Hobby Shops - Danbury, CT area

I live in Danbury CT and I have been to Westchester trains in White Plains and I also visited Railworks in Danbury, does anybody know of other retail stores that sell trains and accessories. Im trying to start a railroad very soon and im wondering where there the good prices are and who has quality items.

Stay away from Westchester Trains, they have nothing to interest model railroaders, strictly a Lionel shop. Railworks in Danbury is not a bad shop. The only other train shop in your area is Ann's Hobbies in Cos Cob, Ct. Her selection is small, but she carries all the needed supplies and tools, as well as kits and more. Also a hefty supply of BOOKS and MAGAZINES. Another option is Hudson Shores in Blauvelt, NY, probably the best stocked HO and N hobby shop in the area, and also a good selection of books and magazines, also very helpful folks. It's worth the trip. Support Bob!

Ann's Hobby Center
405 E Putnam Ave
Cos Cob, CT 06807
(203) 869-0969‎


Hudson Shores Model Trains
547 Western Hwy
Blauvelt, NY 10913
(845) 398-2407‎
http://www.hudsonshorestrains.com/index2.ivnu

Im not really fond with going to greenwich, i think i would rather drive the hour to Hudson Shores instead thank for the stores

If you are not afraid of a little drive, then I'd suggest Dutchess Train & Hobby in Red Oaks Mills (outside Poughkeepsie, NY)...probaby a 30-45 minute ride for you. The shop is well stocked with HO, N and Lionel/MTH, as well as with books and scenicking materials. Prices are about average, with regular customers getting a further discount. The shop is run by an HO model railroader.

CNJ999

the danbury hatter wrote:Im not really fond with going to greenwich

Good, because Ann's isn't in Greenwich, it's in Cos Cob (easy to get to from 95 w/o going through downtown Greenwich). Both stores are equally worthy of your business, and I think you wont be disappointed.

CNJ999 wrote:If you are not afraid of a little drive, then I'd suggest Dutchess Train & Hobby in Red Oaks Mills (outside Poughkeepsie, NY)...probaby a 30-45 minute ride for you.

I forgot about Dutchess Train & Hobby, thanks for the reminder.

As long as we're going to all four points of the compass, let's talk about Berkshire Hills Hobby Supply in Cannan, CT- another excellent store with knowledgeable people. It's also right by Cannan Union Station, and you might even catch some Housatonic freight if you're there at the right time. I also suggest lunch at the Collins Diner.

Berkshire Hills Hobby Supply
93 Main St
Canaan, CT 06018

Otto Vondrak wrote:

the danbury hatter wrote:Im not really fond with going to greenwich

Good, because Ann's isn't in Greenwich, it's in Cos Cob (easy to get to from 95 w/o going through downtown Greenwich). Both stores are equally worthy of your business, and I think you wont be disappointed.

Well technically Cos Cob Riverside and Old Greenwich are all sections of Greenwich, same with Byram, they are all neighborhoods in the town, none of the sections have there own government

Otto Vondrak wrote:Stay away from Westchester Trains, they have nothing to interest model railroaders, strictly a Lionel shop.

Whoa, there Otto buddy ! Lionel (or "O") can't be "model railroad" ? Oh ! The pain ! That sword cut deep ! Seriously though, the detail, scale, and assortment with which companies like Lionel, MTH, etc. have been putting out over the last 15 years or so, very much qualifies them for "top shelf" hierarchy in the model railroad world. I swear by "O" and wouldn't touch "HO". Having said that, I recognize that there is very nice stuff in HO also and say "Go at it !" to all HO enthusiasts. We're not that big a group that we can get snobby about gauge ! Otto -Otto -Otto - I thought that you were a suave' bolla in the world of model railroading ! I'm shocked !

Let me be clear. Westchester Trains in nothing more than a place where they want to sell you $1000 Lionel sets and be done with you. If they have any scale model railroading stuff there, it's purely by accident and way overpriced. And yes, sorry, Lionel trains are indeed toy trains. Which is why they have a separate forum from Scale Model Railroading. Nothing wrong with them, I enjoy them and collect them as well. I'm not here to start a "scale war."

I heartily disagree there, Otto. Lionel may be a toy train, depending how much cashola you lay out. It can also be a marvelously detailed scale representation of railway equipment. Same with MTH. Additionally, with "O", you get more realistic movement and appearance, all around. Visuals are larger and thus more vivid. Equipment can be easier to work on and model. They sound better. They smell better. They look better. They're more rugged. What did celebrities like Frank Sinatra, Tom Snyder, Mandy Patinkin, with unlimited resources, use for their layouts ? Lionel.
Here is one of Lionel's "toys":

http://www.grahamstrains.com/store/files/d_502.jpg

>shrug< The topic is "hobby shops in the Danbury area" not the merits of Lionel. Nothing wrong with enjoying Lionel, as I said above. I was merely pointing out that Westchester Trains in White Plains does not cater to the scale model railroader and folks should look elsewhere.

-otto-

Is Westchester Trains the old Westchester Hobby Shop on Post Road?

Red Oaks Mills; I probably have a better chance of passing through there than Cos Cob. Where exactly is it? Route 55?

D/

I googled "Dutchess Train & Hobby" and got:

http://www.dutchesstrain.com/

Dutchess Train & Hobby
43 Vassar RD.
Poughkeepsie, NY 12603
(845) 463-3417

Dieter wrote:Is Westchester Trains the old Westchester Hobby Shop on Post Road?

NO- that place was actually halfway decent. Westchester Trains is in the "White Plans Mall," you know, wedged in between the DMV and the welfare office.

I avoided that mall in White Plains since the FIRST shooting there, is Westchester Hobby still down the street from the Roger Smith Hotel? I don't think the RSH is even there anymore! They still exist (http://rogersmith.com) A Roger Smith Hotel neon would be nice on a layout, they used to be a chain of hotels in east coast cities, lo I digress... On foot in White Plains, it used to be a landmark in most directions; "Pass the Roger Smith Hotel, go down the hill on the right, just past County Optical is the Hobby Shop, YOU CAN'T MISS IT." They used to have EVERYTHING including those small Viking brand ocean liners.

I miss the place in Wappingers Falls that closed, I understand they only do mail order now of laser kits. That place had an OUTSTANDING inventory of Faller kits from the 60's, THIRTY YEARS LATER. I think I'm off to Blauvelt.

D/