Small model train store with lots of scale model selections. Train value was antique and good service. Store hours could vary. read more

I had bought a BNSF SD 70 Ace for $100 and the dish lights going work as well. The headlight doesn't work as well either they're always load them even though I had it on full running power it still wouldn't go fast and today it doesn't work no more it stopped running and the horn is missing and it makes a loud screeching noise. Anytime it would run. I checked the wheels everything it doesn't work I spent $100 for this worthless piece of crap. I'd rather go to Ernie's train store and john told me that I couldn't come in and take my stuff back today because he's not there when there's another worker there that could easily just take it back Great service but not great quality trains.!!!! read more

The Train Crossing - Here's the picture of the SD70ace missing the horn - Toy Stores Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Nice guy knows his stuff and gives an honest offer. Recommended to call prior to heading over because his hours vary.

I had many great experiences here. I moved away about a year ago. The number one thing people complain about is the disarray of the shop. This guy has been in business over 60 years. He has a lot of PW train accessories and things piled up form customers that he uses and he is limited on room. The one thing people don't say is he doesn't try and rob you like the other few train shops around. The owner is super nice and does great work, so have some patience, he is the only guy in So Cal still repairing PW and modern trains. If you bring something in for repair in mid October do not expect a fast turn around, as everyone within 100 miles has dropped their. Trains for Christmas off for repair. A hundred is an understatement, people come from as far away as Las. Gas. I give him 5 stars for knowledge, kindness, and customer service. read more

We stopped by on Christmas Eve afternoon, just as they were opening. John greeted us and when he saw my grandson said,"let me get the display running so he can see it." John got the display train running and handed us the remote control so we could speed it up and slow it down, as well as ring the bell, blow the whistle, and have the engineer talk. My grandson was hooked. We were there to look for a transformer for my old Lionel trains from the 50's/60's. John showed us a couple of them and even pulled one out of a set that he had purchased from someone else. I asked him the price on that set and he gave us a great deal, so we walked out with a new set (video attached). We really enjoyed talking with John and looking around the shop. He was very personable, helpful, and very accommodating to my grandson and me. Thank you, John, and Merry Christmas!!! read more

We had a great experience here. I stopped by today with my son to look for a tender to accompany a locomotive he received for Christmas. I wasn't sure exactly what we would need, but Angel was incredibly helpful and kind. She helped us pick out one that my son liked, and when my son got interested in other cars, she sat with us to go through some options. Overall, the service and price were great. Although I did not know about this shop until today, I am sure we will be back, and I will be recommending The Train Crossing to others. read more

I wish I hadn't made the decision to stop at this creepy store. Yelp reports that this place is out of business but they are still open. I'd like to begin by saying that I don't usually leave bad reviews, but I did not feel safe in this store. Read on if you care to: Walking up to the store there is a sign in the window that says "use back entrance." This should have been our first clue. The sun had already set and we walked around the side of the building to find a long, dark alley. There were a few men hanging around and smoking near the door. I didn't realize until we (cautiously) got closer that (maybe) one of them worked there. Once inside, this store reeks like an ashtray, and it looks like a hoarder took over. Inventory is strewn about on the floors in certain areas making it hard to walk, and everything seems dusty. It is apparent that there once was a great layout, but whoever took over has run this place into the ground. The train display was not in running order, and was an eyesore in the midst of the rest of the chaos this place had to offer us. The counters are covered with client's trains that had been dropped off for repairs presumably years ago. Sticky notes can be found around the store in open view from customers who have stopped by to try to pick up their belongings multiple times to find the store closed, or that their items still hadn't been repaired despite waiting months. I've attached a photo of one of these notes that I found (name blurred for privacy). Even if you did decide to buy something here, your goods are probably going to be damaged. Boxes upon boxes are stacked against the walls and crushing each other and the contents inside. There were a few shelves that were better than others, but I wouldn't chance it. The woman working decided to go on her break while we were browsing, and told us she was locking the main entrance and to use the back again if we wanted to leave. We took that as our cue to leave. We walked out and didn't look back once we were in the alley. Thanks for reading if you got this far. Go find your train stuff somewhere else!!!! read more

