Anybody got a favorite O scale dealer?

My personal first choice is P&D Hobby Shop in the Detroit northeastern suburbs

I have repeatedly found them helpful and prompt and accurate on phone orders, and feel like a kid in a candy store on the rare occasions I get to the bricks & mortar store.

I also like DesPlaines Hobbies in the Chicago northwestern suburbs

, but have only dealt with them in person.

It is my experience that it is hard to find everything of interest to a

2-rail O scale modeler at one place. I strongly recommend that you subscribe to "O Scale News". They run a very complete section on what's new on the market, and are the best source of ads for the many smaller 2-rail suppliers whose products sometimes don't show up at hobby shops. More and more, I would also suggest frequently browsing "Classic Toy Trains" as so much of the 3-rail O now being produced is dead-on 1:48 scale and if not offered with a 2-rail option, the rolling stock can be made 2-rail with an easy change of trucks and couplers (and maybe a bolster modification). And then you should also look at HO for many scenery products easily used for an O layout, and the separate hobby of 1:45 (etc.) collectible vehicles. Gary Q

There are two dealers here in Silicon Valley about which I know:

The Train Shop in Santa Clara and San Antonio Hobbies (also carries three rail Lionel).

Both are good shops. The Trains Shop is model railroading only, San Antonio is a general purpose hobby and craft shop which has a good railroading section with some staff dedicated to that area.

Ed

in article snipped-for-privacy@adelphia.com, Geezer at snipped-for-privacy@adelphia.net wrote on 6/19/05 6:36 PM: