I am looking for a place to buy trains supplies around these places.
South County STL, Bellville IL, Fair View IL, or some where close to these.
If you know of any places let me know. Name and address and phone if you have it, but any information will be of help.
Thanks
Baker
It’s not a quick trip but we have a real fine LHS down here in southern Illinois.
Chuck’s Depot
1913 W Rendelman St
Marion IL
618-993-9179
HO and N scale and he has a lot of inventory in both scales with lots of knowledge and a desire to share it. There is a hugh layout in his basement that he loves to show you also. Just a real fine fella.
About a two hour drive from the STL area.
I know Chuck Very well and yes he is a great guy. He will help any one any way he can. I am going to see him some time this week. I am making a specail trip just to take a few pictures of his lay out and buy some things.
Thanks for the help though
Baker
You have to visit K-10 Model Trains in Maryville, IL all of 18 miles from Downtown STL and only a short hop north of Fairview Heights.
All the details you need are at http://www.k-10smodeltrains.com/
This is a small shop tacked onto the front of a huge layout. The prices are really very good. Lots of DCC expertise and a remarkable amount crammed into a small shop. Ken at K-10 gets most of my hobby dollars.
Ron,
Do they still run that steam engine from Marion southward on the old Illinois Central tracks? I rode that train back in the late 1980’s when I was in Southern Illinois to attend a funeral in Pinckneyville.
I cannot say enough good things about Chuck’s Depot. This is the best LHS I have seen anywhere and am fortunate to have it only 20 miles away. As others mentioned above, Chuck is a great person and will take the time to answer your questions. That layout in the basement is truly something else, and there is also a nice operating layout, roughly 5 x 16’ in the showroom. I need to visit him soon, as well.
There is a shop in St. Charles, MO called Mark Twain Hobbies. It covers a wide variety of hobbies, but its supply of model railroading supplies, and especially scratchbuilding supplies, is pretty good. This is just on the western edge of St. Louis.
Ron
K-10 is great! I am very luck in the fact I only live 2 miles from his shop. Prices seem very fair to me and less than other shop I have been to.
Code 100 Altals fex track $2.95
Athearn rolling stock $4.95 to $9.95 that you bulid.
PK 2 wheels 3 sets $6.95
Atals # 6 turn out’s code 100 $8.99
Peaco # 8 turn outs code 100 $14.95
Kadee # 5’s 10 pair’s $11.95
Normaly well stocked but will speical order parts and cars with no deposit needed.
And his track, boy it is something. 60’ X 80’ and well detailed. Few PIC of the track, worth the drive just to see the bench.
Yep, I am a big fan of K-10 trains, maybe meet you there some time.
Cuda Ken
You know I have lost track of that train, but it seems that it was in the late 80’s that they quit using that steam engine. I remember my dad getting a big kick out of watching that old engine lumber along. I do remember some locals talking what kind of maintenance it was taking to keep the old girl running. I bet Chuck will remember something. Now you have my curiousity up, I’ve got to find out.
On the southwest side of St. Louis, in Kirkwood, I found a nice little hobby shop. It’s Station Hobbies and it’s right on Kirkwood Ave. Good prices, nice people. AND they’re right around the corner from a Ben amd Jerry’s ice cream parlor. 2 vices in one stop!! [:)]
I ran by K-10 this afternoon to say hi, as I have not been doing much on the RR for the last few months and had not been into the store. Chatting to Ken, he was saying how slow MRR is in the Summer, so in an effort to get some cash flow over the Summer he has built an outdoor RC track out the back and now holds weekend race days with all the trimmings. This weekend they are holding RC boat races in the local park. Seems like Ken is really trying to grow the business.
I think I am going to go to K-10 tomorrow. I have some free time, so I just might make a run up there.
I need to find alot of places around. I drive a Truck for a living and I like to visit a lot of places. Just another hobby of mine I guess.
thanks guys. I might not have found this one.
Baker
If you would tell him the other Ken told you folks about his shop. Don’t let him fool you, Ken loves toys. Retired Navy Pilot as well, K-10 was is call sighn.
Cuda Ken
I went to K-10 today and I bought 3 items. I will be going back for the 1 sunday of the mounth train running.! Nice people and big lay out pretty low prices.
Baker
Does any body run at K-10 on the days that you can run trains?
Thanks
Baker
I usually take my boys to the monthly train running. We sometimes run, but more often than not the boys prefer to “railfan” the layout. There are usually a dozen trains running on the DCC section of the layout, with at least 2 more circling the DC tracks that run the loop. The main DCC loop is 550 ft long, so it takes a while to get around. All the switches are Peco which have to be manually thrown. The layout uses Digitrax wireless so you can be ahead of your train preparing the switches. It is a lot of fun running the trains, but it can get a bit hectic as there are several single track sections that are controlled by signals. Since many of the operators are first timers, it is not unusual for signals to be ignored so you have to keep your wits about you.
Go see Stephen Lukefahr at Trains, Ltd. 8151 Delmar Blvd (314-721-2939) Although oriented to Lionel, he also had a nice selection of Marklin items. Very pleasant and knowledgeable.
What city is Trains in?
Baker
I have the address as St. Louis 63130
In Belleville there is Red Board Hobbies. It isn’t very big but it is almost all trains. The address is: 2331 Old Collinsville Rd and the phone # is 618-233-3618. I moved out of the area in 2003 and haven’t been there since. At the time I lived there the store selection wasn’t bad for its size and the prices weren’t outrageous but that was three yrs ago so I don’t know about now.
Bryan