The Train Crossing - Concerning note in open view - Toy Stores Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

This is my go to spot for affordable track and engines! The people are very helpful and are sweet. They have a bunch of retro items that you can't find any where else! They have items for all scales and I have a bad habit of spending to much here! It is so awesome and it is very easy to navigate to! They have amazing n scale cargo car options and I definetly recommend this place to any beginner train collector! read more

The Train Crossing - A Kato ACS-64 engine on the track 1 with an Amtrak amfleet passenger car with a tropical orange juice transport car attached to it. - Toy Stores Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Wow! The Train Crossing in Costa Mesa is truly a hidden gem of train shops. New and old train is their game. Overheard that they repair as well. While there I observed them buying trains as well; and was more than fair. I can't wait till I visit California again, they just about had all I needed. read more

Never open. How does this place stay in business? Terrible business. It's the closest shop to me, and has never been open (various times) out of 7 visits. read more

What a great store and the service is amazing, they have lots of selection of trains and accessories, it feels good to shop at The Train Crossing. read more

Run! Do not walk from this place.... Run! Mom n Pop stores like this are usually super cool. Very nostalgic old hobby shops run by a knowledgeable storekeeper trying to stave off internet sales by offering personal service unavailable online..... Well, it sounded good on paper... Then came John Amir. John took over this business from his late father and he seems to be running it into the ground. What started out as a great first visit has turned into flaming 1-star experience and me walking out...after 11 visits... with my still yet to be fixed train. My initial visit was on November 5 when I dropped off my 1940's model O engine for repair. John knew I wanted it back by Thanksgiving and he said he would do his best. He quoted me $50 and said, for an extra ten bucks, he would tune up my tender (coal car), as well. I came back the next day to drop off the 2nd car and he was an hour late opening at 11am. He says he got confused by the daylight savings time change. While waiting, two different customers were fuming that he didn't open on time and angrily left before John finally arrived. I dropped off my second car and awaited their completion. After that, the nightmare began. I, fortunately, was able to get my engine back on time for the holiday. It looked and worked great. John even gave me a loaner tender car to use at Thanksgiving. However, I had to make seven more trips to Costa Mesa to get my tender. Each visit there, he was either arguing with his coworker, Angel, or he was arguing with another client. One client was pissed that their train was lost, another got a lowball offer on an old train set, another tried to return an item without paperwork, another had to wait too long ...... and Angel kept complaining that she was being blamed for not making repairs properly. I have never seen so many angry customers. His phone has been disconnected for weeks (big dispute with the phone company?) so there is no way to contact him other than driving in. I never showed up unannounced, and always asked him when he thought it would be ready and I always showed up at the agreed upon time. Every time I showed up, he said there were problems and he needed more time. He never once called me to postpone. I would stand there and wait because he would always try to work on it while I was there. Recently, I showed up again and he started working on the repair when I got there. After waiting 20 minutes, he just walked out of the shop. Angel and I had no idea where he went. I left a note for him to call me when it was completed. A week later, I showed up to get my train...repaired or not. When I was told it was still not ready I told him to just give it to me unrepaired. He then started complaining about MY attitude and said how difficult I was to work with. Kept saying it was he that was doing me a favor. Such a jerk. Now I have to wait until after the holidays and find a new shop to have it properly repaired. I will never return and highly suggest you avoid this place like the plague. read more

AVOID THIS PLACE AT ALL COSTS. I wish I read reviews before coming to this place. I left my train at this store for a repair...but all of a sudden, this place no longer accepts any phone calls, their email doesn't work...and I've visited their store multiple times over the past two weeks and their store is always closed. I have no idea what happened to my train or if I'll ever be able to get it back. I feel like this place is a huge scam. This place might've been well run in the past but please, please, please avoid this place if you can. Zero stars if possible. I'm honestly considering reporting a theft from this establishment, as I earnestly wish to retrieve my train back but I can't. EDIT: After two weeks and six visits to the store, I was finally able to catch them while they were open. Fortunately, my train was still there and I was able to get it back. They told me they were "going through a lot" and apologized for not getting back to me...so I hope they are able to figure things out. To anyone else who had a bad experience with this store, I can at least verify that there was no malicious intent. But yeah, for the time being, I think this business still has a lot to improve on with their communication skills, and I hope the best for whatever personal circumstances they've been going through that has apparently affected their business the past few years. read more

