Best Shops for In Stock N Gauge Models

[Rhys Underwood]

Hi all, looking for a bit of advice.

 

I’m planning a N gauge layout and I was wondering which shops are the best for buying locos and stock? I'd rather buy items in stock than have them ordered in.

If anyone can advise the best shops in terms of stock it would be much appreciated.

[Stueyboy43]

Last time I was at Caistor Loco in Lincolnshire they had a large stock of locos, rolling stock and accessories, including many items sold out at Bachmann. John Dutfield in Chelmsford also has plenty of rolling stock. I am sure there are many others, focus on shops without websites to increase chances of finding particular items is my advice

[Adam1701D]

Trains 4U in Peterborough has a great stock including Farish, Dapol, Revolution and PECO, along with lots of accessories and secondhand.

[woodenhead]

Rails, Model Railways Direct, Cheltenham Model Railways & Kernow have reasonable stocks, but as mentioned above being internet facing they also sell stuff quickly.  Arcadia in Shaw generally had good stocks of N gauge, but he is quite busy and last time I was there, the N stock levels were a lot lower than in the past though I did pick up a class 40 sold out elsewhere.

 

It depends what you are looking for and how far you want to travel for those shops without a real internet presence to find those items gone elsewhere.  Have you looked at Lord and Butler in Cardiff, the website doesn't show much N gauge so I don't know whether that's everything or they have more in store (secondhand).

[Kris]

If you are prepared to ring or visit East Somerset Models can be a good option. As they don't list what they have on the net they sometimes have items that have sold out elsewhere. 

https://www.esmodels.co.uk

 

[njee20]

The problem you’ll face is that most retailers just won’t really have that much in the way of stock because of the batch production nature of manufacturing. 
 

So if you’re expecting to walk into any shop and get entire rakes of coaches (for example) then you’ll be sorely disappointed. What sort of thing are you after?
 

[woodenhead]

I once found a Farish 25 online, sold out everywhere else, because it had been mislabelled by the shop and only a direct search on the internet would show it on the store.

 

When it took and the sale and delivered the item I was well chuffed.

 

But unless there is some dusty N gauge shelf in a offline model shop in some rural location then I think @njee20 is correct that expecting to find a whole pile of coaches or similar in one shop is unlikely.  Durham Trains of Stanley is the last place I think where there used to be large stocks of Farish Mk1s (a few years ago) and they've never been back at those levels.  Cheltenham Model Centre was another, but I think their N gauge levels suffered through theft at a couple of shows.

[Philou]

@Rhys Underwood I think you may receive some information from Lord and Butler very soon.

 

Cheers,

 

Philip

[D9020 Nimbus]

Nobody seems to have mentioned Plus Daughters, based in Essex. An N gauge specialist, never bought online from them but have often found lots of interest on their trade stand at shows.

[woodenhead]

@D9020 Nimbus You weren't meant to mention them! 

 

They have stuff in stock.😁

Edited April 25, 2022 by woodenhead