Model shops in Paris?

[peteskitchen]

 Asking for a friend....does anybody know of a well stocked model shops in Paris that are easily accessible by public transport? (He's after Portuguese and German models, not British outline). Google searching for model shops brings up lots of shops that don't seem to stock model railways, or if they do, it's not their primary stock. 

 Thanks

[JohnDMJ]

Transmondia, Rue de Douai, metro Blanche

Au Pulman, Rue d'Amsterdam, 5 mins walk from Transmondia.

Citerne, Boulevard de Temple, Metro Filles du Calvaire or Republic

Le Train Bleu, 276 Rue de Charenton, 75012 Paris, France, Metro Dugaumier

[GoingUnderground]

2 hours ago, JohnDMJ said:

Transmondia, Rue de Douai, metro Blanche

Au Pulman, Rue d'Amsterdam, 5 mins walk from Transmondia.

Citerne, Boulevard de Temple, Metro Filles du Calvaire or Republic

Le Train Bleu, 276 Rue de Charenton, 75012 Paris, France, Metro Dugaumier

I haven't been to them for several years now, but I have been to both Transmondia and Le Train Bleu, and they were very good. IIRC there were a couple of other shops very close to Transmondia which seemed to specialise in secondhand items.

 

Au Pullman and Citerne are new to me and if I do go back to Paris I'll try to visit them.

 

When looking for model shops outside the UK, try searching in the local language. Using Microsoft Bing (I don't use Google) and "magasins trains miniatures paris" for my search I found this website https://letraindejules.fr/fr_fr/paris-magasins-trains-miniatures/ which lists several retailers in Paris, or try "modélisme ferroviaire paris" which seems to find a few more.

 

I don't know how familiar you and your friend are with the Continental modelling scene, but it is worth remembering that in H0, 3 rail AC is very common as that is still the system used by Maerklin today, and Maerklin are the market leaders in many countries and big players in others. Hence most, if not all, of the other manufacturers have both 2 rail DC and 3 rail AC versions of their models. Maerklin 3 rail AC locos are very difficult to convert to 2 rail DC. If your friend sees a loco that he wants but it is a Maerklin one, the same loco may be available in the Trix range as Maerklin have owned Trix since 1997 and sell the 2 rail DC versions of their locos under the Trix brand.

 

Also the digital scene is a bit different as well. Maerklin have their own digital systems one called MM which was superseded by their current one called mfx. MM and mfx decoders are not compatible with DCC. Maerklin have added DCC compatibility to their newer mfx decoders, but they are incompatible with Railcom.

 

IF your friend is looking for TT or N gauge models, the old Trix digital protocol Selectrix is still used in these gauges although I believe that the modern Selectrix decoders are DCC compatible. 

 

And, in my experience, which I'll admit is now some years out of date, you'll find that in Continental model shops British outline and British makes are notable by their total absence other than some Hornby and Peco track, which is H0 anyway. Our OO gauge and total lack of cross-Channel trains other than Eurostar makes us too irrelevant to Continental modellers. But you might find the odd secondhand Hornby tinplate 0 gauge item or some Class 66 models in H0 as they are used in the rest of Europe, along with a version of the "66" called a "Class 77" (nothing to do the Woodhead Class 77 EM2s) which I think has an air conditioned cab, I believe that the air conditioning unit puts it out of gauge for use in the UK.

Edited June 8, 2021 by GoingUnderground
Added info.

[peteskitchen]

Thanks so much for that, information passed on! 

 Cheers 

 Pete. 

[Philou]

As an add-on, Au Pullman is a short walk from Gare St Lazare metro (several lines pass there) and they do do Trix locos. Saw a very nice Swiss triple articulated electric loco at an eyewatering €800+ .... fortunately for me, common sense prevailed ....... particularly as I do GWR.

 

There is also La Boutique de la Vie de Rail in the Rue de Clichy parallel to Rue d'Amsterdam. I know its not the question asked, but at one time, La Citerne did have a small amount of Hornby UK stock.

 

Cheers,

 

Philip

[JohnDMJ]

39 minutes ago, Philou said:

There is also La Boutique de la Vie de Rail in the Rue de Clichy parallel to Rue d'Amsterdam. I know its not the question asked, but at one time, La Citerne did have a small amount of Hornby UK stock.

 

Was La Vie du Rail not at 11 Rue de Milan off of Rue d'Amsterdam?

[GoingUnderground]

1 hour ago, JohnDMJ said:

 

Was La Vie du Rail not at 11 Rue de Milan off of Rue d'Amsterdam?

According to the La Vie du Rail website https://www.boutiquedelaviedurail.com/ its current address is:

29 rue de Clichy

75009 Paris

Telephone: 01 49 70 12 16

 

That does assume that the website is up to date. Also, looking at the website, it seems to specialise in books etc, not models.

 

The address for Citerne (search for "Maurice-Victor Citerne") looks to be correct, but apparently it doesn't have a website. The french website "Mappy" kerbside view shows a shop apparently with models in the window. https://fr.mappy.com/poi/4d6c4d33fc69250785c20ed7 It's open Tuesday - Saturday 9:30-12:30, closes for lunch and reopens 14:15-19:00.

[GoingUnderground]

If your friend is after German outline models he should have no problem finding them in Paris, but Portugese ones may be a bit too specialised for model shops outside Portugal.

 

Portugal doesn't use standard gauge but Iberian gauge 5' 5 21/32", and the Spanish standard gauge high speed lines don't yet reach into Portugal. So the only cross border running of CP (Comboios de Portugal) rolling stock will be into Spain, and possibly across the Spanish/French border to Hendaye in SW France as the track between Irun and Hendaye is dual gauge. We did come back by train from Lisbon once and the overnight sleeper from Lisbon did terminate at Hendaye, but that was some years ago. As I recall, there was one EWS liveried Class 66 in the yard at Hendaye, much to my surprise.

[Andy Hayter]

Commercial CP models - like commercial RENFE models - are made to run on 16.5mm track.   I do however agree that the chances of finding something are rather small, although of the few models I have seen, they seem to be re-liveried SNCF models.  

[GoingUnderground]

14 hours ago, Andy Hayter said:

Commercial CP models - like commercial RENFE models - are made to run on 16.5mm track.   I do however agree that the chances of finding something are rather small, although of the few models I have seen, they seem to be re-liveried SNCF models.  

Same as the models in either 3.5mm or 4mm of Irish CIE/NIR rolling stock. Irish track gauge is 5' 3", but the models run on standard H0 (OO) track.

[Barry Ten]

Au Pullman is good and friendly, and from what I remember they have a variety of non-French stock. I haven't been back there for a few years, though.