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Any surviving local hobby shops, SW MI?

Posted: Fri Jan 26, 2018 7:48 am
by TSS
I’m in the St. Joseph area and am wondering what local options are available to buy model train stuff, N scale in particular. It’s been a few years, but I think I’m going to get back into model railroading. While I plot and plan and figure out serious layout stuff, I’d like to get a circle of track so I can at least watch the trains go round and round. And I’d like to do it this weekend, without waiting for eBay. Thanks!

Re: Any surviving local hobby shops, SW MI?

Posted: Fri Jan 26, 2018 8:31 pm
by NS3322
Is Bob's Hobby Shop in Watervliet still open?

Re: Any surviving local hobby shops, SW MI?

Posted: Fri Jan 26, 2018 9:03 pm
by TSS
NS3322 wrote:Is Bob's Hobby Shop in Watervliet still open?
I don’t know. I guess I’ll have to call or try going there. Website is inconclusive—it indicates they may or may not be open in the face of multiple legal disputes. They advertised an auction on the radio a few months ago but it seemed like mostly toy trains and odds and ends so I didn’t go.

Re: Any surviving local hobby shops, SW MI?

Posted: Sat Jan 27, 2018 10:42 am
by GreatLakesRailfan
If you're not against crossing the border, NYC Trains in Mishawaka might be worth a visit. I haven't had an opportunity to stop in for a few years, but they did have stuff for all of the major scales, and could order anything they didn't have in the store. There used to be another hobby shop in downtown Mishawaka, right next to the NS line, in the same building as the St. Joseph model RR club, but I don't know if either organization is still in that building or not anymore.

Re: Any surviving local hobby shops, SW MI?

Posted: Sat Jan 27, 2018 10:45 am
by DaveO
TSS wrote:
NS3322 wrote:Is Bob's Hobby Shop in Watervliet still open?
I don’t know. I guess I’ll have to call or try going there. Website is inconclusive—it indicates they may or may not be open in the face of multiple legal disputes. They advertised an auction on the radio a few months ago but it seemed like mostly toy trains and odds and ends so I didn’t go.
Whoa, google indicates closed.
A quick web search and some facebook comments read and well... whoa :!:

Re: Any surviving local hobby shops, SW MI?

Posted: Wed Feb 14, 2018 9:27 pm
by Jochs
GreatLakesRailfan wrote:If you're not against crossing the border, NYC Trains in Mishawaka might be worth a visit. I haven't had an opportunity to stop in for a few years, but they did have stuff for all of the major scales, and could order anything they didn't have in the store. There used to be another hobby shop in downtown Mishawaka, right next to the NS line, in the same building as the St. Joseph model RR club, but I don't know if either organization is still in that building or not anymore.
Last I knew the St. Joseph Model RR club had to vacate their building.

And as for Bob's, the store is closed in downtown Watervliet, and supposedly there is a store open outside of Watervliet near the county line that I have yet to find.

J%W Trains & Tupperware at 6450 E. Becht Rd. in Coloma, MI is mostly LGB scale, and google says it is permanently closed. I haven't been there in over a year. Most of their recent sales were online sales.

Re: Any surviving local hobby shops, SW MI?

Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2018 7:42 pm
by NS3322
Is Hobby Recycling in Wyoming any good?

Re: Any surviving local hobby shops, SW MI?

Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2018 8:00 pm
by Saturnalia
NS3322 wrote:Is Hobby Recycling in Wyoming any good?
It's always worth a visit to see what they've got. Depending on what you're after, stuff is generally priced somewhere between train show and MSRP

Re: Any surviving local hobby shops, SW MI?

Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2018 6:39 am
by GreatLakesRailfan
NS3322 wrote:Is Hobby Recycling in Wyoming any good?
It's one of the primary reasons I travel to Grand Rapids currently. But- they're primarily a pre-owned dealer, and what they have in stock is limited to what they take in. That being said, if you're looking for an easy avenue to thin down a collection, especially as part of transitioning eras or scales, they're a great place to start. A couple years ago I decided to get rid of a bunch of stuff I didn't want anymore and made a trip over. I came back with stuff I actually wanted to run, and spent more $$ on top of what he'd offered in trade for the stuff I didn't want. If you have time to stop by their shop, it's well worth the time to do so, IMHO.

