Model Railroading > Since We Are Talking About Old Hobby Shops in So. CA...

Who remembers Colonel Bob's? Back in the 1950's, it was on East Pico Blvd., just east of Crenshaw Blvd. in L.A. There were two storefronts, right next to each other. Customers had to go outside to move from one to the other, but employees, behind the counter, had a pass through between the two shops. One side was all trains, while the other side was all airplanes, gas engines, etc. Colonel Bob's was one of the original PFM dealers and when the early, hand made brass models were coming out, where maybe only a total of ten pieces were made, it was not unusual for the Colonel to get TWO or THREE of them. He also sold very high end model airplane engines, being one of the premier shops in the country. When Art Truman decided to open his Allied Models, WAY west on Pico Blvd., most of his friends told him he was crazy, since the "west side" of L.A. was the "low rent" district. Well, as the decades went by, the East Pico area went WAY downhill and by the mid 1970's, Colonel Bob's was getting broken into almost on a weekly basis, prompting the old Colonel to pull up stakes and move his shop to Costa Mesa in Orange County. I never made it to the new store and neither did much of anyone else, with the store closing after a few struggling years in OC, the Colonel passing away soon thereafter. On the other hand, the west side of L.A. became quite tony, with real estate prices soaring and a well heeled clientele finding little, old Allied Models as pretty much their only, decent hobby shop in the area. That little store ended up doing just fine.

Yes of course I remember Col Bob's…how about Reginald Denny's on Hollywood Blvd. Bought my first loco there…a Mantua booster sometime around 1950.
Chris

Troxel Brothers on Western north of 3rd St. was another veteran train shop.

Used to ride my bike from Torrance to Long Beach to do business at Ray's Model Train Supplies, 1222 Long Beach Blvd. They had a nice citrus grove layout in the window with a cab forward toting a bunch of PE reefers around.

(Where's that time machine at when I need it...)

Bob

ATSF100WEST......Out

Beanie's Hobby Junction - 850 No. Hollywood Way, Burbank, CA.

Cheers,
Jack

I made my first visit to Colonel Bob's back in 1959. Bought my first engine there. A Varney 10 wheeler "screwdriver kit". I had a lot of trouble putting the valve gear together but the guys in the shop did it for me. Later on I bought my first PFM model there, a Santa Fe Hudson. Mine was a Tenshodo model painted and ready to run. They carried a little Lionel also. I remember the Lionel trainmaster was selling for $50 brand new in the box at that time. Later on some of them sold for as high as $400 to collectors.

Ray

CR3 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I made my first visit to Colonel Bob's back in
> 1959. Bought my first engine there. A Varney 10
> wheeler "screwdriver kit". I had a lot of trouble
> putting the valve gear together but the guys in
> the shop did it for me. Later on I bought my first
> PFM model there, a Santa Fe Hudson. Mine was a
> Tenshodo model painted and ready to run. They
> carried a little Lionel also. I remember the
> Lionel trainmaster was selling for $50 brand new
> in the box at that time. Later on some of them
> sold for as high as $400 to collectors.
>
> Ray

Even in these depressed times, with the "graying effect" in full force, an absolutely brand new, Lionel FM Trainmaster, in a crisp, original box, of even the most common variety, would probably bring close to $1,000.00.

Drove down to Ray's Hobby Shop in Long Beach dozens of times in the early 60s. Single, in my early 20s and living at home were great times. I believe the owner was "Ray" and his wife. Remember of paying about $58 for a Max Gray SP 4-8-2. That was my week's pay then, but still have it. The building still stands on Long Beach Bl now with the same window with address over the door.

Anyone remember Bud's Hobby Shop in Inglewood on Imperial at Crenshaw and later moved to Hawthorne Bl. in Inglewood? Haven't been over there in years. Best not to go back.

Watts local

Franks Hobby Shop in Orange. I spent many hours there just enjoying the smell of a true hobby shop.

The closure of "Los Angeles Union Station West" is probably still too recent, but I'm sure when this subject is brought up in the future, the crown achievement of the brick and mortar hobby shop era will undoubtedly considered to be Allied Model Trains store on Sepulveda Blvd. in Culver City, CA. I will venture to say that no one will go to extent of building a store from the ground up ever again that equals that landmark.

warrenpweiss Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The closure of "Los Angeles Union Station West" is
> probably still too recent, but I'm sure when this
> subject is brought up in the future, the crown
> achievement of the brick and mortar hobby shop era
> will undoubtedly considered to be Allied Model
> Trains store on Sepulveda Blvd. in Culver City,
> CA. I will venture to say that no one will go to
> extent of building a store from the ground up ever
> again that equals that landmark.

While the store ceased to be a model train shop, it didn't close. Samy's Camera now occupies it, and Allied re-opened in a small storefront directly across the side-street. Samy's was still running the G Gauge train on the ceiling suspended trackwork, when I was last in there.

