Had a chance to swing by a major train store today. It’s billed as the largest train store, and while I can’t validate the statement, I would not suprise me.
Normally I go in and visit he DCC installer and the n scale area. Well this time, I went specifically to find out what they had for g scale. Well, much to my suprise, this wonderful shop, stocks nothing other than LGB for gscale. I saw a small rotating rack with some figures. And nothing else. No scale parts, nothing. I asked about Aristo, and thought the clerk was going to puke on me. He turned all green and grey, and made some serious ugly remarks. I started to ask him to at least explain, took one look at his face and walked off. I BSed with the DCC guy a bit more and he just shook his head.
I hate to say it, but I guess I can write off this shop. It’s ok, with gas prices like they are, I really can’t afford the 200 mile round trip.
So on the way home I dropped by another train store. Hmmm… Only LGB. Talked with the owner for a bit. They don’t stock a lot of anything, other than HO/N/O. The will order Aristo stuff.
There’s another thread on the forum about LHS, and what makes a good one. I posted my idea about a G Gauge shop. After my experiences today, I wish I hit the lotto, and could just open one.
I was digging through other threads and found one asking the question about what’s holding people off from getting more into G. It was a poll. I don’t remember the exact options, but they were basically, Cost, Room and lack of info. I vote for Lack of info, or info is scattered so badly it hard to find much out. (OH THANK TO YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE). Next to that is cost. When all you can see is the cost of LGB stuff, no wonder people shy away.
Steve give me an e-mail I’ll direct you to some GREAT hobby shops for LS up this way!
By your description of the “turning Green” at the mention of any other brand than LGB, I think I know WHICH store you went to, west side of LA? store looks like a famous trainstation? Yeah, been there too, got the same “rolling eyes” when I asked about Bachmann. Dont buy there, I go to “that store” in the San Fernando Valley and a couple other good places I’ll turn you towards. Vic
I know from talking to many that there are specific reasons certian shops don’t carry things.
Not worth getting into here, but there are reasons.
Good reasons.
TOC
Steve
two thoughts.
It is sad that a store owner would turn down a possible customer just to bad month or share his personal oppoion.
And at the Queen Mary show I did find pockets of Red box fans (LGB) who felt that they are better than any one else who uses any other product.
Those are one of the few times I’d like to wipe out some photos and data and compare RRs.
PS I don’t have alot of LGB but at the Denver show i was very humbled and honored to have Mr LGB himself (Wolfgang)sign my 20th anvr car. He has done alot for this great hobby.[^]
Culver City. And I love the place, just not sure I have an reason to go there any more.
I’m used to shops that don’t carry everything. There’s no way you could. The hobby is just to large and scattered.
The owner at the second shop (where they didn’t carry a lot of gscale stuff, but were really willing to chat), brought up the Queen Mary show. I’ll be there to be sure.
See; again I do not understand why you would go to to a train shop / store. I have an LGB catalogue and I order from that and that is all I need.
My main attraction is to lanscape suppliers, Truly this is where all the action is in garden railways and if you wi***o buy some hardware to put on what you have landscaped that is terrific but really what is there to see in one of these shops. Iv’e been in a few and i just cannot see what the interest is.
There is really only one store in my area that carries G scale. Two years ago, they carried mostly LGB, but also had a good selection of Aristocraft and Bachmann. As time has moved forward, they’ve phased out the Aristocraft and Bachmann stuff and are now pretty much exclusively LGB They don’t even have Aristocraft track anymore. I’ve asked them a couple of times why they don’t carry Aristocraft anymore. One time I was told that nobody wants Aristocraft stuff anymore - everybody just wants LGB. The other time I asked a different person who said something about Aristocraft changing their pricing structure so that it was no longer worthwhile.
The only non-LGB stuff they sell now is Kadee couplers, some figures from various manufacturers, and Bachmann track. (BTW, why would anyone want to use Bachmann track? It’s not that much cheaper than solid brass track, not nearly as durable, and doesn’t come in as wide a variety of different lengths and radii - but I digress)
Steve
Shame about that store. I did enthuse about it in an earlier thread but I was only 00/HO at the time. At least I will know not to slip out for a couple of hours if i am passing through LAX.
