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Best e-tailer for SNCF Stock


samkiller42
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Hi All,

 

I'm planning on starting to model Modern Era Electrics, so i'm after good websites/shops that stock them. Gaugemaster is only a 15min ride by train, and has a good stock selection, but do seem out of stock on a number of items.

 

Another thing i'm after shops in in and round Toulouse and Carcassone, and towns between the two, and anything in Andorra also, Will be visiting my Grandparents in Oct, so will be able to go to these places.

 

Cheers in advance for the advice.

 

Sam

 

Edit:

So a few sites have been recommended, so i'm compiling them into a list:

 

Andorra:

Basar Valira

 

England:

Gaugemaster (The Engine Shed)

Kernow Model Rail Centre

Winco

 

France:

Pierre Dominique

Million (Jura Modelisme)

Passionnementrain

Trains 160 (For N-Gauge)

Edited by samkiller42
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Nothing so far as I know in Carcassonne. Toulouse has Gottero (Boite a Jouets) in an arcade on the Grand Boulevard. Well-stocked but pricey as clientele seems to mostly be hospital doctors.

 

Andorra has a famed shop but I am having a senior moment about the name. No VAT in Andorra but technically you can get nabbed by customs if you have bought too much.

 

Both have regular ads in French model railway magazines.

 

If you want to purchase by mail order, the best is Million. Huge stocks, among the lowest prices and always well packed for post. The French equivalent of Hattons.

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Thanks for the informative post, Given my grandparents live on the Aude/Ariege Border, Customs generally ignore us, Only been stopped once on all the trips i've taken up there in the past 20 years.

 

It sounds like the shop i've been into in Toulouse, but it was some years since i was last there, and there was one in Carcassonne, but again, been some years since i was last there.

 

Do you have a link for 'Million'? Google gives me everything other than model shops when i search.

 

Thank's again.

Sam

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Nothing so far as I know in Carcassonne. Toulouse has Gottero (Boite a Jouets) in an arcade on the Grand Boulevard. Well-stocked but pricey as clientele seems to mostly be hospital doctors.

 

Andorra has a famed shop but I am having a senior moment about the name. No VAT in Andorra but technically you can get nabbed by customs if you have bought too much.

 

Both have regular ads in French model railway magazines.

 

If you want to purchase by mail order, the best is Million. Huge stocks, among the lowest prices and always well packed for post. The French equivalent of Hattons.

The shop in Andorra is:-

http://www.basarvalira.com/

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Fantastic Joseph and Brian, I'm a very happy chappy looking through both sites. One in Andorra has a smallish selection, but is right down in the Valley, and when ever i go up, we always stop at Pas, so will be a good excuse to go further.

 

Thanks again,

 

Sam

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For mail-order, you should also try these people http://www.passionnementrain.fr/index.cfm I've had a lot of stuff from them. When they had a special offer on LS Models Picassos, Jura immediately dropped his price to their level. There is competition. Pierre Dominique is a reliable seller, too.

 

Best to avoid this chap, though http://www.hobby-trains.fr/fr/ as Loco Revue magazine has heard too many bad stories and is no longer accepting his ads, so they say.....

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Pierre Dominique have a good reputation and have done a few "specials" over the years - although earlier eras than your interest.

 

Million trades as Jura Modelisme.I am sure that will come up on Google.

 

I've been using Jura Modelisme http://www.jura-modelisme.fr over the years but more so recently as they now have an all-singing, all-dancing website which takes credit cards. Site is only in French but easy to navigate with my very basic "O" level French. Most recent order arrived couple of weeks ago and despite the up-to-date website was accompanied by a hand-written invoice!!

 

Keith

 

Keith

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Definitely adhere to this advice. It took me 6 months to get my money back from an order that I placed.

A letter in the latest LR, from another dis-satisfied customer, states that the Yvelines Departement are examining a number of complaints, with a view to sending details to the Procureur de la Republique for consideration of action. French bureaucracy is legendary, and consumer legislation thin on the ground, but evidently these wheels are in some sort of motion!
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:offtopic:

 

This is a particularly useful thread within the 'French Railways' Group, so I've pinned it. :good:

 

Thank you for that, that would be the reason i couldn't see my own thread for a moment :scratchhead: haha

 

I'm going to edit my first post with a list of retailers/e-tailers that have been recomended, So if there are any others in and around Europe then let us know.

