# What is your favorite hobby shop?



## alfalfa (Jan 11, 2008)

Mine is CABOOSE HOBBIES in Denver, CO. Why? it is local to me and it is all about trains. They are also very cool as in friendly and helpful. 
Here is a link to their site.

http://www.caboosehobbies.com


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## Boston&Maine (Dec 19, 2007)

My favorite hobby shop closed down









Well, maybe not, but the business was sold and I never liked the new owner, and their website is gone now too...


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## alfalfa (Jan 11, 2008)

Boston&Maine said:


> My favorite hobby shop closed down
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That sucks. 

I spent all afternoon and all of my money at CABOOSE HOBBIES today.
When I got in line I realized that I did not have enough money for everything and had to put a bunch back. hwell:
I did get some cool stuff and am working on a new layout now. The one I had was pretty boring. It was just an oval. 2' X 4' I can't make up my mind on wether to make the new one 2' X 8' or 4' X 4'.  I was going to get more styrofoam and do a larger one, but I broke the bank.


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## tworail (Apr 13, 2006)

Alfalfa, pics of the new equipment or be banned!!! 

Most of the hobby shops around here don't deal in European trains, except for John's Photo and Hobby, and the other Marklin place I bought from in Ontario shut down. I also buy from Eurorailhobbies in British Columbia, and of course there is the grandaddy of ALL hobby shops.. EBAY!!!

:thumbsup:


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## alfalfa (Jan 11, 2008)

tworail said:


> Alfalfa, pics of the new equipment or be banned!!!
> 
> Most of the hobby shops around here don't deal in European trains, except for John's Photo and Hobby, and the other Marklin place I bought from in Ontario shut down. I also buy from Eurorailhobbies in British Columbia, and of course there is the grandaddy of ALL hobby shops.. EBAY!!!
> 
> :thumbsup:


First I have got to say that I do not use ebay. I worked for them for a while and think they suck. 
Senond, if I could find my camera I would take more pics than you could stand.  I have a camera somewhere. Everytime I look for it I find something esle that sidetracks me. 

Third, have you ever been to Vancouver, B. C.?
I spent a couple days there once and had fun till I got lost and could not find my friends to catch a train back to Seattle.


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## Boston&Maine (Dec 19, 2007)

Boston&Maine said:


> My favorite hobby shop closed down
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I just took a drive up to Manchester, NH yesterday to get my manual transaxle fluid, so I went downtown and swung by the building where the hobby shop used to be... Now it is just a big empty space


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

*Congratulations!*

I see you are a "Super Moderator":thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:


Yes I shopped there too! A Downtown Dover Dealer closed also, he was there for years and retired. Don't Fret, you ever go to Northeast trains in Peabody?Burlwood Antiques in Noth Hampton!They sell MTH TRAINS! I hope this made you feel better.


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## Boston&Maine (Dec 19, 2007)

T-Man said:


> I see you are a "Super Moderator":thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:


Thank you... LOL, whenever I try quoting people now I always end up hitting the "edit" button in stead of the "quote" button... I need to pay more attention 



T-Man said:


> Yes I shopped there too! A Downtown Dover Dealer closed also, he was there for years and retired. Don't Fret, you ever go to *Northeast trains in Peabody*?Burlwood Antiques in Noth Hampton!They sell MTH TRAINS! I hope this made you feel better.


Yep, I have been down there a few times... There is also Treasured Toys at down in Salem at the intesection of Routes 28 and 97... I have not been to the North Hampton shop, maybe I will try there sometime


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

*More Places.*

Brentwood Antiques moved from Brentwood years ago. Their new location is on rte 1 not far from from the intersection of rte 88.Their second floor is the shop and they advertise in O Gauge Mag, a yellow building on the left going north. Neils trains is on Lafayette road just beyond the Harley dealership. He specializes in N and HO.There are some serious layout in the area.Ever hear of the Tour de Cooch?

Yes, Treasured Toys is a great family buisness, we started with them, buying the wooden Thomas before you could find them anywhere.


Last, but not least is Model train shop at the York Village marketplace.
Brickyard court is a small loop off of route 1 just south of the 95 exit.
Mike Shipp runs the place. You can try yorkvillagemarketplace

It's sad to say the phone book can't be up to date.


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## sptrains.com (Mar 18, 2008)

Hmm, my favorite hobby shop..... That's a tough one. I guess the one that I drive to everyday would be it!