Re: Any surviving local hobby shops, SW MI?

Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2018 8:11 pm
by NS3322
Thanks, I will definitely stop by HR! How is Rider's Hobby Shop?

Re: Any surviving local hobby shops, SW MI?

Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2018 8:22 pm
by Saturnalia
NS3322 wrote:Thanks, I will definitely stop by HR! How is Rider's Hobby Shop?
Rider's has a great selection across the hobby spectrum and great people there to help you out. Expect to pay around MSRP though.

Re: Any surviving local hobby shops, SW MI?

Posted: Tue Mar 06, 2018 9:22 am
by SD80MAC
The Grand Rapids area has 3 great hobby shops. Riders, Sidetraxx (technically in Grandville) and Hobby Recycling all stock lots of trains. Hobby World recently went out of business but they never had much of a train selection.

Re: Any surviving local hobby shops, SW MI?

Posted: Tue Mar 06, 2018 3:59 pm
by NS3322
SD80MAC wrote:The Grand Rapids area has 3 great hobby shops. Riders, Sidetraxx (technically in Grandville) and Hobby Recycling all stock lots of trains. Hobby World recently went out of business but they never had much of a train selection.
Does Sidetraxx carry O gauge trains?

Re: Any surviving local hobby shops, SW MI?

Posted: Tue Mar 06, 2018 4:53 pm
by SD80MAC
NS3322 wrote:
SD80MAC wrote:The Grand Rapids area has 3 great hobby shops. Riders, Sidetraxx (technically in Grandville) and Hobby Recycling all stock lots of trains. Hobby World recently went out of business but they never had much of a train selection.
Does Sidetraxx carry O gauge trains?
IIRC they do, but not as much as they have in HO.

Re: Any surviving local hobby shops, SW MI?

Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2018 9:02 pm
by NS3322
Jochs wrote:And as for Bob's, the store is closed in downtown Watervliet, and supposedly there is a store open outside of Watervliet near the county line that I have yet to find.
Where is the new store?

Re: Any surviving local hobby shops, SW MI?

Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2018 8:04 pm
by dave989
ANYONE know what happened to G&G Trains in Leslie?

Re: Any surviving local hobby shops, SW MI?

Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2018 1:19 am
by 12Bridge
Last I knew still there, specialize in N scale, with some HO deals passing through the store now and then.

Re: Any surviving local hobby shops, SW MI?

Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2018 10:19 am
by DaveO
12Bridge wrote:Last I knew still there, specialize in N scale, with some HO deals passing through the store now and then.
Closed as of March 14, inventory sold to Blue Rail Hobbies http://www.ggtrains.com/

Used to buy from them often. But as my compensation got cut by a third, model train buying wasn't a priority anymore.

Re: Any surviving local hobby shops, SW MI?

Posted: Thu Mar 22, 2018 3:28 am
by OwlCaboose2853
DaveO wrote:
12Bridge wrote:Last I knew still there, specialize in N scale, with some HO deals passing through the store now and then.
Closed as of March 14, inventory sold to Blue Rail Hobbies http://www.ggtrains.com/

Used to buy from them often. But as my compensation got cut by a third, model train buying wasn't a priority anymore.
Check out in BBB https://www.bbb.org/central-illinois/bu ... 1000000601

Re: Any surviving local hobby shops, SW MI?

Posted: Fri Sep 14, 2018 11:28 pm
by Jochs
Bob's is open in downtown Watervliet, under the name "B&E Racing." I stopped by there today. Not much model railroading stuff there. It was mostly RC cars and model airplanes. Everything is on sale. Bob was working there today. The only part of the store being used is the section on the north side of where the stairs go down, where the train display was. Not sure if he's retiring and trying to sell what he has or what. The section of the store that's open has visible signs of water damage and smells musty inside.