Bucket list shops

[ianmacc]

Just curious if anyone has shops they’d like to visit but haven’t so far due to distance or whatever.

 

Jane’s Trains in Tooting

Harburn Hobbies

Gaugemaster. Ironically I had a meeting in Ford but not able to get away in opening hours grrr!

 

Probably others too....

[sub39h]

Kernow, Derails and Gaugemaster would be on my list 

Edited August 26, 2018 by sub39h

[carderrail]

As I model some very odd H0 gauge the shop I haven't yet got to is Modelljärnvägsspecialisten Tåg & Hobby in luleå Northern Sweden. I have found realy good shops in Stockholm and Gothernburg.

 

Tony

[NXEA!]

Just curious if anyone has shops they’d like to visit but haven’t so far due to distance or whatever.

 

Jane’s Trains in Tooting

Harburn Hobbies

Gaugemaster. Ironically I had a meeting in Ford but not able to get away in opening hours grrr!

 

Probably others too....

 

Been to Jane's Trains, fantastic little shop. For me, I'd like to go to Hattons, Rails, Kernow and Derails, preferably with a wad of cash to fritter away - particularly Rails, their new set-up looks great.

 

As an aside when on holiday in Germany for the Christmas Market at Aachen, with a currywürst and hot chocolate in hand, I accidentally stumbled across Modell Centre Hünerbein. Now THAT is a model shop! Display cabinets crammed with high quality European models as far as the eye can see. I spent a couple of hours in there, and nearly came away with a 140 in DB Green, although truth be told I would've walked out of there with everything in DB Red and Green if I could. 

Edited August 27, 2018 by NXEA!

[Oldddudders]

At the risk of boasting, I have darkened Kernow's door on several occasions, having arrived by HST and walked through the town. The shop is small but the Aladdin's Cave impression is enormous. Unless you seek something in nationally short supply, you will be delighted. And their website should enable you to verify they have stock before visiting.

 

As part of a holiday in the West Country it would simply be wrong not to....

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

What with being a bear of small brain the shop trading as TMC was still 'Trafford Model Centre' in my mind until some information chanced upon earlier this year revealed that it is now located on the North York Moors barely a twenty minute drive from relatives we visit regularly. What a pleasure that was.

[woodenhead]

What with being a bear of small brain the shop trading as TMC was still 'Trafford Model Centre' in my mind until some information chanced upon earlier this year revealed that it is now located on the North York Moors barely a twenty minute drive from relatives we visit regularly. What a pleasure that was.

I remember when it first opened in the market hall of the Trafford Centre, having a model shop in walking distance of home was brilliant, though at that time I had no railway.

 

With a bucket list you list things and places to visit before you die, in the case of model shops it appears to be reversed, places to visit before they close.

 

Not sure why Hattons would be on anyone's list, it is a warehouse with a typically warehousy customer service desk. Even Rails until recently was a similar let down experience, the new shop area though sounds like a return to a more welcoming destination.

 

Now, Arcadia, there is a shop to visit,guaranteed a cup of tea and if you like shelves full of models it has them everywhere.

[rob D2]

No modelshops on my bucket list , more likely casinos and brothels TBH !

[ianmacc]

Been to Jane's Trains, fantastic little shop. For me, I'd like to go to Hattons, Rails, Kernow and Derails, preferably with a wad of cash to fritter away - particularly Rails, their new set-up looks great.

 

As an aside when on holiday in Germany for the Christmas Market at Aachen, with a currywürst and hot chocolate in hand, I accidentally stumbled across Modell Centre Hünerbein. Now THAT is a model shop! Display cabinets crammed with high quality European models as far as the eye can see. I spent a couple of hours in there, and nearly came away with a 140 in DB Green, although truth be told I would've walked out of there with everything in DB Red and Green if I could.

Hattons and rails are best experienced as the excellent mail order businesses that they are rather than visiting them.

 

Can vouch for Arcadia.

[Nearholmer]

I’d recommend adding Tennent’s to your list. Some minor loss of character due to mild tidying-up by new owner, but still the nearest left to a proper shop, with all sorts of odd things you’d forgotten ever existed in stock.

[ianmacc]

Have to be careful this doesn’t become a ‘what’s your favourite shop thread/ recommendations thread’ and remains strictly a ‘where do you want to visit’ thread as they’re not strictly the same thing...

[Oldddudders]

Have to be careful this doesn’t become a ‘what’s your favourite shop thread/ recommendations thread’ and remains strictly a ‘where do you want to visit’ thread as they’re not strictly the same thing...

 

As OP you are certainly entitled to post that reminder. Perhaps what you are finding is that, in the Internet age, the most remote shop is often only a few clicks away, even for those of us overseas, and thus walking through this or that door matters less than might have been the case a few decades back.

[Steamport Southport]

The one that Phil Parker had on his Blog the other week.

 

Probably not much that I would want to actually buy, but it's quirky Canadian.

 

http://philsworkbench.blogspot.com/2018/05/the-credit-valley-railway-company.html

 

Even has a decent layout.

