I just saw on Papa Bens website that they are moving and having a moving sale.
Anymore info on where they are moving to and why?
Its such a nice store and the mural I guess will not go with them.
Anyone know what is going on?
Mark
glad you said something. i have been there once, very nice store. if they are having a moving sale, i will have to get down there. i will have to keep checking to see if i hear anything.
Moving is not a bad thing for them. They are, IMO, in a place that is difficult to find and has limited parking. Will be curious to find out where they move to.
Tom
In October they will be moving to a storefront on Bellair at Stella Link. It will not be as large but they plan on cramming as much in as they can. I guess the dirt under the old location was quite valuable and thus commanded a very high tax rate so the family desided to sell out to the condos next door. I believe the building will be bulldozed.
So Papa Ben’s is moving huh… Oh well. I haven’t stopped by there in almost two years. Their prices are a bit too high for me. I sure hated it when Ben died suddenly about three years ago. He was really a great guy. I’m still not over the Houston Roundhouse going out of business recently. It was my A-1 favorite shop of them all… Oh well. Things change don’t they.
Tracklayer
I had not heard that Ben had died. Back in college I was an intern at his production company. He had a huge N scale layout there. He sold his company to Texas Video and post and later started Papa Bens ( after I moved ) The times I have been back to houston I have forgot to go and check out the store.
The N scale layout in the loft of his production company belonged to the N-Crowd NTRAK club. When he sold the place the club had to cut it up and get it out of there. When Ben opened up Papa Ben’s in the building where his first vidio studio had been, he let them build a new layout upstairs again. Same song, second verse, they have to get it out of there. I don’t know where or if they will ever build another layout. The wife of a friend of mine painted the huge mural on the back wall. It is a shame it will be destroyed also. The new location will have better parking and will only be about 3 miles from the present store. Ben’s brother is now running the store and although he does not know much about model trains, he is a good business man and has many knowlegable folks working for him. He is also learning a lot as he goes.
I really miss The Houston Roundhouse also, great place and lower prices.
I really enjoyed Papa Bens , great store and well stocked but the prices are high.
But look at the location, West University.
Hopefully the new location will allow the store to offer lower prices.
Since I live in the Northwest part or Houston I frequent Spring Crossing and Larrys Hobbies.
Two great stores also and much closer to me.
Mark
I also live northwest of Houston and do business with Spring Crossing and Larry’s Hobbies. My name is also Mark. Now isn’t that weird…
Yes it is.
Any update on Papa Bens? I see there website is down.
Mark
I’m still not over the Houston Roundhouse going out of business recently. It was my A-1 favorite shop of them all… Oh well. Things change don’t they.
It will now be mail order to you, but Loco Doc has moved the Roundhouse to Salida, Colorado. I’m pretty sure he said most things are unpacked, even if he has to dig for something based on what I’ve heard on a narrowgauge list I’m on. Like Papa Ben’s, a little smaller but better location. [C):-)]
Salida Roundhouse
249 W. US 50
Salida, CO 81201
719-530-1496
The ad is in the Sept/Oct NGSLG. I also heard he’s going to be at the Montrose, CO RR show this weekend, Oct 4-5. Long way from Houston, but just in case you’re out for a Texas-szied drive.I’ve only run in to him at the National Narrow Gauge Convention myself, but haven’t been to one in awhile. I’m actually much more likely to visit in Salida. [dinner]
His studio was right behind (or in front of depending on how you look at it) of the Astrodome on the other side of the 610 freeway. The San Jac MRR club used to meet there and so did the “N” crowd. Yes, papa Ben is and will be missed for a long time. Seems like all the good LHS are folding up here in Houston. There are others but not to the scale (excuse the pun) or selection of the Houston Roundhouse and papa Ben’s. The Spring Crossing is about the closest to a “good” hobby shop if you can wade thru the mess in his shop to find anything. Stella Link and Belaire huh?..That puts it even further away from my home on the far northeast part of Harris county…chuck
Hi!
Went to Papa Ben’s once a few years ago, right after he “hijacked” Mark from Larry’s Hobbies. The store was very nice, with lots of stuff for all gauges. But, the store was poorly located, with minimal parking, and of course far from beautiful downtown Spring (Tx).
Ha, even though Larry’s and Spring Crossing are near by, I am very thankful for the Internet!
ENJOY,
Mobilman44
The title of this post has great meaning for me! Every time I ever went in Papa Bens I found it a very “moving” experience!
Question to Papa Ben’s patrons…
In their ads I’ve often seen the word “discounts”, but when I was browsing thru the store, everything I noticed (HO) appeared to be list price. Did I misunderstand or miss something???
Please, the above is an honest question, not an attempt at sarcasm or complaint!
Thanks,
Mobilman44
I remember in the '70s somebody wrote in to Popular Science complaining that he had just forked out 350 smackers on a very simple repair to his Vega–if you don’t remember those you are extremely lucky–and wanted to know how these cars could be called economical when it cost 350 bucks to fix this turkey. The dude who did the automobile column for PS said that it is an economy car; they just don’t tell you who’se economy it is!
These “discounts” refers to what he got from his distributor; it doesn’t reflect what he is going to give you which is usually referred to as “The Purple Shaft!”
It is my understanding that they have/had a “sliding” discount scale, depending on how much you purchased in a certain period of time. The more you buy, the more your discount. I’d much rather have the discount right there on the sticker,'cause I only make it down there to the hobby shops maybe once or twice a year.
well I checked out the new location. Its smaller and if your in N-Scale its great. But for HO Scale there was very little there. Not like the old place at all. Im not sure if they will bring in much HO stuff.I guess I will stick to my side of town. Larrys Hobbies and Spring Crossing are my hobby shops. Since the Roundhouse closed and saw the new Papa Bens, I have no reason to go to that side of town anymore. If I am in town I will head over to G&G Model Shop.
Just my 2 cents.
Mark
Papa ben’s Train Place is back open at their new location at Bellaire Blvd & Stella Link. They opened again about a week ago. The new store is much smaller and so far has very little HO. Great place if you like N scale though. I’m hoping that since they had such big sales prior to moving that they will be restocking with newer HO items as they go. They had a lot of “dead” merchandise and really needed to move some of it before getting involved in the store move. Ben’s brother, Allyn, had some serious health problems about the time of the move and that helped delay opening the new location. He’s doing very well now and hopefully he’ll get the store up and running as well as before.
I miss the Roundhouse too. He had a better discount than Ben’s especially after they suspended their discount program completely. Wayne has opened in Salida as previously posted.
I live on the far SE part of Scum City (Houston) so visits to Spring Crossing and Larrys are few and far between. Larrys took a steep dive after mark left to work at Bens as far as I can see. Spring Crossing is a good place but I’ve never seen such a trashed-out store!! There are just heaps of train stuff on the floor and shelves are just a mess. Lots of harder to find items though. G&G is still a fine shop managed by a great guy, Gus. My only problem is the horrible parking there. Last time I was there I almost got my car towed. It’s a hideously crowded yuppie area with very protective territorial people watching where you park. I have just avoided the area for a long, long time. I miss going to G&G but it’s not woth the risk of getting towed.
The hobby shop situation in Houston really has changed a lot in the past couple years for the worse. With the Roundhouse closing and the long temporary closing & move of Bens I have been doing a lot of mail order from Blue Ridge Hobbies, Caboose Hobbies and Kleins. I believe I’m getting better deals and service