My husband dropped off his Santa Fe train engine March 10, 2022. John said he would have it repaired the next day. It was not ready. We had to return to AZ and told John to fix it and ship to our home in AZ, he a credit card # and current address. 2 weeks later no train. Called and was told it would ship out Thursday the following week. It has now been 4 months and no sign of the train and no answer on the phone. I called Lionel and they were not able to get in touch with him either. I guess my train is lost forever I would have given a 0 but not a choice read more

Sorry, the Train Crossing is lost its life. If you're trying to call, don't bother no one answers, no one even shows up for work. I called the donut shop to see if it's open and I'm sure they're getting tired of that. Don't waste your gas money going because that's the disappointment, when he doesn't answer, you just kind of think we all go down there. Well, don't. It's really frustrating, but they'll be some story and I'm not gonna go into it but again there's plenty of other little businesses with trains. read more

Lots of Fun to Visit! I travel randomly around the US every other week, and came across this shop after checking Yelp...I collect HO scale trains so its fun to try and find a train store! Found a few things to add to the collection at home, And John was a great guy to visit with and talk trains..the prices paid were good..and would def stop back again next time in town! read more

The Train Crossing - Broadway Limited Imports HO Pennsylvania Railroad..with Paragon 3 and Rolling Thunder.. - Toy Stores Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

My brother-in-law has been wanting to come here and we finally made the trip today on his birthday. He was prepared to spend hundreds of dollars however contrary to what the sign said about the store hours the store was closed nobody there. So disappointed. Is it customary for you to just walk off the job anytime you feel like it? Are you ever there during store hours? Will be looking for a new train store. Ta! read more

This place is amazing! They have everything you need for any size model train. They are very helpful, courteous and professional. Prices are very reasonable and technical help is top rate. I will be coming back for sure read more

John Amir is phenomenal! A great speaker about Model Railroad Locomotive and knows how to help his customers with best of knowledge & information given for satisfaction in buying the desired product! Thanks John! read more

Come in from out of town. Waited for over an hour for them to open. Never did. Don't bother to call it goes straight to a full voice-mail box. Been here in the past and had a good selection, and was planning on spending $$$ but since the were not open as advertised, I'll spend my money elsewhere. Their loss. read more

Yelp has given this store 4.6 in reviews. When I arrived I was aghast at the condition of the store and its train transformers. There was a sign cash or check only. There were no train sets on display. There is no place to walk around. All five transformers that we tried to buy DID NOT WORK!!! I will never come here again! read more

What an amazing visit me at your 30 day mark and it to post your card today. I have been for different trains door in the inventory and professional was welcome to try. I will working but they're in there it is what it is horrific shop I love everybody there!! read more

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I walked in 5 days after Christmas with a 60-year-old American Flyer non-running model locomotive. Don told me that I would have to wait two months for repairs because they were quite backlogged. As I was debating on what to do, he looked at the engine anyway, sprayed a little oil on it, put it on a strip of track, and it started to move slowly backwards. He sold me some specialty lubricant and told me to take it home and apply. It worked - the locomotive is now pulling an equally-vintage set of train cars perfectly, just like a new one! The store is full of all kinds of engines and cars as well as track and every other imaginable model railroad item. This was a great experience. read more

Went there to buy a locomotive today. Store did not open on time so I called to see if hours changed. They were. To open at 9 and When she finally opened the door her attitude started with us. We went inside and half the lights were out so you could not see very well. We. Said we could not see well and she coped a bad attitude saying well I am not fully opened yet. WTH??? We did like her attitude so we just walked out and went to Arnies and spent $250 there instead. Talked to the owner John about the issue and got all sort of excuses for her bad attitude. He did not seem to care. What I did see in the store looked like a bunch of used junk that was overpriced. They are not handicap accessible as wheelchair Will not fit in the aisles. I will not go back to this store with their bad attitudes and lack of customer service. read more

