Bizarre places you bought model railway equipment

[ianmacc]

A random topic that occurred to me this morning.

 

Have you ever picked up model railway stuff at unusual locations by chance? Obvious ones would be car boot sales and charity shops (both very unusual themselves these days)

[RANGERS]

Have managed some bargains at both of these. Some Hornby Mk3s from a car boot, new type ones, boxed and as good as new for £4 each I think it was. A local charity shop had a box full of Westward bus kits, mostly the more commonly available types but included a few of the rarer ones for a fiver each. I only bought three but I did wonder if they managed to move the dozen or so that were left.

[tomparryharry]

Very much off-topic, but Mrs Smith commanded me "Take the metal filing cabinet to the skips"... I returned with oxy-acetylene cutting gear, a welder, and a big box of spanners. An old gent was disposing of his garage equipment, so naturally, I had to help him out.

 

Mrs Smith was soooo pleased....

 

Happy Friday, everyone!

 

Ian.

[Ian Morgan]

Back in the 1970's, my family moved to Farnborough, Hampshire. At that time, the options available for purchasing modelling materials were:

• a wool shop in Camberley
• A launderette in Farnborough (which eventually morphed into a model aircraft shop)
• a tobacconist in North Camp (which eventually morphed into Cove Models)

Each had a small counter in a corner of their shops selling modelling stuff. The shop next door to the tobacconist sold engineering supplies, and was a useful source of small tools and very small drills.

[great central]

Not me but a friend picked up a mostly complete set of the Hachette O gauge A3 issues for £2.50!!!! Car boot sale near packing up time and seller didn't want to take it home

[Oldddudders]

Bernie Victor’s original 1960s shop in Chapel Market, Islington, was hardly mainstream. You entered through a record shop where loud Caribbean music was blaring, reflecting the market clientele. Behind was a small room with implausible numbers of scarce models from overseas manufacturers.

 

And, at the risk of unintentional insult, my recent purchase of a Next 18 decoder at the West Somerset Railway was a bit of a nice surprise!

[Steamport Southport]

I remember in about 1981 going to a sports shop in Huyton (on the outskirts of Liverpool) to buy sports clothing for school and finding a cabinet at the back full of very reasonably priced Hornby. That was a total surprise as it was more a place you bought a cheap pair of trainers rather than trains.

 

ISTR that I came back with an LBSC E2 and a Class 47.

 

Went back a few months later and there was nothing in there.

 

 

 

 

Jason

[Fat Controller]

There's a tea-shop in Hythe (Kent) that often has model railway and die-cast items on a couple of shelves in the window..

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

Parish church coffee morning somewhere on the border between Somerset and Dorset about ten years past. The widow of the late owner was actually present and sold me the last remaining item, a Bachmann Pannier in BR black that 'nobody wants'. (His name was Harry, and he was interested in the areas of Bristol where the GW and Midland intersected, I think the location was 'Hotwell' if that makes sense. The reason I remember this is that I punned on 'Harry Hotspur', which his widow laughed at.)

 

... Obvious ones would be car boot sales and charity shops (both very unusual themselves these days)

 Where is this paradise of which you write? On our high street if you enter a shop at random it will either be a coffee or charity outlet. (In fairness a small proportion of both are very enjoyable places to call in.)

[melmerby]

A. Oakes in Oldbury must be the classic as it is a school uniform shop that sells model railways.(and not just junk either)

Even takes a stand at Warley

 

https://goo.gl/maps/oxw1dowMBZo

 

Keith

Edited August 31, 2018 by melmerby

[Fat Controller]

Parish church coffee morning somewhere on the border between Somerset and Dorset about ten years past. The widow of the late owner was actually present and sold me the last remaining item, a Bachmann Pannier in BR black that 'nobody wants'. (His name was Harry, and he was interested in the areas of Bristol where the GW and Midland intersected, I think the location was 'Hotwell' if that makes sense. The reason I remember this is that I punned on 'Harry Hotspur', which his widow laughed at.)

 

 Where is this paradise of which you write? On our high street if you enter a shop at random it will either be a coffee or charity outlet. (In fairness a small proportion of both are very enjoyable places to call in.)

'Hotwells' is at the seaward end of Bristol Docks: in my student days, back in the 1970s, it had a few biker cafes, and was a bit rough. probably gone up-market now.

