This is a long shot and it is strictly out pure sentimental curosity.
I have a large collection, and the HO bug from uncle who live in Phili, PA (Upper Darby area). He was my mom’s favorite and he was good to her. Took her out to see the trains and showed her all his collection. She got to runthem when ever she went to visit. It was through her I got the train thing as he passed away 2 years before I was born. For my Mom, trains were they we she remembered him.
Well most of his trains were purchased at Todd’s Model Train Shop. Tags are still on the boxes. While going through an old issue of MR from 74’ tonight, I found a listing for the place, and my heart skipped a beat. I tried a google search (didnt find anything) and will search harder tommorow but I thought I start here if anyone knows or might have some info if they are still in business or when they closed. According to the add, they started in 1939.
Thanks all…[:)]
I looked in the phone books and their online counterparts, but I had no luck. If it’s still in business, they’re doing a heck of a job on advertising. Someone else maybe can chime in if they were bought out, changed their name or when they closed down.
Cannot say when Todd’s closed down, however, they had a fairly large store on Garrett Road. This store had an extensive selection of trains back in the 50s and 60’s. I can remember seeing a Brass PRR Steam Turbine (S-2) in one of their display cases. Years later, either in the 70s or 90’s, I found the store had moved down the street (around the corner, but still on the same street, since Garret Road curved into West Chester Pike) next to what used be called the 69th Street Movie Theater). This was a smaller store with a miniscule selection of HO trains. Like many of the hobby shops in this area, the store then devoted most of its space to RC models long before DCC came along. I have not been in that area for at least 20 years now.
Thanks guys. I kinda doubted it still would be around, but, figure I would look into it. I am still going to see if I can find out what happened, or when it went out of business. I knw my Uncle would have shopped there atleast until 1971.
Again, thank you for your help.
I remember taking the bus from Pilgrim Gardens / Upper Darby down to 69th Street to spend my meager allowance on train stuff, this was back in the mid 60’s. A favorite attraction was the wall mounted brass loco display case on the right, immediately as you walked in.
Big sigh.
Jim