Bob

ATSF100WEST......Out

As much as I loved trains, as a teen, I flew gas powered, U-control airplanes. First the plastic, ready-to-fly models and then I built the kits with larger engines. I would ride my bike from Westchester near LAX where we lived, to a little shop called The Lennox Hobby Center, off of Hawthorne Blvd. on Lennox Blvd. in the city of Lennox, a tiny town next to Inglewood. I remember the gentleman who ran it and how he taught me the proper way to replace a head gasket on my McCoy .35. I bring this up, because my avid hobby building, both in railroads and airplanes, along with my shop classes in junior high & high school taught me SO many skills that I have used all my life. I have three grandsons. Their father can't hang a picture on the wall and they have ZERO interest in learning how to do much of anything that doesn't appear on their iPad. I've tried starting them out with plastic model kits and they look at me like I'm from another planet. The idiots in charge who made the decisions to delete shop classes from our schools did this country an immense disservice. Oh well, I'm off subject here. I also LIVED at Karl's Toys & Hobbies in Westchester and wanted so terribly much to be the man behind the counter. There was also Westchester Model Shop adjacent to LAX.

Streamliner Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> As much as I loved trains, as a teen, I flew gas
> powered, U-control airplanes. First the plastic,
> ready-to-fly models and then I built the kits with
> larger engines. I would ride my bike from
> Westchester near LAX where we lived, to a little
> shop called The Lennox Hobby Center, off of
> Hawthorne Blvd. on Lennox Blvd. in the city of
> Lennox, a tiny town next to Inglewood. I remember
> the gentleman who ran it and how he taught me the
> proper way to replace a head gasket on my McCoy
> .35. I bring this up, because my avid hobby
> building, both in railroads and airplanes, along
> with my shop classes in junior high & high school
> taught me SO many skills that I have used all my
> life. I have three grandsons. Their father can't
> hang a picture on the wall and they have ZERO
> interest in learning how to do much of anything
> that doesn't appear on their iPad. I've tried
> starting them out with plastic model kits and they
> look at me like I'm from another planet. The
> idiots in charge who made the decisions to delete
> shop classes from our schools did this country an
> immense disservice. Oh well, I'm off subject
> here. I also LIVED at Karl's Toys & Hobbies in
> Westchester and wanted so terribly much to be the
> man behind the counter. There was also
> Westchester Model Shop adjacent to LAX.

Lennox Hobby Center Gone, Karl's Long Gone. Don't remember a Westchester Model Shop. Where was it.

Lennox is an Hispanic enclave with mostly service workers (LAX) living there.

The location for Karl's is on its third or fourth encarnation, now as a 99¢ Store.

I remember taking my allowance to Karl's for the latest new model car kit.

So sad to see the shop classes go away. Everything is now academic, even for the folks who have no talent in that area but work well with their hands/

Mike

Troxel Bros. both locations.
Colonel Bobs.
Lennox Hobby Shop.
South Bay Model RR Supply Co.
Walteria Hobby.
Camera Craft in Manhattan Beach is where I got my first HO trains.
I had American Flyer when I was 6 or 7 but they disappeared.
Both Allied Model Trains locations.
Yes I remember them all.
TAH

trainfn Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Streamliner Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > As much as I loved trains, as a teen, I flew
> gas
> > powered, U-control airplanes. First the
> plastic,
> > ready-to-fly models and then I built the kits
> with
> > larger engines. I would ride my bike from
> > Westchester near LAX where we lived, to a
> little
> > shop called The Lennox Hobby Center, off of
> > Hawthorne Blvd. on Lennox Blvd. in the city of
> > Lennox, a tiny town next to Inglewood. I
> remember
> > the gentleman who ran it and how he taught me
> the
> > proper way to replace a head gasket on my McCoy
> > .35. I bring this up, because my avid hobby
> > building, both in railroads and airplanes,
> along
> > with my shop classes in junior high & high
> school
> > taught me SO many skills that I have used all
> my
> > life. I have three grandsons. Their father
> can't
> > hang a picture on the wall and they have ZERO
> > interest in learning how to do much of anything
> > that doesn't appear on their iPad. I've tried
> > starting them out with plastic model kits and
> they
> > look at me like I'm from another planet. The
> > idiots in charge who made the decisions to
> delete
> > shop classes from our schools did this country
> an
> > immense disservice. Oh well, I'm off subject
> > here. I also LIVED at Karl's Toys & Hobbies in
> > Westchester and wanted so terribly much to be
> the
> > man behind the counter. There was also
> > Westchester Model Shop adjacent to LAX.
>
> Lennox Hobby Center Gone, Karl's Long Gone. Don't
> remember a Westchester Model Shop. Where was it.
>
> Lennox is an Hispanic enclave with mostly service
> workers (LAX) living there.
>
> The location for Karl's is on its third or fourth
> encarnation, now as a 99¢ Store.
>
> I remember taking my allowance to Karl's for the
> latest new model car kit.
>
> So sad to see the shop classes go away. Everything
> is now academic, even for the folks who have no
> talent in that area but work well with their
> hands/
>
> Mike

Westchester Model Shop was a tiny place over on the street where Biff's Restaurant was. I think it was 94th or 97th, just west of Sepulveda.

