Where Do You Buy Your Train Stuff??


T

Trackside

Member
Inspired by the "How Do You Save Money?" thread, I was wondering were you guys get your train stuff. I'm talking everything from rolling stock, to track, to buildings, etc.

If you make your stuff, what do you make, and where do you get your supplies?

Last time I bought any model RR stuff, Reagan was president. I am especially hoping to find websites, and businesses which may be in the area who have the best deals!
 
I am probably one of those oddballs, everything I buy has come from my LHS, either off the shelfs or he has special ordered it for me, I think I have a total of 5 times bought online, only to find that I would have saved money getting it from the shop.
 
Tony's train exchange for loco's and DCC system, discount trains on-line for rolling stock. E-bay for a couple of items.

Ken.
 
I like Dthurman buy most all my stuff from my LHS. I also have bought from Tony's in the line of specialty DCC items that he holds a patent on. Other than that the train shows are probably my final choice.
 
dthurman said:
I am probably one of those oddballs, everything I buy has come from my LHS, either off the shelfs or he has special ordered it for me, I think I have a total of 5 times bought online, only to find that I would have saved money getting it from the shop.
Click to expand...
Same here, all new stuff comes from the LHS. Otherwise its swap-meets. Since they mail-order a lot of stuff through Walthers anyway, they charge less money then shipping through the US border. That's another reason why I don't use ebay.
 
Since my LHS's main focus is on R/C, I order from Tony's for DCC and for most everything else, Internet Trains and Discount Trains. Occasionally, I will look up LHSs around the country for hard-to-get items. There is a good listing of these shops at the NMRA site.
Direct from Walthers is only for that very special item. Can't see paying their inflated prices when I can use that money for something else.
 
LHS for details and rolling stock, eBay & rrtrains.com for other stuff, most of my Locomotives have been bought on eBay...
 
Over the years I have gotten my stuff at the LHS, which is where I practically lived in a much younger life. Since then train shows, a buddy of mine who is a brass dealer and ebay. I have bought a lot of plastic on ebay.

Steve
 
On Line; Standard Hobbies, Toy Train Heaven, Micro Mark, Micro Macro Mundo, & Walthers.
Train Shows & once this year(last week) I bought 2 Atlas switches from a hobby shop about 60 miles from me.
Never bought anything from Ebay, but, have bought stuff over the years from
ads in the newspapers.
Wal-Mart, Target, Big Lots, Dollar Tree, & Kmart.
 
Well for me I order through close by hobby shops by mail. Mostly detail parts now days as over the years I've collected a lot of junk buildings that I should be able to use for something. I go to a few train shows and usually come home with a bag full of something.
I used to do ebay but there isn't too much there I want now days. It was just about the only source of Tyco 430's and 630's in the quantity I wanted.

Cheers Willis
 
When I go to my LHS's, none of which are really local, since they are all at least 50 miles from me, I usually end up buying something. I rarely walk out of any hobby shop empty handed, even ones that are very far from home. This summer I visited Caboose Hobbies in Denver and, of course, bought some stuff there.

Most of the stuff I buy, however, comes from on-line/mailorder vendors. The ones I use most are Discount Trains Online, M.B. Klein, Wholesale Trains, Tony's Train Exchange and Trainworld. I have bought from Walthers a couple of times for things that were on sale, and also Internet Trains once or twice. From my experience, I have been well served by all those mentioned. I have two friends at work that are also involved in Model Railroading, and they have used most of these same vendors, and have also been satisfied.

-Joe
 
Lots of eBay lately. Prior to that, split between online places and LHS.

I have so much stuff now that the LHS isn't as big of an option as in the past. A lot of the more interesting stuff I like are on eBay.

Kennedy
 
I buy from an LHS that is more a general type hobby shop than it is train oriented. I also use Cherry Creek Hobbys and Trainworld for online purchases.
 
I usually try to get MRR-related stuff from my LHS first (20-25% off MSRP, hard to beat that!); if I can't find it there, I go to TrainWorld or one of the other online/mailorder vendors; failing that, Walthers.com; and finally, for those rare o-o-p items I really want, I turn to eBay as a last resort.

Joe-David, that's interesting - one of your mailorder vendors is my LHS (MB Klein)!:cool: Guess I'm spoiled living close to Baltimore...
 
Ya'll need to shop Feather river trains.

Chuck ( owner ) is great to deal with. I recommend him very highly. He offers a discount too. http://www.featherrivertrains.com/

Mostly N and Z scale, but maybe he might help the larger scale guys. I really do not know, but it would noy hurt to ask.

If you Ebay at all, you might reconize his handle,, Feather river hotrod.

Adios Wyatt
 
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