I’m looking for a little advice. I just moved to Greensboro, NC for work from Fort Wayne, IN and I’m looking for a good hobby shop to visit in the area.
I’ve done some on-line research and found the following within an hour or two drive of me.
Tom’s Train Station in Raleigh
The Train Loft in Winston, Salem
Dry Bridge Station in Mount Airy
Little Choo Choo Shop in Spencer
From the websites it looks like the Little Choo Choo Shop is the best but that’s only because they have the most store photos and the biggest webpage. The others look like Joe Shmoe made it himself which isn’t a bad thing it just means I need more information to decide whether a trip is in order.
I’m a duel-gauge railroader with a fairly large O Gauge layout in my workshop and an HO layout I’m starting in my attic. That means I need a store with a good selection of both HO and O products and parts. I’m fairly new to HO so I need a store with a knowledgeable staff to help me choose items and lead me in the right direction and they have to be able to repair Lionel products because I run mostly Lionel on my O layout. I have 5 trains running at any given time on the layout and I have relatively frequent problems because some of my trains have a good 10 years wear on them and I even have some of my father’s old Lionel stock that I’d love to have restored.
Basically, just point me in the right direction. I can find the stores and I don’t mind driving an hour, two or even three regularly to find the right folks. I don’t mind spending a few extra bucks with the right people and I’m sure not going to be giving my money to a faceless on-line seller so give me all the info you can.
I only have experience at The Little Choo Choo Shop, but it’s all been good. Their front sales area is mostly Lionel/Thomas (+ maybe tinplate), and they appear to have a good selection and plenty of stock. But I generally breeze past it to the back room where all their HO/N stuff is located. Their selection back there is also very good, but used to be much better when they carried rolling stock kits-- most of what they have now is RTR, but from several manufacturers. They’re loaded with locos, detail parts, tools, paints, and other supplies. Bonus is that they discount on a lot of their merchandise, and have some exceptional sales on overstocked locos.
The one hour drive from G’boro would be worth it for me (I’m two hours away and arrange business trips to go by Spencer when they’re open). They’re knowledgeable and helpful to the extent that I’ve run late for appointments by yakking with the staff too much. They do DCC installs; I don’t know if they do Lionel repairs, but they probably know who does the best job in the area. An email to them about that would get an answer.
You can save a few minutes and avoid some highway construction at Exit 79 by taking Exit 82 (left exit from I-85) into Spencer on 601/29. TLCCS is on the right a few miles down the road past about 3 or 4 red lights, on a corner opposite the Transportation Museum. NCHP does a good business on parts of the 6-lane south of G’boro.
I second that. The Little Choo Choo Shop is great. I visit Tom’s Train Station often because it’s a few miles from my home, but his selection is kind of stagnant and he charges full list price. If you can keep on truckin’ east to Wilson, The Antique Barn is awesome. Everything’s discounted. It’s a whole barn (literally) worth of stuff, with good turnover. Plus the barn’s attic has a huge operating HO layout open on Saturdays.
From just web research I sort of suspected that the Little Choo Choo Shop would be the best of the group. They just give you a ton of info on the website and have alot of products to buy online (although no photos but I guess they’d rather I come in the store so no big deal).
And thanks about Tom’s. I think the Choo Choo would be a little easier for me to get to anyways. I’m right off of 85 so it’s kind of a straight shot.
Not to mention that the Wilson area has some of the world’s best BBQ (yeah, I know, not supposed to talk religion on the forum…).
Glad to hear that the AB has recovered from Ye Floode that just about wiped them out a few years ago. Their low stock at the time and initial slow recovery is what forced me to travel to the Triangle by I-85 and Spencer instead of 95/40.
Do they still carry RC/IM kits (HO), or are they following the trend of RTR only?
Actually, Lexington 'cue isn’t bad either. 'Course, even an old boot drowning in vinegar and ketchup is better than the mustard-based swill that’s popular down here.