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## Boston&Maine (Dec 19, 2007)

sptrains.com said:


> Hmm, my favorite hobby shop..... That's a tough one. I guess the one that I drive to everyday would be it!


LOL, makes sense to me... Maybe I should take a joy ride down to PA and stop in at your store and suprise you


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

If I was thirty years younger ( and single) I'd say ROAD TRIP!!


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## alfalfa (Jan 11, 2008)

T-Man said:


> If I was thirty years younger ( and single) I'd say ROAD TRIP!!


I could use a road trip. I used to toor with "The Dead"


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## Lownen (Mar 28, 2008)

tworail said:


> Alfalfa, pics of the new equipment or be banned!!!
> 
> Most of the hobby shops around here don't deal in European trains, except for John's Photo and Hobby, and the other Marklin place I bought from in Ontario shut down. I also buy from Eurorailhobbies in British Columbia, and of course there is the grandaddy of ALL hobby shops.. EBAY!!!
> 
> :thumbsup:


I just looked at Eurorailhobbies web site. No TT scale items that I could find. No Tillig or Mehano items in any scale. <sigh>


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

Dead Head HuH! My college days, drinking was legal, I had a 64 Bug,with a used 8 track in the glove compartment. Ah the good ol days.Nice to meet you alfalfa.


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## Boston&Maine (Dec 19, 2007)

T-Man said:


> Dead Head HuH! My college days, drinking was legal, I had a 64 Bug,with a used 8 track in the glove compartment. Ah the good ol days.Nice to meet you alfalfa.


WTH is an 8-track? Why on earth did you have one in your glove compartment? Maybe you were drinking a little too much :sly:



























LOL, just kidding... I know, I know, it came after the vinyl record but before the cassette, I think


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## Boston&Maine (Dec 19, 2007)

T-Man said:


> Don't Fret, you ever go to Northeast trains in Peabody?Burlwood Antiques in Noth Hampton!They sell MTH TRAINS! I hope this made you feel better.


I think I am going to drive up there on Tuesday just to check out what they have... Even though I am flat broke (I have $100 to my name, I need to get off my butt and find a job) I may end up buying something


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## Boston&Maine (Dec 19, 2007)

That guy needs to have cheaper prices, LOL... Nothing like good old Mountain Trains & Hobbies where I would be able to buy MTH Premier cars for $30... Anyways, I drove up to Rye beach too since I have not been there for a while


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## sptrains.com (Mar 18, 2008)

Wow Premier cars for $30.00?! We sell them for about $39.00 to members but at that price it's really slim margins. I have to find out where that guy is buying them from. hwell:


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## Boston&Maine (Dec 19, 2007)

sptrains.com said:


> Wow Premier cars for $30.00?! We sell them for about $39.00 to members but at that price it's really slim margins. I have to find out where that guy is buying them from. hwell:


LOL, he is the one that closed... The cars were a couple years old, from like the 2004 catalog when I bought them in 2006... The newest cars were more near MSRP... Best deal I got was my CSX autocarrier for $30, there was also a big wood chip car but for some reason I did not buy it


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## shaygetz (Sep 23, 2007)

I prefer swap meets, yard sales and flea markets using my LHS only for things like wheelsets, Woodland Scenics and Kadee couplers...the hobby is priced too far out of my reach. At a swap meet this past weekend, I picked up this beastie for $30...


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## smithsj1 (Jun 22, 2008)

_LOL, just kidding... I know, I know, it came after the vinyl record but before the cassette, I think_

I don't know what is worse - the length of this definition or the fact I Googled it! 

Apologies in advance for off topic post but I couldn't help coming back on this - what is worse my first boss had an 8 track and he had about 7 tapes which were awful! hwell:

Anyway this is from SearchStorage

_An 8-track tape is a hard plastic cartridge about the size of an external modem that houses a continuous loop of non-digital (analog) audio data stored on magnetic tape. William Powell Lear, founder of Learjet, invented and patented the 8-track tape and its corresponding player in 1963, when he was looking for a simple, long-playing tape system to install in the business jets that bore his name.

8-track tapes, which can hold up to 45 minutes of sound, were introduced to the general public in 1966 when the Ford Motor Company included 8-track players as a cutting-edge automotive accessory for the Ford Mustang. The music recording industry quickly saw the potential for a lucrative home player market and by the early 1970's, 8-track tapes were replacing vinyl long-playing (LP) record albums as the dominant format in pre-recorded music. Their light-weight plastic casings made them ideal for travel -- and unlike vinyl records, 8-track tapes didn't warp or skip.