 

So before i do, This is a UK based site, any one have any experience with Winco?

 

Thanks,

Sam

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I used Basarvalira to purchase an N gauge Startrain CC7100 electric. I was specifically after CC7140 which appears to have a premium, so was delighted to get hold of it. Service was not especially fast but the loco was packed very well and I had no extras to pay when it arrived. Interestingly it was posted in Spain! I would definitely recommend them.

 

Pierre Dominique has a sale on at the moment with some heavy discounts on both HO and N locos and stock. I am trying to resist a Sybic electric at 69 Euros but these HO ones are only 49!

 

http://www.pierredominique.com/art-19604-locomotive-electrique-26160-sncf-livree-multiservices-rails.html

http://www.pierredominique.com/art-19232-locomotive-electrique-26096-fret-sncf-rails.html

http://www.pierredominique.com/art-19229-locomotive-electrique-26022-sncf-rails-digital.html

They also have a couple of cheap BB17000:

http://www.pierredominique.com/art-25548-locomotive-electrique-17040-sncf.html

http://www.pierredominique.com/art-25547-locomotive-electrique-17045-sncf.html

 

There are also some cheap diesels and coaches listed as well.

 

This section lists all the current deals:

 

http://www.pierredominique.com/trains_wagons_modelisme_exclusivites.html

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I used Basarvalira to purchase an N gauge Startrain CC7100 electric. I was specifically after CC7140 which appears to have a premium, so was delighted to get hold of it. Service was not especially fast but the loco was packed very well and I had no extras to pay when it arrived. Interestingly it was posted in Spain! I would definitely recommend them.

 

Pierre Dominique has a sale on at the moment with some heavy discounts on both HO and N locos and stock. I am trying to resist a Sybic electric at 69 Euros but these HO ones are only 49!

 

http://www.pierredom...ices-rails.html

http://www.pierredom...sncf-rails.html

http://www.pierredom...ls-digital.html

They also have a couple of cheap BB17000:

http://www.pierredom...17040-sncf.html

http://www.pierredom...17045-sncf.html

 

There are also some cheap diesels and coaches listed as well.

 

This section lists all the current deals:

 

http://www.pierredom...clusivites.html

 

Careful of those Sybics. They are for Marklin 3-rail system. No wonder they are discounted. Piko should know that Marklin enthusiasts are fairly rare in France and only buy Marklin.

 

Mind, at that price might be worth buying and converting.

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..................any one have any experience with Winco?

 

Yes - I'm modelling Swiss rather than French railways, so Winco have often featured on the radar (they traditionally specialised in Swiss models, though of course have made a natural expansion into models of railways of other countries). I have not found their prices to be so tempting for the products I have wanted. However club colleagues who had bought from them have always been very upbeat about their service - that's as near as I can get for a recommendation under the circumstances!

 

Sam, I see that your location is not too far away from Eastleigh, so I would draw your attention to the 'Eurotrack' exhibition (as was) which is staged there towards the end of February each year. Winco have been there each time I have visited or exhibited, so you would be able to see them - if you can get near the stall. They have always been too busy to serve me at the show, which is a good sign (of sorts) but has meant that other traders sold me what I wanted.

 

There is also the SNCF Society stand at that show, too.

 

Oops, I'm starting to drift off topic again.......

 

Dave

 

 

EDIT November 2012 - I have personal experience of Winco now - I'll not be looking to buy from them again. That doesn't alter other people's good experiences of course.

Edited by DIW
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Dave, your input is most welcome... Even if you do drift off :blum:

 

I must admit, i keep looking at Winco, and going to the HAG RE460 Locomotive Page, They look fantastic, but the £260 price tag is quite hard to stomach.

 

Sam

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Just an update on the service offered by Jura-Modelisme. Ordered some stuff through their website on Wednesday morning, received tracking details later that day......and had the package delivered by Parcel Force before lunch today........Can't beat that really :boast:

 

Keith

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