With so many hobby shops falling by the wayside these days, especially those that deal with niche hobbies like trains, it's hard to find a good place anymore. The Train Crossing is a small family owned shop that's been around for over twenty years. It's common to find 70 something year old Levia and her sons working there. They are always in a helpful mood and nice to deal with, although some of their stock is dated, and a few times they have been out of the most common items. Quite a bit of HO & N scale trains specializing in Micro-Trains, Kato, Athern, and Lionel (They also have some Z scale and larger ones too). If you really need something, I suggest calling ahead, and even then I've received mixed info depending on who you speak with. The store is pretty narrow and packed to the gills. There are some gems in here for the collector, but you'll need to be patient and take your time looking around. It can seem a bit claustrophobic. While the paint selection is good, I can't be sure how old some of the paint is, and for you scratch-builders - the balsa and bass wood selection is kinda lacking. Most common pieces are never in stock, but oddball sizes always are. Prices are competitive, and if you bring cash, you get an extra 10% off all your purchases (except magazines). Levia is pretty helpful when it comes to looking up coupler conversion kits and overall service is friendly. Otherwise for new items it always seems hit or miss for me. Could use a little more organization inside. read more

The Train Crossing - Toy Stores Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Great Mom & Pop Model Railroad store that is run by the son of family that owns it. I came in here because I am looking to put a ceiling train around my sons room and wanted to look at O scale vs G Scale trains for this project. The son was extremely friendly and knowledgeable and pointed me in the right direction for the trains as well as gave me pointers on building the actual shelving unit for the room. In addition to new setups and trains, he also has a extensive selection of gently used items at extremely affordable prices. read more

The Train Crossing - G Scale layout when you first walk in the shop - Toy Stores Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Came here because grandpa died and he had some new in box train sets. My mom and I had no clue what they were worth or how to operate them. We wanted to make sure they would go to someone who appreciated building trains. First I called the owner to tell him what I had and he said to bring the sets on in and he would take a look at them. We drove up to Costa Mesa, and the shop was busy! The owner John was so friendly and knowledgeable. He ended up buying our set and also an antique transformer. I will continue to come here and send friends to his store. Keep up the excellent service. read more

John was terrific! Just purchased an amazing Lionel End of the Line Express Mikado Train for the upcoming Halloween season! read more

The Train Crossing - Toy Stores Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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They seem to have a good variety, but couldn't find much of what I need. This is one of those shops that has way more than you would expect for the size, so its possible what I needed was buried in a stack somewhere. Guy was too busy on phone to even aknowledge my presence so after a few minutes of pacing through the store I left. "Be with you in a minute" or "this call is going to take a while"... while a little rude at least I would know where I stood and would be able to decide if it's worth waiting or if I should just head up to Westminster. read more

Unprofessional behavior, the owner was drunk or!!! He was not helpful and didn't care and respond to the client.

This is a follow up to a previous 8/23/21 review. After recovering my new engine from John covered in dust I talked to Lionel. They heard our story of treatment from John and were not pleased that one of their dealers would badly treat customers. They immediately arranged for my engine to be shipped to Lionel. They found that the radio receiver board was bad and sent it back to us in good working order--3 week turn around compared to dealing with John for 5 months. The lesson of this story is that John clearly doesn't know how to work on Lionel products so use him at your own risk. I hope they remove his designation as a Lionel repair shop read more

My parents recently gave me my old locomotive (which would light up but not move on the track), so I called and decided to take it in here. I feel like train shops are so hard to come by nowadays. Within moments, there were two people helping me (Chris and John). I'd say, I was expecting to hear that my engine was no longer usable, but they understood the sentimental value of my very first train set (25 years old), and he popped it open and attempted to fix some cracked gears. He was honest in saying that it was probably almost time to retire it (I couldn't agree more). In addition, they brought me some refurbished HO scale engines, and allowed me to pick one out take it home at the low cost of $10. I couldn't believe it, finding shops like these is like a needle in a hay stack, but I felt taken care of, appreciated the time, knowledge, and care they put into trains. I'll definitely be visiting again soon for some supplies to take care of my track better until it's time for a set upgrade. Thank you for your time, care, and kindness! I am very very grateful to have my train around the tree this year, just like old times. read more

