Hello all,
If someone was visiting your town, what hobby shop or shops would be a must to visit where you live.
In Houston, Texas I would recommend…
G and G Model Shop
Houston Roundhouse
Papa Bens
4.Larrys Hobbies
5.Spring Crossing
Just my thoughts.
Mark
I would say the" Yellow Pages" Hobbyshop…in the twin cities, there aren’t that many so I like to get around to all of them, and since I can’t recall all the names here I’ll just fall back on the telephone directory!
Any would be good . Nearest hobby train store is 4 hours away.
[tgant] tomas in Durango,co.
If they came to this town looking to visit a hobby shop they are in deep trouble. The only one here has very little in stock and is over priced. Now if I took them for a 45 minute drive across the county they could get most anything they want at Mainline Hobby.
There are no hobby shops in my town…although most of my hobby buying is now through the internet,I mostly shop (internet) through First hobby.
I have no MAJOR hobby shops anywhere near me at all.(Exept Lincoln,Neb.)
i’m lucky to have 1 LHS listed in the back pages of MR. AArdvark’s tends to be good for HO and structures. At least it has a good parking lot. The rest are the overpriced chain store variety.
Most of the modelers here tend to use their ELHS. High sales tax makes a difference.
Dallas Texas
Discount Model Trains
Great service and good prices
Well, we would certainly be sure to get in the car and drive back to wherever the visitors came from in hopes there is a hobby shop there. There isn’t one anywhere in these mountains.
Wayne
Tjwo. One in Sacramento, one in Roseville, seven miles away. Bruce’s Trains in Sacramento has wonderful stock, and a gang of guys that work there that really know their stuff. And Roseville has Railroad Hobbies, which is very well stocked. Both shops have competitive prices, and if you’re looking for consignment brass, both of them usually have some good deals on locos. Roseville tends to specialize in Western RR’s, (UP, SP, WP, ATSF, some Rio Grande) while Bruce’s is pretty generic about the lines he carries (he’s a Pennsy freak). From some of the comments I’ve gotten on these threads about LHS around the country, I think we’re pretty damned lucky out here in the Sacramento Valley.
Tom
I would recommend that they get back on the freeway, unless they wanted to laugh at the pathetic selections at the local hobby shops.
Caboose Hobbies in Denver. A must visit if you’re anywhere in the area (i.e. within a 100-mile radius [:)]).
Portland Oregon 2 shops come to mind…
Vics Hobby Shop, in business since the 1940s when a guy named Vic owned it, Leo has it now. You will find N thru G, detail parts and bot 2 and 3 rail in O. If your into 2 rail O scale, PLEASE ask to see the layout in the basement. On Saturdays you will meet several of the locals running trains. Whistlestop Trains has a very nice selection in all the scales and is a ‘trains only’ shop where you can get good modeling advice, or brouse the brass.
I model in On3 and find that my scale is poorly represented, but with only about 4 of us in the region, it’s easy to understand why! However, standard gauge O scales will find pleny to choose from. Of course, N and HO and G are well represented. My husband is into postwar Lionel, and Vics often has consigned or inventoried Lionel items.
Portland and the ‘greater’ surrounding area has some other shops, check the yellow pages and call them to see if your interests are stocked.
2 hours and 15 minutes south of here, just south of Eugene, is the Village Depot in Cottage Grove Oregon. These guys have a nice shop, and even some On3!!! …and a nice website.
Long’s Trains in Moreno Valley, California
We have two Iron Horse Hobbies they stock mostly RR stuff N to G and are good to deal with, the other is Acorn models which stock all model stuff and are bigger and hold more variety of stock.
Ken
In Grand Rapids Mi
RIDERS! That 7,500 square foot shop. wwww.riders.com that has all three scales.
Tampa, Florida (Tampa Bay Area)
[1] Happy Hobo Trains 1st choice! Honors prices in Walther’s flyer. Lots of detailing items and all the usual lines. Nice layout on display with long trains running. Kevin is very down to earth.
[2] H&R Trains (in Pinellas Park). Bigger & lots of stuff, however, prices IMHO high. Garden layout in the back. Trains Show: Every Spring and Autumn. Fun!
[3] Franks Trains & Hobbies (Oldsmar) Good prices. Also into RC.
[4] Chester Holleys (South Tampa). Especially has a lot of items for the kiddies (Playmobile) in addition to the typical lines. Run by the daughter (Diane) of the man that helped pioneer the hobby with Bill Walthers, Lionel and Marklin. Family worked for the Pullman company. May Chester rest in peace.
Horizon Hobbies in Whitby ON.
Carries HO, N & some G? scale.
Excellent selection, decent prices & Bob will order anything you need.
Gordon
You’re lucky if you have even one in your town – I have to drive 100 miles or more to find anything; sometimes 250 miles.
That’s what you get for living in Apache Junction.
In Mount Union, PA there is only one it is called Waynes Trains. He carries Mostly S gauge, O, HO, N, A nice selection of G.
He is also the treasurer of our club![}:)]