[Joseph_Pestell]

'Hotwells' is at the seaward end of Bristol Docks: in my student days, back in the 1970s, it had a few biker cafes, and was a bit rough. probably gone up-market now.

 

In the late 70s, it also had one of Bristol's best real ale pubs, The Prince of Wales' Feathers.

[rob D2]

Not so much strange places, but it’s always exciting to find models in places you least expect .

[Graham456]

Well I don't consider it a strange place but on going to Railwells this year I parked in the show car park at the other end of the moat, only to find a small car boot going on, now by the time I got there the show had been open a hour so a lot of attendees would have passed one stall where the chap was haveing a clear out

A dozen Unboxed Bachman tank wagons £1

Half dozen Boxed Bachman wagons £2 inc bogie bolster,

One lone mark 1 coach £4

Bachman SDJR jinty £20

Bachman pannier set complete £25

Scaledale type buildings between £2 and £5 each

 

Two return trips to the car later the table was nearly empty !

 

BUT HOW COME HALF THE SHOW HAD WALKED BY FROM THE CAR PARK WITH OUT HIM SELLING ANYTHING

IS THE STRANGE THING

Edited September 5, 2018 by Graham456

[E3109]

I've seen Hornby mk3s (VT livery) in charity shop windows for upwards of £15, on the other hand a mate picked up a Heljan 47 for less than that from the RSPCA!

 

He must be luckier than me. I do visit charity shops quite regularly but never had a bargain like that.

[Phil Parker]

Tarantula show - https://philsworkbench.blogspot.com/2018/06/i-can-find-modelling-tools-anywhere.html

 

Do I win a prize? :-)

[Oldddudders]

Tarantula show - https://philsworkbench.blogspot.com/2018/06/i-can-find-modelling-tools-anywhere.html

 

Do I win a prize? :-)

 

Yes. Your prize is to write a column called Practical BRM. 

[steve1]

A tourist tat shop in Duncan, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, where I found some Bachmann freight cars and came away with a flat car loaded with demountable (water) tanks,

 

The chap who owned the place turned out to be from the same part of Scotland as Mrs steve1 too.

 

steve

[ba14eagle]

Junior World in Hook was a shop selling baby & infant stuff, but in the back of the shop was a large quantity of model railway items - they used to advertise in Railway Modeller, so it wasnt a complete surprise.

In the late 80' / early 1990, there was a hardware store in Bargates, Christchurch, that used to have the odd secondhand item in the window for sale.

My Father and I were looking for Langley Miniature Models store in Langley Green, Crawley, not realising it was nearer Three Bridges. When we popped into a newsagents store (looking for directions) in the counter they had some N gauge rolling stock - which was quickly snapped up!

Edited September 5, 2018 by ba14eagle

[birdseyecircus]

Bourton on water in the Cotswolds. Was not expecting a large model shop here .

 

Paul

[Welchester]

A. Oakes in Oldbury must be the classic as it is a school uniform shop that sells model railways.(and not just junk either)

Even takes a stand at Warley

 

https://goo.gl/maps/oxw1dowMBZo

 

Keith

Bizarrely, they also sell outfits for undertakers.

Edited September 5, 2018 by Bishop of Welchester

[Killybegs]

I'm still using various gauges of soft copper wire that I bought in a hardware store in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. I think there will still be a lot left when I have gone!

[Downendian]

Lima class 40 3-4 years ago, Tavistock pannier market. £20. Looks unused.

Neil

[newbryford]

Not so much strange places, but it’s always exciting to find models in places you least expect .

 

This was in the lobby of the Belmond Sanctuary Lodge at Machu Picchu, Peru

 

 

Not for sale though..............

 

Cheers,

Mick

[big jim]

Best Car boot bargain I had was a Hornby TTS 97301 for £40, also cash converters in crewe a few years back had a ‘Hornby coach’ for £10 which was actually a DCC fitted Hornby class 153 in east mids trains livery

 

When we first moved to crewe we had a drive round the local area and spotted somewhere called Dagfields craft centre, we had a look at the various ‘tat barns’ and when we went into the arcade shop area found trident trains which is now under the management for Richard and now my model shop of choice, (the shop is actually featured in the current Bachmann collectors mag)