By the early 1980s, advances in tape technology and noise reduction made the even smaller compact cassette the system of choice and by 1983, record labels ceased production of pre-recorded 8-track tapes altogether. Today, the adjective "8-track" is synonymous with "quickly obsolete". _


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## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

*Stereo Quality*

Stereo quality didn't exit. Those days you were glad to have sound. FM wasn't available everywhere in NH. So the 8 track, it played on and on, no flipping like a casette. A lot of cassettes did not have auto return play. The glove compartment was used to keep it out of sight.The bug interior had simple lines then. The car originally ran on 6 volts so I must of converted to 12.


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## MacDaddy55 (Aug 19, 2008)

*Shay is my Hero!!!*

YOU GOT "THAT" AT A SWAP MEET!!!! I feel like Capt. Ahab and the search for the GREAT WHITE WHALE!!! or Sir Gallahad "the chaste" in Monty Python & the Holy Grail! People in Wisconsin don't swap 2-8-8-2 Mallets(correct me if I'm wrong) they cherish them or get buried with them!!hahaha! Oh...Engine House Services on Packerland Dr. in Green Bay is my favorite Hang out. The guys there are super friendly,knowledgeable,story tellers and really are customer oriented. I thought my 4-6-2 B&O "President Washington" had pulled its last passenger car and they got it running in no time flat. But for my first time in the shop they basically gave me a two pack of Whalters golden series gondolas $34.00 for nothing. I spent 35.00 for train repairs and walk out with two super detailed cars. Now thats doin business my friends.


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## Boston&Maine (Dec 19, 2007)

I am on a mission today... I am going to take a short drive and check out a Lionel/MTH dealer in Nashua... The must have opened recently, because I do not remember seeing them before when searching for local dealers


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## stationmaster (Dec 7, 2008)

shaygetz said:


> I prefer swap meets, yard sales and flea markets using my LHS only for things like wheelsets, Woodland Scenics and Kadee couplers...the hobby is priced too far out of my reach. At a swap meet this past weekend, I picked up this beastie for $30...


 I just saw this thread. A MALLET!!!!! At $30 you got a steal!!! $300 engine!!! 

I've got two, one hit the floor, my guess, while on loan to a local club for one of their open houses/shows. That particular engine once pulled 239 coal cars up a 3% grade. It may have pulled more but there were no more coal cars and we didn't add box cars or any other rolling stock. They are truly amazing horses.

I just bought the second for $79 on Ebay. An older version(circa 1980), road #2170. I have yet to really put it through its courses. I hope it is near the powerhouse the broken one is. I'll make sure to have 12 drive wheels and just 4 pickup wheels. Same setup I used to pull the 239 cars.

If you ever wish to sell yours, keep me in mind. Those big compounds, Challenger, T-1's, Big Boys, and the Mallets are among my favorite engines. Definitely in the Top 10.

Just a note, if you are running DCC, there is a decoder with the sound of a Mallet. I have heard varying critiques. And I don't have one to be able to attest one way or the other.


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## stationmaster (Dec 7, 2008)

Oh, by the way my favorite shop is Phil's Hobby Shop, Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Back on topic. lol


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## Boston&Maine (Dec 19, 2007)

Boston&Maine said:


> I am on a mission today... I am going to take a short drive and check out a Lionel/MTH dealer in Nashua... The must have opened recently, because I do not remember seeing them before when searching for local dealers


Go figure, they are closed on Mondays... At least I found the place, and that was quite the battle since they do not even have a business sign yet


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## arthur (Dec 20, 2008)

Living up in the mountains and the nearest towns are 30 miles all directions there isn't anything around me. Its hard to trust e-bay anymore. I do have a small local regtired gentleman whio repairs and has some stock in a very small building. A retired engineer from the NS line. Great stories about how they ran moonshine on these trains from WVA through VA into NC and Tenn.


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## Southern (Nov 17, 2008)

stationmaster said:


> That particular engine once pulled 239 coal cars up a 3% grade. It may have pulled more but there were no more coal cars and we didn't add box cars or any other rolling stock. They are truly amazing horses.


 
It is hard to stop a Y6B.







This one is headed for the super bowl with one boxcar. I was just looking for the Colts car. I cant find it. 

Back on topic. Most of the local hobby shops have closed. We still have 2 Hobby-towns. Most of the stores are R/C. There is a Hobby lobby, Michaels, and of course Lowe's.


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