As for LGB, I am european and I still don`t buy their rolling stock. Too rich for my blood.
Since were naming names here now, Gold Coast is way out in Ventura, great place but thats a full day trip for me. Time to reveal my list of Best places and why…
San Val in Van Nuys…
Best prices period and great selection of Bman, AC, USA, Hartland, HLW. No LGB. Freindly staff.
Upland Trains…
The Best prices for LGB period, has some AC but mostly LGB, nicer people run it than that Culver City joint.
Train Shack in Burbank… #2 in LGB for me, pretty much retail prices but friendly staff makes up for it
Train Stop in San Dimas…
Lots of Bman, good selection of LGB. OK prices.
Morgans Train Emproium in Westminster…
warehouse store, great selection of stuff, lots of older items including old Delton stuff. Out of the way for me, dont go there often.
There are two other stores near me that have LS but one in Monrovia is exclusivly LGB and is $$$ and the other in Pasadena is more a regular LHS in HO and N, great store but LGB only in LS, pricey and not that big a priority with the employees. But thats where I get most of my building supplies from and I like the store.
The hobby store is ,or used to be a place that you went to meet friends, look over all the cool things on your wish list. It used to be just the thought of going to the hobby shop that put a smile on your face. I to order from catologs , but its just not the same.
Some day there won’t even be train shows. Just replicators on the corner to get your items.
On the topic of hobby stores, I agree with Iandor, my hobby store is Home Depot or the local garden center for the most part. I use a lot of mail order, in fact I just got a BIG box of track in the mail last week. But I am also very lucky to have one of the better LS hobby stores less than 10 minutes from my house. The staff is friendly, knowledgable, and they carry a wide assortment of brands for all budgets. They will let you try anything in the store on a test track and don’t care how long your “testing” runs. Aparently this shop is the exception, not the rule. Yes, I even buy from them from time to time as I like instant satisfaction over price.
Our local shop in Blackpool doesn’t carry any LGB at all, very refreshing. Bachmann, Aristo, USA no problem. I mainly used LGB when I first went into large scale in the 80’s, still got the stainz - heavily bashed, and a mish mash of bits making up a mason bogie on the trailing drive unit of an LGB mallet. Was there a 2-6-4 mason bogie? The only LGB I’ve bought this time round is a drovers caboose, I just liked the model and it does run free, at the cost of it it should do as well! LGB would be a lot more affordable if they gave up on making sure every thing they make goes round that R1 of theirs - look at their new offering of a 10 coupled drive unit, crazy on R1.
Cheers,
Kim
[tup]
Hey Matt
Yeah, I know I’m lucky out here to have so many large scale shops within a days drive, I’ve read alot of others comments here and elsewhere of having to drive 100 or more miles to even find a bad hobby shop. One of the benifits of living in an enormous megelopolis like SoCal I guess. I often thought about how hard it must be deciding based only on magazine articles or forum comments whether to commit to purchasing a big ticket item like an engine by mail without ever actually seing it, thats a leap of faith.
The best ‘G’ scale store I have been in has been Ridge Road Station in Holley, NY. It’s just outside of Rochester, NY. If your in the area and don’t stop in, your missing a great store. They have a whole wall of Bachman. Another wall of LGB, another for USA, and another Artisto. More stuff than you can shake a stick at. They also have an indoor setup running. Outstanding…
Vic, your right seeing them in person is much better. The first time I saw a saddle tank porter I thought "Wow! that is big! It looked much smaller in Vic’s photo.
Another great Large Scale shop is Watts Train Shop in Zionsville, IN. It on the north side of Indianapolis, basicly everything you might want in LGB and more, USA, Aristo, Playmobile, Lego, Kibri, Volmer, figures, and christmas stuff all in one store. They even have a used and collector section for that out of production item you might want. And Dave Watts is a wonderfull gentleman to talk with.