As mentioned, Lantz's Hobby shop in Horesheads {about an hour W of Bingo just off rt 17/I86 on South main street is a great place to shop. They are, as mentioned, the brick and mortar store for
www.http//wholesaletrains.com. The store is usually fairly well stocked, and you can check online to see if they have an item in stock. Online it will say "next day" for delivery if they physically have it on the shelves in the store. CAll ahead and they will hold for you something like a loco for you so it doesn;t get sold out from under you before you get there by an online order. The only thing I don't like is that they don't price everything in the shop so you often have to ask for a price or take it on faith when you get to the register that you'll pay what you will pay. They claim it is because everything comes in/goes out so fast there isn't time to price it all.
There is Family Hobby and Crafts on the Vestal Parkway W across from the Skylark Motel and diner. They have a relatively small supply of stock in Ho and N and don't stock or carry everything. They can be good for a quick trip through if you are in the area on the parkway.
There is also Village Train and Hobby at 191 main street in WIndsor, NY about 45 mins E of Bingo off rt17/I86, but they pretty much specialize in Lionel with a limited HO and N scale supply unless they have expanded it since I was last there.
There are, I believe, two or three RR clubs in the area, but I don't belong to them. There is contact Info on the wall behind the cash register at Family Hobby and Crafts.
There are a few local train shows, but they seem to be dwindling and getting smaller or not reheld. One is the train and doll show at the ROberson Center Museum on Front Street In Bingo held every January. I have missed it the last few years, but went this year and was sorely disappointed at the few vendors for trains there were!
ANother is the Bingo Sertoma Club model train show in APril held at teh Binghamton University Events center at BU off the Vestal Parkway E. This year it is April 15,16,17, 2011. Admission is $10 on Friday, $7 on Sat and Sun.
The bingo area is a good place to live. The economy is basically stable and the real estate market stable. We are surviving ok during this economic disaster the rest of the country is feeling.
Greene is a little to far away from the Bingo are than I would like, but it is up to you and the wife. WE have a friend who lives out there who does a lot of driving into bingo for everything. They live there to be close to his wife's parents. It is a nice little hamlet, though.
I like living here, except for the darned winters snow! LOL Welcome, if you move here!