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John the owner of the store does take the time to talk with you. Unlike the other store in Orange County which their salesmen sold used G scale train and said that there was no engineer that was in cab. Which this was untrue because it did have one that originally came with the train. So coming to talk with John was a wonderful since he is truly interested in letting you know about trains. read more

I had a 1033 transformer that needed repairing; the orange direction/horn arm internal pin/spring broke and the very old (original) plug was frayed at the insertion location. The Train Crossing staff did a great repair and got it back to me within a month. They also lent me a 1033 transformer without hesitation to get me through Christmas and New Year so I could keep running my Lionel trains. I would definitely recommend them for all your train repair needs, and for just about anything you'll need to keep your trains in perfect running order. read more

Great little train store for HO, O, & Garden railroad. Very friendly & extremely helpful.

I did not need trains, just small accessories for a project I was working on. I went into the store right before Christmas when it was at its busiest. John was brilliant, funny, knowledgeable, interesting and very generous with his time. The second time I went in was to beg for advice about how to do wiring, electronic lights specifically, it was late in the afternoon and Christmas was hurrying nearer. John threw his hands up in the air and directed me to his wonderful, curmudgeon of an associate who grumbled and joked simultaneously as he tried to get his head around my problem. Not only did he teach me how to correctly and safely wire up my lights, he actually did the bulk of the job with me acting as his eager assistant. Emboldened by each nugget of knowledge he dropped I became more adept, I told him I still had several more bits and pieces at home to wire and he absolutely invited me back to come finish up the job at the shop using their equipment. How nice can you be?! Of course, because I didn't want to take advantage I bought my own soldering iron and various bit of equipment in order to finish my job myself, but I will ALWAYS go back to this brilliant store, for their endless knowledge, wonderful humor and generosity. Thank you so much for helping me out at the busiest time of year. read more

The moment you walk in there are people who are friendly. It's nice to walk into a store where people care more about you enjoying the hobby over making a sale. There are even enthusiasts that hangout there that are super helpful. If you are getting back into the hobby they're more than happy to test out all of your old equipment to see if it still works. When I was ready to purchase, they had just what I wanted. A Southern Pacific Daylight Steam Locomotive - 4449. Their prices are competitive and if I would pay the same in the store than I would online, this is one of the few times I prefer to make the trip! read more

Been coming here for a few years. John is awesome and very knowledgeable. Has so much stuff. All gauges and so many accessories. If it's old you want he either has it or will help you find it. If it's modern you want, he either has it or will happily order it for you. Great pricing compared competitors. read more

Great store, great service and great selection of Lionel O Gauge trains, cars and accessories. A must see if you're a model train enthusiast or interested in getting started. Simply stated, this is a great store with a very helpful and knowledgeable staff. The store is welcoming and everyone is helpful and friendly. John is very friendly and very helpful. More of the story... I wanted to start a Lionel train set and I didn't know much when I walked in. I had shopped for trains at other locations around Orange County and online but didn't know enough to get started. So, like many I'm sure, I got a starter Lionel train SET and I started driving it around the included circle of track. I quickly realized I needed to learn more. That's when I started looking for stores with a physical location to visit and people I could talk to - and not another website listing, with the same description and photos from the Lionel website. That's when I found this store. As others have mentioned in their reviews. It's a small space, jam packed with stuff. More important for me, you feel welcome when you walk in. John (who works there) is very helpful and will take the time to talk about almost anything and explain everything. It's hard to find people to help and offer personal service these days. It's a treat when you find someone who really loves what they are doing and are willing to spend time helping - John is that guy. I will buy all of my train stuff from The Train Crossing and I know I will always have a resource for questions, answers and help with planning. I have purchased brand new Lionel Legacy Train stuff, Lionel FasTrack, accessories, wiring supplies and vintage cars new in box along with vintage, used accessories. read more

These people really care about their customers. Don spent 1 1/2 hours with me laying out my tracks on the store floor, because I was a beginner. These guys really care about their customers. read more