I will be working CALTRAIN in the next few weeks (anywhere from SF to Gilroy) and I was wondering if there is anybody on the forum in that area, or if I could be directed to a hobby store or two? I’m not sure exactly when I will be in the area, we are still trying to calibrate the machine before we ship it, but I’m sure it will be within 2 weeks at the most.
Thanks!
Hi;
We recently moved to San Jose, and are still settling in. While you are in the area check out:
http://www.siliconvalleylines.com/
http://events.mercurynews.com/santa-clara-ca/venues/show/657724-historic-santa-clara-train-depot
1829 Pruneridge Ave
Santa Clara, CA 95050
(408) 296-1050
Get directions
If you get a chance, run up to the musuem in Sacramento.
Since you’ll be on CALTRAIN. At the Millbrae station, a couple of blocks down Rollins Road is Tom’s Trackside Trains. He’s got a great shop with a working layout and is one of the coolest model railroad guys I’ve ever met. I drive all the way from San Jose to buy from him. Check him out, Dave http://www.tomstracksidetrains.com/
Sorry for the double post.
Check out the website of the Pacific Coast Region of the NMRA for upcoming events in the next couple of months.
http://www.pcrnmra.org/pcr/calendar/mastercalendar.htm
Somebody’s already mentioned The Train Shop in Santa Clara. It’s one of those must visit places if you’re from out of town. Trust me on this.
If you get a chance, visit the Niles Canyon Railway. Home page: http://www.ncry.org/ Well worth a visit if you can make it.
The South Bay Railroad Historical Society is located in the Santa Clara depot (Caltrain stop). There are 2 working model railroads in the freight shed part, 1 N, 1 HO. http://www.sbhrs.org/ Judging by the pics there, they need to seriously update things. Here are their operating hours: http://www.sbhrs.org/organization/Events/events.html#hours
The SBRHS facility is well worth a visit and it’s easily accessible. I was there at an event today and took some pics. Hopefullly they came out. I haven’t downloaded them yet. Will post when they’re loaded. One of the scratchbuilt buildings is a superb rendition of the old SP station in San Jose which is still serves Caltrain and Amtrak.
http://www.waymarking.com/gallery/image.aspx?f=1&guid=8f7e38b6-6fce-4d62-b83f-d4
Nigel and Tangerine,
Don’t miss O SCale West coming up next week-end (1/29-2/1) at the Santa Clara convention center. Don’t let the title fool you. All of the bigwigs in the bay area model railroading community from all scales will be there. Many great layouts will be open as part of the event including. Burgess, Adams, Loizeaux, Brown, Schrader, Harper, Vail, La Barba etc…Each of these great modelers has some aspect of the hobby to share.
PM me for more info.
Guy
While not in the S.F. to Gilroy corridor I have a couple of suggestions. If you make it up to the wine country, there is a club layout in Napa at the fairgrounds. They are open on Friday evenings and they tend to be very friendly to visitors. Further up Interstate 80 there is the previously mentioned California State Railroad Museum which is well worth the drive and price of admission IMHO. You can take Amtrak’s Capitol Corrider train to Sacramento. The AMTRK station is a short distance away form the museum. A couple of shops in the greater Sacramento area are Bruce’s Train Shop in Sacramento and Railroad Hobbies in Roseville If you feel like venturing out further from civilization, there’s the Western Pacific Museum in Portola.
Hey thanks for all the tips! I’ll link the web sites and plug them into my GPS. But to be honest, I will be working long days on the CALTRAIN and AMTRAK lines so I might be burned out on the railroading themes. Yeah, if you believe that then I’m a Chinese jet pilot…[;)]
Andre, I’m sure I’ll have no problems “wrangling” my way into any model railroad club or exhibit. I’ll be carying some very desireable railroading items with me on my trip that will ensure a “free pass” to anywhere hobby related. [:-^]
Ditto! I’ve done all of the above. If you make it to the Napa layout, also check out the Napa Valley Wine Train.
chicochip
I’ll chime in on the Railroad Museum in Sacramento if you can make it up this way (about an hour and a half by rail, if UP’s not hogging the lines). And definitely recommend Bruce’s Trains in Sacramento and Railroad Hobbies in nearby Roseville. Big stores, lots of merchandise, most scales represented, and good people working the floor. I think you’d like them.
Tom [:)]