I am not from NC but I do have family in Burlington. There is a nice little train shop in Gibsonville which is between Greensboro and Burlington. Shouldn’t be more than a 15 or 20 minute drive. It is in the downtown portion of Gibsonville near the old Caboose. The name of the shop is Bobby’s Trains. He has a great collection of G, O, and HO. He likes the big trains and he has an outdoor layout in the square there in Gibsonville. He usually runs trains on Friday nights and Sunday afternoons. I went by there when I was in town for Christmas last year. Its a great place.
I’ll be in Burlington from Dec. 22 to Jan 1st. and I plan to make several visits to Bobby’s and his layout.
We just moved here to the Raleigh area in January of this year and I have been to a few shops in this area. Here is my review:
Tom’s Train Station in Raleigh is actually in Apex and is a nice shop, has lots of scenery materials and magazines and Kalmbach publications. I agree with Dave V. on the selection and the prices are full MSRP. I most likely will never go back there because it is a 45 minute drive for me.
Train Buddy in Wake Forest is my favorite train shop. Kim Parker is the owner and he stocks a lot of train modeling supplies such as track, turnouts, wheel sets, Digitrax DCC systems, rail joiners, Kadee couplers, etc… While there is not a lot in the way of rolling stock, locos, and structures available, Kim does get in weekly shipments from Walthers and such and any orders are usually available within 10 days. He has an operating HO layout and a small N module on display. Just about all of his items are 20% to 25% off MSRP on prices. Train Buddy
While I have not been to Wilson yet, The Antique Barn is a great place to shop from what I have heard. It is still on my list for a future visit. I did purchase a new NS loco from them however at the Neuse River Train Show back in October, they had a huge display of locos and rolling stock for sale on 4 or 5 tables at the show. And their prices were in line with the typical 20% to 25% off of MSRP.
I have also heard of the Little Choo Choo Shop in Spencer, and it too is on my list for a future visit. Incidentally, it is across the street from the NC Transportation Museum, another future visit site. It is the site of the old Southern Railroad Spencer Shops, used mostly for steam and then some diesel locomotive maintenance and repair, among many other things the Southern had cattle yards, machine shops, huge roundhouse, re-tooling sheds, etc.
We just moved here to the Raleigh area in January of this year and I have been to a few shops in this area. Here is my review:
Tom’s Train Station in Raleigh is actually in Apex and is a nice shop, has lots of scenery materials and magazines and Kalmbach publications. I agree with Dave V. on the selection and the prices are full MSRP. I most likely will never go back there because it is a 45 minute drive for me.
Train Buddy in Wake Forest is my favorite train shop. Kim Parker is the owner and he stocks a lot of train modeling supplies such as track, turnouts, wheel sets, Digitrax DCC systems, rail joiners, Kadee couplers, etc… While there is not a lot in the way of rolling stock, locos, and structures available, Kim does get in weekly shipments from Walthers and such and any orders are usually available within 10 days. He has an operating HO layout and a small N module on display. Just about all of his items are 20% to 25% off MSRP on prices. Train Buddy
While I have not been to Wilson yet, The Antique Barn is a great place to shop from what I have heard. It is still on my list for a future visit. I did purchase a new NS loco from them however at the Neuse River Train Show back in October, they had a huge display of locos and rolling stock for sale on 4 or 5 tables at the show. And their prices were in line with the typical 20% to 25% off of MSRP.
I have also heard of the Little Choo Choo Shop in Spencer, and it too is on my list for a future visit. Incidentally, it is across the street from the NC Transportation Museum, another future visit site. It is the site of the old Southern Railroad Spencer Shops, used mostly for steam and then some diesel locomotive maintenance and repair, among many other things the Southern had cattle yards, machine shops, huge roundhouse, re-tooling shed
For OGauge you might try www.deltavilledepot.com its not really near you but hes in VA. (Deltaville ) and deals mainly in O gauge but does carry some ho and G but will order anything you might want if you let him know.