells used equipment too. A full fledged Hobby Shop. They have all the little stuff you always need to finish something.Very friendly and knowledgeable staff.

Rhules Hobby Shop in Manheim, PA off Rout 72. Great selection of HO & N. List price but he has everything. Best selection of "N" I've ever seen.

Choo Choo Barn when in Strasburg best selection of Model Railroad periodicals I've ever seen.

Barry's Trains in Elizabethtown lots of "0".

Fryers 5&10 in Orwigsburg, PA. Very Small shop but lots of goodies in the back. Glenn is Very knowledgeable.

Finally Iron Horse in Reading PA. He is in Downtown Reading but worth the drive. Easy in and out. Huge Selection All Gauges. Slightly less than list but has it all.

These are all great train shops within Central PA. I've purchased from all of them. Dave Reading, PA

Caboose Hobbies in Denver.

Love the 2 Rail Brass section. Never seen so many shelves of 2 Rail brass anywhere else.

3 Rail selection is pretty good. I've seen better but Caboose has a large section for every scale.

Lou Palumbo's Underground RR Shop in New Castle,Pa
Yourba Toy Trains in Yourba Linda,Ca(gone)
G&M Trains in Martins Ferry,Ohio

All of them gone decades ago, but listed in this order.
(1) Port of Authority Terminal Hobby Store, in the the New York Port of Autherity Bus Terminal New York.

(2) Model Railroad Equipment on West 45th Street New York

(3) Polks Hobby Shop 5th Avenue btwn 33rd and 32nd Street
New York.

Not forgetting Gilbert Hall of Science also on 5h Ave NYC
and the Lionel display room located in New York in the 20s
do not remember the exact street.....Karl

Madison Hardware, followed closely by Millburn Train....back in the day.
Where else could you piece together a brand new 2344 from parts in 1975?!?
In the mid '80s...Penn Station, Erie, Pa. Best atmosphere and coffee in
NWPA. Today, I'm not sure, but seem to be giving most of my business to
Hobby Express in Cranberry, Pa.