I will be going to San Fransisco the first week of October, and staying in the Fishermans Wharf area.I would like to know if there are any good hooby shop/train stores in that area?I will not have a lot of time so I will have to pick and choose where I go.hopefully ther are some close to where I am staying.Thanks in advance.
WC3023
There’s Chans Trains at 2450 Van Ness Ave. It deals mostly with Lionel and is MSRP. If you can make it to the Ingleside area, check out Franciscan Hobbies located at 1920 Ocean Ave.
If you have a car, try driving down to San Mateo for Tom’s trackside train which is a good 15-20 min drive, the owner named Tom is extremely helpful and friendly and knows a lot about trains. His n scale layout is worth visiting too. Driving even down further to San Jose, about 1 hour from the City you will be treated with a larger shop named Train Shop, the price is about 10%-20% off MSRP and the best around the area. The staff might not know too much about trains but if you know what you want and don’t want to chat with anyone it’s a good place to pay a visit. Just do a google search on the exact location and driving directions. Goodluck.
I was in a similar situation, and Chans’ is convenient off of the cable car line.
The Train Shop has an expansive (huge) railroad book collection and some new brass locomotives in addition to the usual model train fare. But Just Trains in Concord is somewhat closer to San Francisco and has a good selection of N, HO, O and G train stuff with 10% off MSRP. Its Annual Customer Appreciation Day is from 10 to 4 Sunday Oct. 4 where there is food (hot dogs), drink, sales prices, and 8 manufacturer representatives on hand from Intermountain, Soundtraxx, etc. as well as a good sized crowd.
Mark
If you don’t have much time in SF to detour to the Train Shop in Santa Clara or the place that Mark mentioned, I would skip Franciscan and Chan’s. I have never been much impressed with these shops. Instead, make sure that you see the naval museum at the Hyde street pier and the naval museum up the hill (amazing ship models). There is also a WWII vintage submarine, a liberty ship and an old square rigger sailing ship (Balclutha) to see. All are at the Wharf area.
For something more train related, check out the cable car power plant (the building that houses the machinery that pulls the cables). Lots of massive machines in this building. A ride on the cable cars is cool as is the ride on the old style street cars on Market St. (used to be only in summer check it out). The pier/wharf building area to the south east of the Wharf tourist attractions used to have quite a network of rail service but is mostly gone now…
I’m sure there are some layouts but none come to mind right now…Enjoy your visit.
Guy
Yannis Hobbies
4846 El Camino Real, Los Altos -
Just outside San Fran in Redwood City. Yannis doesn’t have much for model railroading, but it is the best scale plastic model shop I’ve been to in North America. Yannis knows his stuff, I spent more than I wanted in his shop and I am not dissapointed by the service or the prices. I wasn’t much impressed by any of the model railroad shops in that area, but I am in G scale so that weighs my opinions.
Feather River Train Shop in San Rafael.