 

https://www.google.com/maps/place/The+Credit+Valley+Railway+Company+Ltd/@43.5992845,-79.7784253,3a,75y,250.29h,90t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sUQlo4Dp-J0UAAAQYVd74yA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!4m5!3m4!1s0x882b6a5611b12bc7:0xed3651a7f14f8ef4!8m2!3d43.59914!4d-79.7775704

 

 

 

Jason

[GNR Dave]

I buy most of my stuff from Rails online. Would be nice to pay them a visit though. I did meet the staff at Warley last year and again at Ally Pally this year, but the refurbishment of the store looks wonderful and well worth a visit.

 

Just not from Surrey !

 

It's always tempting to want to visit the shops that have huge multi page ads in the magazines, in the belief that they will have anything and everything on display in a spacious customer friendly shop. The reality is not always the case though, as I found after a 70 mile round trip to one such establishment, to find a very small shop with most of the stock 'out back' with no public access.

[Nile]

Have to be careful this doesn’t become a ‘what’s your favourite shop thread/ recommendations thread’ and remains strictly a ‘where do you want to visit’ thread as they’re not strictly the same thing...

 

Problem is if I have never been there, how do I know if I would want to visit? Other people's recommendations are what would guide me. As others have found, a good online presence or advert doesn't always translate into a good shop to visit.

[meatloaf]

Good shops if youre in the area are :

 

topp trains in Stafford - has a big shop full from floor to ceiling of older hard to come by stuff and new releases.

Tutubry models in Tutbury - again stuffed from floor to ceiling with stuff

 

Visited rails today and the new showroom is great and my lad loved the high level trains running, but you can only window shop in there and have to go back to old shop to make your purcaches - which I duly did.

[Andy Hayter]

At the risk of being a bit off topic, since leaving the UK a long time ago, the one thing I miss is the good quality local model railway exhibition.  Not the big nationals which have all the big boys there - good though these are and I have visited - but the smaller local show with the local trader with his boxes of delights tucked under the table (half or un-built kits, bits and bobs no longer available) and the second hand book trader who likewise would have boxes of magazines going back 40 years or more to browse and select at leisure.

 

No doubt these are long gone and they trade their wares instantly via the internet today, but if they still exist, then they would be on my bucket list.

[Oldddudders]

At the risk of being a bit off topic, since leaving the UK a long time ago, the one thing I miss is the good quality local model railway exhibition.  Not the big nationals which have all the big boys there - good though these are and I have visited - but the smaller local show with the local trader with his boxes of delights tucked under the table (half or un-built kits, bits and bobs no longer available) and the second hand book trader who likewise would have boxes of magazines going back 40 years or more to browse and select at leisure.

 

No doubt these are long gone and they trade their wares instantly via the internet today, but if they still exist, then they would be on my bucket list.

I get back to Blighty a little more often than you, perhaps, Andy, so have managed to visit four exhibitions in 12 months. Discounting the excellent Railex, which needs no praise from me, the other three, at Taunton, Exeter and recently Paignton, all included the magazine and book chappie or chappies.

[soony]

A. Oakes of Langley Green, Oldbury, New , secondhand and lots of interesting treasures..Always ask if not on view , there's lot more 'out the back'

[ianmacc]

Thanks for the recommendations but I was interested in people’s bucket lists for whatever reasons they have developed.

 

There are other threads on this forum for recommendations. These aren’t the same thing. They form part of someone’s desire to visit a shop but this is about the list not looking to add to it.

 

Please keep on topic

Edited September 2, 2018 by ianmacc

[gc4946]

It'll be interesting to call into Kernow Model Rail Centre one day somehow ... it's a long way from Yorkshire; the last time I was in Cornwall was ten years ago and I never got anywhere near to Camborne.

OK I've ordered the occasional item online and bought stuff from their stand at the Doncaster show, but visiting their shop would be another experience!

[Stubby47]

In no particular order:

 

Lord & Butler

TMC

Titfield Thunderbolt

Rhuddlan Models

Gaugemaster

Trains4U

ModelU

[F-UnitMad]

As OP you are certainly entitled to post that reminder. Perhaps what you are finding is that, in the Internet age, the most remote shop is often only a few clicks away, even for those of us overseas, and thus walking through this or that door matters less than might have been the case a few decades back.

Exactly. There are some Model Shops in the USA that would be on my Bucket List, but the Internet brings them to me. The main reason to visit them physically would be to try and avoid the high shipping costs and VAT added (& don't start me on Royal Mail's 'helpful' surcharge!!) involved in ordering from the UK, but the cost of the air fares - to physically get to the USA, & then get to the various States these shops are in - sort of outweighs those reasons by some margin!!

On the other hand, I really would like to visit at least one of the O Scale Conventions that are held over there, as there is obviously no Internet sales option for them, and to be able to browse the stalls in person would be very nice, and see stuff that isn't so easy to find via Internet searches - all the little bits'n'pieces, detail parts, etc.

 

 

Please keep on topic

On RMweb!! You're kidding, right??

[sharris]

I don't have a shop bucket list - most things I want I either have to get at shows or by mail.

 

I have a 'time machine shop list' of places that have been influential to me that I'd revisit if I had a time machine - necessary as none of them still exist, but that might be too off-topic for this thread.

[ianmacc]

I don't have a shop bucket list - most things I want I either have to get at shows or by mail.

 

I have a 'time machine shop list' of places that have been influential to me that I'd revisit if I had a time machine - necessary as none of them still exist, but that might be too off-topic for this thread.

That would be a nice thread in its own right as I can think of a few