PC: Re: Hobby Shops

[Robert Holzweiss <robert.holzweiss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Walter B. Turner wrote:
<snip>
If you are fortunate to find a great hobby shop, be sure and patronize it.
A good shop learns its customers and their wants. If you model PC and
patronize a good hobby shop the owner knows what to do when he
sees a new PC release.
<snip>

     I would recommend Klein's Hobby Shop in Baltimore, MD.  They know
their trains and have virtually everything in stock, including quite an
assortment of PC.  (Bowser, Stewart, Proto 2000, Walthers, you name it)
The store is quite small but packed with model trains and accessories. 
You are literally surrounded by the inventory.  Plenty of PC - when new
releases are due, they will take reservations with a small down payment.
    The store also sells consistently below book value, at least 10%
usually more.  Example: I picked up Proto 2000 E-units (NYC cigar band
and PRR) for $29.99 ea.  They buy in bulk and many "unpopular" roads
are sold off cheap.  Of course B&O equipment is always more
expensive.
     I have been to many fine hobby shops in the NYC area, Houston, and
Dallas and no one can compete with the prices of Klein's.  Unfortunately,
they don't have a web page.
     If have found that the cheapest trains in a model train store are those
roads that are not "native" to the region in which the hobby store is
located.  In Houston I can get PC, B&O, NYC, and PRR for a discount
while in Baltimore UP, SP, BNSF, AT&SF are dirt cheap.  In fact, last time I
was there (December) the discount bin had quite a few Proto 2000 SW
locos from NP.  I picked one up and will use it as a starting point for
modeling a PC loco.  Does anyone else find this to be true?

Bob Holzweiss
"Robert.Holzweiss -AT- bush.nara.gov"