I’ll be in Portland OR for a couple of days on business and would wondered if any of the good folk here can recommend a good train shop or two for us to visit. We do N-scale.
Thanks in advance
The Whistle Stop - http://www.wsor.com/
The Hobby Smith - http://www.hobbysmith.com/
About twenty miles west in the suburb of Forest Grove is my favorite, Mainline Trains - http://mainline-trains.com/
Have a good, safe trip.
Also there is Tammy’s Hobbies in Beaverton… It has a decent selection and the prices are so-so… My biggest beef is that some of the staff think they are Gods gift to modeling and then there are some that are very helpful so it evens out I guess.
Tammy’s is my closest shop, but I think Whistle Stop is a much better shop.
I haven’t made it out to Mainline, but “everyone” I’ve talked to points to them as the best.
though I have heard that Mainline is primarily HO.
I haven’t been to Mainline since they moved, they are still in Forest Grove, downtown now at 19th & Main. They were predominately HO, and some “N” in the past, but when I was in there in January to get some LaBelle oil, they had a new owner, I commented that I am a local, but don’t shop there much because I model in 3 Rail O Gauge, and well, Uhm, you ain’t got much in that. The guy replied check back there are Big changes coming. They have moved to a new location, but as yet, my schedule and their’s haven’t meshed to well, so I am still waiting to see what changes have been made.
I will add my vote for Whistle Stop, I believe that they opened in 1974, and I think that I have been dealing with them since shortly after they opened. I used to ride my bike to their original shop on nice days, and the bus on typical Portland days. Whistle Stop has always been my first stop when ever I have needed anything, Hobbysmith, Vic’s, Tammie’s and Mainline are all Good shop’s as well, but Whistle Stop has always been “MY” LTS.
Doug