One of the coolest train stores I’ve been in, is for sale. The owner Chuck is going to retire, says he wants to have time to run his trains at home. It’s located in an old train depot next to a very active train line that runs through the heart of Mishawaka, Indiana…Sure hope someone buys it and continues the tradition…Good luck Chuck in your retirement…
It looks like a very good store. I hope that whoever buys it continues to sell trains.
Does this mean there is a big sale at the Mishawaka Rail Yard?
Andrew
It looks like a nice store. They are only open for 3 hours a week for November and December though. That would be frustrating to be someone trying to get a Christmas present at that store during the holidays!
Wes
It is located next to the Norfolk Southern mainline that heads east to Elkhart and west to South Bend and Chicago. It used to be New York Central, Penn Central, and Conrail.
I have to get back there as soon as possible.
Andrew
I moved away from South Bend in 1985, after working on the construction of the Mishawaka Toll Road Interchange, and this store was not there. Looks like a great store. I used to go to a store near Hammond to see O gauge trains back then.
Man, this brings back memories. I lived in South Bend until I was 10 (1966) and we had an active GTW spur right behind our house. When my family went to Azar’s (Big Boy) I often saw NYC trains on the mainline behind the restaurant. I too hope that someone can carry on with the store; I would love to stop by the next time I’m out that way.
What is the store’s address? I’d like to look it up and see if it’s anywhere close to where my dad used to work in Mishawaka.
Joel
Joel, where did your father work? I’m a lifer South Bend/Mishawaka resident, know the area very well…tom
I spent four happy years in South Bend. Whatever happened to the New York Central Museum in Elkhart? Is it still there?
Doug, I used to work in Elkhart and always saw hundreds of trains. Here is the website to the museum: http://www.nycrrmuseum.org/index.html The NYC tracks entered Indiana on the east at Butler, IN. Supposedly, there was a section of track in that area where some speed records were set at one time.
Just got a postcard announcing a closing sale for the Mishawaka Railyard. They are still hoping that someone will buy it. But no takers at this time. Hope they can find someone.
John
Wes, I think they were open an additional three hours on Sunday during Nov-Dec not that Sunday was the only day they were open.
Yes the NYC museum is still there (or was in the fall)
Never been in the railyard, but tried to stop by during several visits…Just never got the time right.
Strangely there are serveral others in the area, one is new, NYC trains on Lincolnway and Breman hobbies is still open.
York trains over in Hammond area and the Carrage house in Merriville but I think they may have closed. They had a huge layout on several levels.