Model Railroading > Dead Hobby Shops

I was working on some projects this evening, and looking at some of the price tags on detail parts is like looking at a museum. Every single one of these hobby shops is no longer in business and every single one of them I have bought hundreds (some of them thousands) of dollars of stuff from. All of them out of business in the last few years. Scary thought.

Fun For All Hobbies, Topeka, KS. (The store that started it all for me and the most recent closure)
Destination Train Center, Lenexa, KS.
University Hobbies, Fridley, MN.
Longs Model Railroad Supply, Moreno Valley, CA.
Train Quest, Moreno Valley, CA.
Hobby Maker, Bedford, TX.
J's Hobby Haven, Mission, KS.
Mendota Bike and Hobby, Mendota, MN.
Allied Model Trains (The Old One) Culver City, CA.

I've been to three of the shops on your list myself. The internet and Ebay is taking it's toll.

The Toledo area has lost all of its mostly-trains stores during the past 10 years or so, too.
Semaphore, Steve's Hobbies, and a smaller shop down in Maumee all have closed. All we have left are Rider's and Hobbytown USA, both of which are all-purpose, chain hobby stores that carry minimal rail inventory. "Steve" still does shows, though even those are declining in number around here.

Since I started to play with trains, oops I mean build model trains and layouts when I turned 12 in 1957, I can count about 2 dozen hobby shops that have come and gone in the Puget Sound Basin.

Down here in So. California.....Colonel Bob's on Pico Blvd LA, Beenies Hobby Junction on Hollywood Way, Burbank, Reginald Dennys on Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, Troxel Bros on Western Ave LA, Ace model shop on Colorado St, Pasadena.......These are the ones I use to visit back in the 50's.....all gone now.

Chris

Losing Fun for All in Topeka stinks. It was awfully nice to have a decent shop 1.9 miles from my house. Nope. Not any more. Now I have to run to KC. That's not that far, but if all you need is one or two little parts, it definately makes it tougher to justify.

In my opinion, the big one we lost in So Cal. (and it still hurts) was Mike's All Aboard in Torrance. Man, I miss that place. It was worth battling your way down PCH to get there every time.

February 28, 2005 - The day Mike Smith locked the shop doors for the final time.

Mr. MRL

Yikes, I've been to FIVE of the shops listed.

Long live Doc's. Just 18 mins down 169 and past the Hannibal Gooseneck and over the UP.

Hi Robbie,
I agree..Mikes was a great place..Well stocked, friendly help too. I drive by there almost weekly and still mourn it's closing.

In addition to the much lamented and previously mentioned loss of All Aboard Model Railroad Emporium and Long's Drugs, this will really date me but how many of you Southern Californians remember...

Crain's Trains - City of Industry

Earl's Hobbies & Crafts - Bellflower

Discount Trains - Brea

The Little Depot in Hobby City - Stanton (now part of Prestige Hobbies)

Scott's Scale Model Supplies - Cerritos

The Freight Yard - Anaheim (N scale store)

Big Boys Toys - Palmdale

And how about this oldie but goodie, the model train department at Dooley's Family Hardware Store on the corner of Del Amo and Long Beach Blvds in Long Beach!

There was also another decent little shop in old downtown Brea right on Brea Blvd. but I can't recall the name of it. Same for a shop that was in old downtown Garden Grove. Decent but I can't remember the name. Anyone?

trainjunkie Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> In addition to the much lamented and previously
> mentioned loss of All Aboard Model Railroad
> Emporium and Long's Drugs, this will really date
> me but how many of you Southern Californians
> remember...
>
> Crain's Trains - City of Industry
>
> Earl's Hobbies & Crafts - Bellflower
>
> Discount Trains - Brea
>
> The Little Depot in Hobby City - Stanton (now part
> of Prestige Hobbies)
>
> Scott's Scale Model Supplies - Cerritos
>
> The Freight Yard - Anaheim (N scale store)
>
> Big Boys Toys - Palmdale
>
> And how about this oldie but goodie, the model
> train department at Dooley's Family Hardware Store
> on the corner of Del Amo and Long Beach Blvds in
> Long Beach!
>
> There was also another decent little shop in old
> downtown Brea right on Brea Blvd. but I can't
> recall the name of it. Same for a shop that was in
> old downtown Garden Grove. Decent but I can't
> remember the name. Anyone?



