What I`d like to know is how far do you have to travel to a discount train store? I have 1 train shop in my area (Spring Hill Fl) I would have to travel 90 miles to Ocala to get any sought of a decent discount (10-20%) on model railroad equipment and supplies. Not even the big stores in Tampa Fl will sell for anything less than what Walthers charges and we all know that Walthers charges list except when they have a sale. Maybee someone could tell me of a LHS that discounts in my area that is not 90 miles away, because the 180 mile round trip cost me $40 in gas thereby negating the train discount in most cases.
K-10 model trains in Maryville Illinois is about 6 miles from my house at the most. He disounts everything and is a pleasure to do business with. I’ll be taking the boys there on Sunday to run trains on the huge layout.
There is a fairly-well equipped train store about two miles from home. The store discounts almost all items 10% from MSRP. Also, the owner-operator is an attractive female.
My closest hobby shop is 75 miles away, and not a discount shop at that. So I do mail order mostly. The closest good train show is 150 miles away, so when I do go there, I have a list and money. And if I do go, I will have a few things in particular that I want, or want to check out.
My favorite LHS is about 15 miles/25 minutes away. Fortunately, MRPO discounts almost everything about 20%. In Northern NJ there are still a few LHS’s, but not nearly as many as 15+ years ago!! We used to have almost as many as there were video rental places 10 years ago!! [:D]
A couple miles up the street. It is sort of dangerous for me because my place of employment is between my house and the LTS, so some days I don’t know which way to turn after work (especially on pay days).
The only close one is mostly Lionel and soldiers with a smattering of HO and N (less than 25 cars combined and a dozen engines). They don’t discount. Next is Hobbytown with a small train section. The next three are just trains about 20 miles away, but again mostly Lionel and don’t discount.
I do mostly mail order these days with some buying at the Great Scale Train Show in Timonium, MD a couple times a year.
Two hours each way…but it’s only open on two days of the year… Oh, you meant other than train shows? There’s a great train store near Warren, MA, but it’s quite a long drive from here, and there’s nothing really in the area that I could use to get my parents to drive me out that way for…
EDIT: Those are the “Discount” ones, the ones I prefer. There is also a great one in Chelmsford, MA; Maine Trains.
I have one 5 miles away, one about 20 miles, and a few in Pittsburgh. Depends on what I need on where I go. Lately I have been getting my cars online. Cheaper shipping than it would be to travel to travel to the 20+ miles one.
When I use to live in NC I went to Spencer, NC a few times. They had a nice hobby store there. It was about 1 1/2 away.
I have one terrific shop less than 10 minutes away; Whistle Stop Trains in Pasadena; too bad I’m in G and they do not stock what’s in my vein, and my favorite place, SanVal (30 minutes) was closed after the owner retired, so now its a much farther drive to find things. Train Shack in Burbank (30 minutes) is a great place but with LGB doing the big Hindenburg they have pretty much switched to the smaller scales, Allied Trains in West LA (45 minutes) is likely to do the same once they exhaust there stock, Train Stop in San Dimas (30 minutes) is usually well stocked but I’d rather drive a few minutes farther east to Upland Trains. One very well stocked place I’ve gone lately has been Gold Coast Station in Ventura but its an hour+ drive and I’ve been going there mostly because we like going to the coast to get away from the inland heat.
There are plenty of LHS who discount. You don’t need the internet to take advantage of this either. A phone call will do the trick – or email if you want to gett all high tech…[:D]
That way you get the discount and you help keep someone’s LHS in business. There may be a few who don’t want to trouble with mail order, but it’s been my experience that most are eager to please if you are a regular customer and always respond to your pre-order pick-up notices.
The only LHS I visit is in Duluth, GA about 10 miles from my house in Lilburn. However, I work in Duluth and usually pass by there at lunch (dangerous). Their prices are excellent (only slightly above what can be found at the shows), have the best selection of n-scale I have ever seen, and they are constantly getting in the new releases. They also have a quality selection of used equipment; I have bought several used locos there and they all run as good as the new ones. Jamie
The Train Shop in Santa Clara is around 25 miles from San Francisco. They discount from 10 to 20% and is exclusively a model railroading LHS. Luckily the Caltrain goes by there so gas isn’t an issue. The LHSs in The City are all MSRP and poorly stocked.