I was checking their site looking at HO locomotives. Do they really have a huge inventory as depicted on their website?
Well what they don’t say is how many of each one they have. They seem to buy up the unsold stocks of someone, because what they have available is usually not to be found anywhere other than eBay or maybe train shows. I’ve never bought anything there but several here have.
–Randy
They buy a container of any given item at one time.
I’ve never been to one of their stores, but a person here who used to live in Brooklyn said they are in a 5-story building with each floor dedicated to a different scale. I believe they have two stores in the NYC area.
I have dealt with them on several occasions and never been disappointed. They are New York brusk on the phone, but get things right.
Sometime the particular road name or road number you want isn’t in stock, but generally, what they advertise they have.
Shipping isn’t too bad compared to some and service is prompt.
Give them a try. I have no complaints.
Hi,
Going to Trainland with my father in the 70’s when I was in grade school was a treat for me. My parents live near the Long Island store and going back to Trainland, even now, when I visit my mom (dad has passed away) from Virginia I always make a pilgrimage to the store. The inventory is vast and rarely do you hear “sorry we don’t have it”. If you are in the New York five boroughs area check out the stores; you will not be disappointed neither if you order on-line.
All the best.
Reinhard
Well, their advertising pages are made up months in advance, but yes, they do have the product. Call them and the nice lady on the phone has the computer right in front of her and knows EXACTLY what is in the store. She ain’t going to put up with much hemming and hawing, and no she cannot tell you anything about the products, but she will send them right out to you that very day.
I have been to their stores, not to Long Island in a log time, but on LI they have more room for display, in Brooklyn things are tight and the display disappointing. If you want information on something they can help you but not on the toll-free order line. You have to use the Brooklyn number for that and the guys at the business desk do know what they are about.
Two buildings, five stories, you, they do have the stock. And that was all before anybody invented the internet and e-business. Their business was all telephone in those days.
ROAR
I’ve bought a good deal of stuff from Trainworld in the past 10 years, and was always satisfied. That said, I recently bought an Athearn Genesis SD70. The price was OK, but they charged me $17.35 shipping, handling, and insurance, on a single loco. Their ad says minimum 9.95 shipping and handling. If a single loco doesn’t ship for $9.95, what does? I shipped some christmas packages, a lot bigger than a loco, for around $7, parcel post. The $17.35 shipping and handling, added to the price of the loco, was not much of a bargain.
I’ve made a few other recent purchases from online retailers, who just billed me the actual shipping charges.
I’ve ordered from them on a number of occasions and I’ve always been happy with the product, price and service. I live in the burbs of Boston, and I’m always amazed that an item purchased on Wednesday about dinner time is usually at my door on Thursday when I get home for work, using the cheapest available shipping.
I have noticed, though, that the shipping charges don’t show up until the very end, and they are relatively high. Still, given their low prices and inventory of otherwise unavailable items, I always end up a happy railroader.
The couple of times I have used them, they have been prompt and correct with my order. I’ll order from them again.
Enjoy
Paul
Randy, not so. They are not a surplus auction house or whatever, they are a fully legitimate dealer with two brick and mortar stores who buys in very large quantities from all the major brands.
The reason they have what no one else has is because they buy enough to have it well after others have sold out - then, well after everyone else is out and they have sold a ton of it themselves, they put what is left on sale at really low prices.
But they have all the latest releases when they come out and have great prices everyday and a super large inventory.
I have bought a bunch from them over the years and never been disappointed.
The people who answer the 800 number are just order takers who know nothing about trains, but if you call the regular number you will find helpful and knowledgeable people who will check stock and answer your questions - even if they seem a little “New York” abrupt.
Sheldon
I have been to both stores. The Brooklyn location houses the phone bank…the retail area is much better at the LI location. Great supply…but they don’t carry AZ rock and mineral…for example. Walthers structures, WS scenery…great supply of rolling stock and locos from all the majors. Shipping is expensive…but if you buy a lot…its cheap. For example Atlas flex track…buy a boat load, and shipping is nothing, buy 12’, you get banged. The Brooklyn store houses the warehouse. Fully staffed warehouse. Orders fly out of that place…but you pay for it.
“but you pay for it.”
What does that mean? I have bought a lot from them and the shipping charges were always fair and the prices super low?
Shipping will always be less on bigger orders - no matter who you are buying from.
Sheldon
They are great and even on the order # they have helped by telling me they had something in stock that wasn’t listed!!!
No complaints from me either. There is a CP AC6000 with a grinning 15 year old following it around the layout this morning courtesy of Trainworld. The only place I could find the road number he wanted outside of over priced Buy-it-now on eBay. The manufacturer (BLI) and its sister retail outlet (Factory Direct) have been out of the model for months. I am well satisfied with their service.
Don’t waste your time relying on their web site for availability of specific road names- it’s not nearly as accurate as they might like you to think.
Three times I’ve tried to order something that the site said was in stock, the order software accepted it, and within two hours I gotten an email back saying, “Nope, we don’t have that road name any more.” As annoying as I found that, I’ll give them points for the prompt follow-up.
Call 'em and you’ll speak to someone who has access to better inventory information. You’ll be happier with the results.
This was (is) a known issue with them, they know about it, and do not make a secret of this issue. They were the first to computerize their inventory, long before there was such a thing as an internet. If you go into the store you will see this, the telephone operators, they are right there at the front counter, are using DOS computers. The web servers and the DOS servers are at least three decades apart, migration is not an easy thing.
ROAR
The biggest problem buying from them (if you’re not going to the store in person) is their website isn’t so hot. It can be a bit hard to find what you’re looking for, and it’s not always very current as far as what’s in stock or not.
That being said, I’ve been buying from them going back to 1973 when it was just Pete Bianco and a tiny ad in the MR classified sections, and have never had a problem. In fact just bought an engine (on sale) from them for my grandson for Xmas.
Sorry Sheldon. I was just pointing out that I believe the shipping is expensive for smaller sized orders. That is what ‘you pay for it’ means. I feel at this particular vendor, it is more expensive than other shops that I have purchased from. Maybe your experience is different. I know you are much older than I am, and have many more years experience than I do…[Y]
The last couple of times I bought from them, the shipping charges were considerably higher than those on my first few orders. The prices for the kits and trains, though, are so low that it’s still a bargain, especially when it’s something no one else has.