Downtown Garden Groves I believe was Bernies or something like that. There also was one at Knott's Beerry Farm back in the 60's and early 70's outside of the gated area.

I remember there used to be two in Ontario, listed in MR's directory. One was "Village." Anyway, TWO times I went there when I had nothing better to do, looking for the same one... long story short, that store was in the directory for about a year after they closed.
(Second time, I said "hey this block looks familiar... and the hobby shop is just as much gone as it was the first time I was here... boy am I dumb!")

Trainjunkie,
You forgot one right in our backyard..South Bay Model Railroad Supply on Artesia near Inglewood Ave.( Redondo Beach, CA) A nice place when owned by Claudia Weaver and family..When that new owner whom I won't bother to name bought it, It all came off the tracks....

University Hobbies... Those were the days. Pete Boria, and Re-Pete. Me (Al), Leon, Greg Skogen, and the OS&BO (Out of Stock & Back Order) store modular layout guys. Plus the smaller store layout. It was a great place to buy model stuff, and hang out with the guys. It closed August 2001, and life has never been the same.

PROPULDUDE Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Trainjunkie,
> You forgot one right in our backyard..South Bay
> Model Railroad Supply on Artesia near Inglewood
> Ave.( Redondo Beach, CA) A nice place when owned
> by Claudia Weaver and family..When that new owner
> whom I won't bother to name bought it, It all came
> off the tracks....

I remember that new owner. Moved the store to Arkansas. Didn't last long with his attitude in that state either.

engine3420 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
Colonel Bob's on
> Pico Blvd LA

Didn't this store become Allied Models on Pico?

In downtown Garden Grove, wasn't there a train store named Barry's Trains?

ATSF-Freak Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I was working on some projects this evening, and
> looking at some of the price tags on detail parts
> is like looking at a museum. Every single one of
> these hobby shops is no longer in business and
> every single one of them I have bought hundreds
> (some of them thousands) of dollars of stuff from.
> All of them out of business in the last few
> years. Scary thought.
>
> Fun For All Hobbies, Topeka, KS. (The store that
> started it all for me and the most recent
> closure)
> Destination Train Center, Lenexa, KS.
> University Hobbies, Fridley, MN.
> Longs Model Railroad Supply, Moreno Valley, CA.
> Train Quest, Moreno Valley, CA.
> Hobby Maker, Bedford, TX.
> J's Hobby Haven, Mission, KS.
> Mendota Bike and Hobby, Mendota, MN.
> Allied Model Trains (The Old One) Culver City, CA.


Destination moved to Libertyville, Illinois a few years ago. They closed there, too (suddenly and without notice to employees).

Pepperidge

How about "Ray's Model Train Supplies", 1222 Long Beach Blvd., Long Beach?

The layout there in the window had a SP Cab Forward pulling a string of Athearn PFE Reefers, and a Silver Streak SP caboose - through a citrus grove, and a Suydam (sp?) Sunkist packing house, spliced together a couple of times, on a spur?

Or the VERY short-lived outfits in Torrance, one owned in old Downtown by a Native American, Santa Fe Engineer named Lenny, IIRC - (I think he also sold Turquoise and Silver Jewelry)? The other was in a mini-mall on Sepulveda with a 8/10 level double helix?

One other was on Torrance Blvd. in Redondo Beach, near the Torrance/RB border, that moved to? near the pier.

The last was on Hawthorne Blvd., south of PCH, within a 1/4 mile of the PV incline, east side of the street.

Is Earl's in Bellflower really gone?

Thanks,

Bob

ATSF100WEST......Out

Bob's Hobby Shop in Long Beach, CA on 4th street.
Rim's Hobby World took over after Bob's shutdown, moved to the traffic circle area, then shut down.
Dooley's Hardware in Long Beach, sold Lionel and had a big holiday display
The Hobby Warehouse in Lakewood CA (the original one, that burned down)
What was the place in Brea, CA that was fighting the downtown redevelopment? (Not DTW)