Hello all, [:)]
I’m a US train fan and I’ll go to New York in few days : is there anybody who can advise me to find a Hobby Shop in Manhattan where I could purchase locos, freight cars, structures and american automobiles. I’m looking for HO and On30 gauges… and, as you can guess I speak a very bad english [:(]
Thank for all advices
best regards
Michel
If you go here, take a few shopping bags & your credit card.
http://www.trainworld.com/map.htm
The Red Caboose on west 45th st.,between 5th & 6th ave.[i dont know the building number,but it’s about the middle of the block,on the north side of the street,downstairs.
There’s also Manhattan trains. Not sure of their address, but try Manhattantrains.com
Michel,
I’m thinking your English is pretty darn good!!
Use mapquest to find 5th Avenue and 45th Street. On the map page, look around for a selection on the types of businesses nearby, such as “model railroad” or “hobby shops”. You can select the distances you want it to search, such as 1 mile or 5 miles. One of the shops, as I recall, was upstairs from the street entry, and the other was in the basement. Be sure you get their addresses.
Thank you for all your answers, you are very kind and I’ll follow your advices. [;-)]
I’m certain to find something to bring back. Buy on web is good but to see and to touch the products is better, I think… [;+)]
Thanks
Michel
If your from eruope, would you mind sendin us a couple rivarossi models, (eroupean stuff is high qualitay, on which i think we can all agree)
The proprietor of Red Caboose is reputed to be slightly more welcoming than Ghengis Khan. Whenever the matter of shops in Manhattan comes up, nobody ever has anything good to say about him. I haven’t been there, but I did visit Manhattan Trains last summer. Pleasant folks, didn’t mind me and my son dripping all over the place (visited during heavy rains), kinda cluttery. Based on my experience, I would recommend Manhattan Trains.
Bikerdad,
What was Manhattan Train’s place like? I get to the NYC area about once a year to visit my mom and sometimes get to the city. It seems that Manhattan trains is a one guy operation. I ordered a couple of subway sets from him. They didn’t appear. After about 6 weeks I gave MT a call. The guy who answered said he’d call me back. About 20 minutes later he called, said he checked out the tracking number and didn’t know where they were. He said he had already had two replacement sets to mail that day!. I must say that he was a little upset, not at me, but at the situation that made him look bad - to me he was very apologetic and super friendly. A couple of days later they were on my doorstep. I was impressed. A couple of months later I ordered two more sets and they arrived very very quickly. Pretty much a class act in my book.
Blackfoot69
Manhattan Trains is located at 14 West 45th St in Manhattan. I once talked my wife into going there, since there was too little time to go somewhere “meaningful,” ie, a museum, before a show. The place is hard to spot, because it is on the second floor, so watch the street numbers. Davekelly is correct. It is a small operation staffed by a guy who spent all his time at a computer puffing a pipe. Most of his business must be on the net.
There is another, really funky place just across the street. I don’t remember the name. This one has a display window, but the actual store is down stairs. It is crowded, filled with display cases, and stuffed full of a whole lot of different hobby things. It isn’t limited to trains.
After visiting these places, hit the Carnegie Deli between 51st and 52 on 7th Ave. for a really great, but enormous pastrami sandwich. The Virgin Record store in Times Square has a fabulous classical, jazz, blues and folk selection. This will complete your New York experience.
Bernie
Thanks All [;-)]
I had not saw your last answers and I’m seeing them today : I’ll go to NY on friday and I hope to find your adresses. I wrote all them in my datebook…
I really want to thank you for the advices [;+)]
Michel