As for Karl's, the owner was a fellow by the name of Dick Long. I never thought of it until I am writing this, but with a name like that, maybe he was an adult film star in his earlier days! Anyway, in 1958, he had a brand new, red with red interior, Chevrolet Impala convertible and he used to park it outside the store with the top down. It was absolutely gorgeous and it was that car that got me thinking about cars. I was 10. Did anyone mention Hollywood Hobby up on Cahuenga? It was run by the notorious Mort Conklin, who would growl at his customers.

Funny mentioning Camera Craft..Went by it's location today (Being remodeled, still that odd shaped complex) and remembered that kinda intimidating Midwestern accented woman who ran it..She would always say in a gruff voice "Help you please?". Small world 90 Mac...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/03/14 23:15 by Hoggerdude.

Bob's Hobby Shop on 4th street in Long Beach.
Mike Mikado Anderson

I grew up in Pomona and would ride my bike up to a small hobby shop on Mission Ave. (5th) , just east of San Antonio. Now Botanica Alpha y Omega. A few doors east was Andrus Hobby Shop, owned by a friend's parents. It was a converted residence, didn't have much in the way of model railroading.

There was a shop in downtown Glendora that my parents would drive me to once in a while. Name?

In Pomona on North Garey at Foothill was Walt's or Walter's Bakery, which was also a hobby shop specializing in European trains. Odd, long gone.

I miss Discount Hobbies on Imperial Hwy in Brea. There was also another, earlier, hobby shop downtown on Brea Blvd. It was gone before the big redevelopment project. Name?

Franks Hobby on Tustin in Orange.

Geodyssey Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> .
>
> There was a shop in downtown Glendora that my
> parents would drive me to once in a while. Name?
>
In Glendora was " The Hobby Bench " and in Downtown Glendora was " Bocks" Toys and Hobbies

> In Pomona on North Garey at Foothill was Walt's or
> Walter's Bakery, which was also a hobby shop
> specializing in European trains. Odd, long gone.
>
Walter's Bakery, moved from North Garey to running his shop out of a Garage located on the West Side of Pomona off of Holt Blvd



In Ontario there were Two Hobby Shops, also in Pomona there was a Small Hobby shop on North Garey that had some Athearn and a Mail Order Outfit Called " Dial Distributors "
> ?
>
> Franks Hobby on Tustin in Orange.

Geodyssey Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I grew up in Pomona and would ride my bike up to a
> small hobby shop on Mission Ave. (5th) , just east
> of San Antonio. Now Botanica Alpha y Omega. A
> few doors east was Andrus Hobby Shop, owned by a
> friend's parents. It was a converted residence,
> didn't have much in the way of model railroading.
>
> There was a shop in downtown Glendora that my
> parents would drive me to once in a while. Name?
>
> In Pomona on North Garey at Foothill was Walt's or
> Walter's Bakery, which was also a hobby shop
> specializing in European trains. Odd, long gone.
>
> I miss Discount Hobbies on Imperial Hwy in Brea.
> There was also another, earlier, hobby shop
> downtown on Brea Blvd. It was gone before the big
> redevelopment project. Name?
>
> Franks Hobby on Tustin in Orange.

Shop on Brea Blvd. long before redevelopment was The Iron Horse. Nice Mom andPop operation. Was on my "circuit" around the corner from Discount Train Warehouse on Imperial. Wasn't one of the owner's of Discount Trains indicted for some fraud activity...against Overland brass maybe? Still loved that place when it existed. Had an excellent brass painting shop just a few doors up..run by a guy named Jerry..still have some of the stuff he painted for me now over 20 years ago.

Auburnrail

Posted from iPhone



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/07/14 11:02 by Auburnrail.

miralomarail Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Geodyssey Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > .
> >
> > There was a shop in downtown Glendora that my
> > parents would drive me to once in a while.
> Name?
> >
> In Glendora was " The Hobby Bench " and in
> Downtown Glendora was " Bocks" Toys and Hobbies
>
> > In Pomona on North Garey at Foothill was Walt's
> or
> > Walter's Bakery, which was also a hobby shop
> > specializing in European trains. Odd, long
> gone.
> >
> Walter's Bakery, moved from North Garey to running
> his shop out of a Garage located on the West Side
> of Pomona off of Holt Blvd
>
>
>
> In Ontario there were Two Hobby Shops, also in
> Pomona there was a Small Hobby shop on North Garey
> that had some Athearn and a Mail Order Outfit
> Called " Dial Distributors "
> > ?
> >
> > Franks Hobby on Tustin in Orange.

Frank's was once a great store, but slid into oblivion when the owner let his son take over the day to day operations and didn't pay close attention. As I recall, the son pilfered tons of money and merchandise. By the time Frank found out what was happening, it was too late and he didn't have the will or the wherewithal to turn it around again, so he closed it. I believe that the lease renewal came up around the same time and the rising rents in the popular Orange strip center also led to the decision to close the store. Frank's was a great railroad store, but even a better R/C store. The number of decent railroad stores in the greater L.A.-Orange County area can now be counted on one hand. Allied, Whistlestop, Train Shack & Arnie's. There is another, very small one, over in the Lakewood area somewhere, but I can't remember the name. Try to support these guys when you can. It's not easy running a train shop these days.