Got my Father-in-Law into G-Scale

[curtis]

My FIL had a Lionel Trainset as a kid and definitely has a soft-spot for trains. He's been asking me about my G-Scale stuff for a while and this Christmas we all went to the Botanical Gardens Train Show in NYC. I think that put him over the edge.

We found a store about an hour away and went on a driver. The store was Charles Ro (Massachusetts) who are also the producer of USA Trains.

The store was huge with a large selection of G-Scale and O-Scale stuff.


He bought a few boxcars, an oval of track and a point (turnout, I guess, as we're currently in the USA). All USA Trains stuff and I was impressed with the quality.


He enjoyed it so much that we returned to the store on boxing day to expand the collection...

 

[dunnyrail]

Assuming those last couple of pics were taken in a basement I can see boards being laid to accommodate the Trains. November Model Railroader has a superb Basement G Scale Layout, if you can find a copy would make a great ‘give him ideas’ boost.

 

[lgbmad]

Wow a decent model shop.....those are a dying breed in the UK. When I was younger there would be a decent model shops in most towns.....not now.
Kev

 

[Rhinochugger]

Wow a decent model shop.....those are a dying breed in the UK. When I was younger there would be a decent model shops in most towns.....not now.
Kev

I could spend some time in there ..................... and money

 

[dunnyrail]

Wow a decent model shop.....those are a dying breed in the UK. When I was younger there would be a decent model shops in most towns.....not now.
Kev

To be honest few Model Railway Shops in the UK have even got near to some of the biggies in the US. Caboose, much lamented in Denver was an absolute monster pretty well the size of what we laughingly call a super store in UK. The largest I have seen in UK is Train4u on an industrial estate at Peterborough and that pales into insignificance compared to Caboose.

 

[JohnSol]

Regarding hobby shops in the U.S.;
Here on the Washington / Idaho border, near the Universities of Idaho and Washington State, I rarely see model train enthusiasts at my local hobby supply. When I do see people buying building materials closely associated with our hobby, it turns out that they're building models for "Roll Playing" games. North of me in Spokane, Washington, there is a dedicated model railroad supply and several clubs.

On The Plus Side;
A couple months ago, there was a Model Railroad Exhibit and Swap Meet at the Spokane Fairgrounds. To my surprise, it was very well attended.

 

[Fred2179G]

Wow a decent model shop.....those are a dying breed in the UK. When I was younger there would be a decent model shops in most towns.....not now.
Kev

My daughter lives 30 mins from Charles Ro, so I make a pilgrimage there most trips to visit her. And yes, money is involved. . .

 

[PhilP]

My daughter lives 30 mins from Charles Ro, so I make a pilgrimage there most trips to visit her. And yes, money is involved. . .

I would love to go-visit..

But it would involve having a passport, and leaving This Sceptred Isle.
Both of which, I am unlikely to ever do..

 

[duncana]

PhilP, think of the stash that you could bring back as luggage rather than paying postsage....and waiting!

 

[PhilP]

PhilP, think of the stash that you could bring back as luggage rather than paying postsage....and waiting!

The postage is a pain..

BUT...............
The various charges on 'import' (and the charge for 'handling' the transaction) are the killers.

I even had some items I had sold (which came back to me for repair) where 'import duties' were charged.. It took a-g-e-s to get that money back!

 

[Brixham]

I once had the chance to visit Charles Ro.....on a day trip to Boston by air from DC with only hand luggage.
My eyes were bigger than my ruck sack.....so all I could buy was spares.....and then I had to be careful as they were going back as hand luggage on a plane.
One day I'll go back..properly equipped to carry stuff home.

Malcolm

 

[phils2um]

My Charles Ro story is from about 30+ years ago, before the age of Google Maps and everyone having cell phones. I was in Cambridge, Mass for a conference and stayed the weekend, On Saturday I tried to find the store. I must have spent well over and hour driving up and down Cross St. looking for No. 662 before I finally gave up. The address didn't seem to exist! When I got back to the hotel I had to phone the store to find where they were actually located. If you Google Charles Ro and look at the map you'll see where my confusion stemmed from! The little piece of "Cross St." they're located on was not identified on the map I had at the time or the current Google map for that matter. And, if you look, it does not come close to connecting with the main length of Cross Street. I did eventually get to the store. If my memory is not failing me I bought my LGB 2146, HGe 2/2 Schöllenenbahn rack loco and matching 3264 passenger wagon there.

Note to Rhino and Jimmy: Not just LGB model numbers this time!

 

[Brixham]

I had arrived at New Malden station with a Boston MBTA 1 day travel pass..and then looked for clues how to get to Charles Ro.....
I must have looked a train type, as some fella said 'yoos lookin to get to Chas Ro? Folla me...'
We took a bus a few blocks...and then turned down a street.....there it was....

Malcolm

 

[Sean.]

Charles RO's store is 10 minutes away from my works main office. I try not to go in as I always get into trouble with ...were did that come from ... In January 25,26th we have a huge train show in West Springfield Mass. Located on the Big "E" fair grounds and they are there with great prices as well .. some times they have thing that you do not see in the store ( basement storage ) like faded shells bargain priced things.. fun time for sure : Amherst Railway Society

 

[Gavin Sowry]

My enduring memory of US hobby stores....... Lionel ! It seemed to be everywhere, I even got the perception that H0 was a minority scale.
Yet to visit the new Caboose in Denver, but the old place was fantastic (and wallet draining), and there is/was a Wendys across the street where I learned (the hard way) never to upsize an American meal... the drink alone was 40 oz (that's over a litre in today's speak). Good thing about that place (Wendys, that is) was that there was always some train type person (often staff from Caboose) to speak to.
Oh, and so as not to get in trouble, I took SWMBO to Caboose with me every time.

 

[Gavin Sowry]

PhilP, think of the stash that you could bring back as luggage rather than paying postsage....and waiting!

How come, I can walk into a Walmart, and instinctively find the Jeep brand luggage.......

 

[Sean.]

How come, I can walk into a Walmart, and instinctively find the Jeep brand luggage.......

That's because you shop in the clearance section .

 

[Gavin Sowry]

That's because you shop in the clearance section .

My biggest problem with Walmart, is trying to remember which door was the one near where I parked the car. Second problem, once I've found the car, is combatting all those clowns that drive on the wrong side of the road.