Don't come here expecting to get information or help in picking out anything. We came in looking to buy a train set, but didn't know much about he various brands and sizes. You would think they would jump on the chance to make a $200+ sale and get someone interested in a hobby that would keep them coming back to buy more accessories in the future. The 2 people working would hardly answer any of our questions let alone explain anything, or give suggestions. We walked out very frustrated. So much for supporting a small business, they obviously don't care. read more

This place has stuff I need, so I come, I buy it, I leave. I will echo what others have said: they are not friendly here at all, it's palatable. I come here often for terrain for mini war gaming, which these guys don't know anything about, so I just grab what I want and buy it, never asking questions. I can imagine if you are just getting into model trains and want to ask questions that this would not be the place to go, but they have a lot of great hobby supplies in stock. read more

Took my very excited five year old into The Train Shop today and we had a great experience. I don't yelp much but I felt I needed to give this place a good review. The owners and staff were friendly and very kind to my son, who can be really loud when he is extremely excited. We will be supporting this shop. read more

The Train Shop - My son was in heaven. - Hobby Shops Near Me - Santa Clara, California

I brought a couple trains in to see if they could be identified and the owner of the place was extremely rude and basically ran me out of the shop. I have a large collection and I'm new to this type of hobby. This is the closest train shop to my house only a few miles away and will never step foot in this place again. The people who run this place are extremely rude and even called one of my trains I brought in shitty. Looks like they have a lot of nice things in there but I won't be coming back. Horrible customer service! read more

The Train Shop - The Train Shop - Hobby Shops Near Me - Santa Clara, California

I've shopped The Train Shop for 40+ years. To those who were dismayed by poor customer service, please understand that those of us who are deeply into the hobby usually know far, far more about the arcane **facts** of those things represented here in plastic than would almost any staffer. As such we don't need much help, if ever, and the staff knows it. Sometimes one of us will dump a bunch of the arcane on a staffer who doesn't want to know that much and no amount of polite signalling seems to stop the torrent. So the barrier in place between staff and customer works for both sides. That's not good for the noob but truth to tell there are hardly any noobs anymore. For those who are, perhaps an introductory statement of "I'm new at this and need some help" will deliver the level of service you want/need. read more

I'm not a model train enthusiast, but as a wargamer with dwindling hobby shops to go to, this place is a windfall for supplies like styrene sheets, rods, flock, and varnish. read more

When we went in to buy a train (a steam engine my child was looking for), the woman at the desk asked us, "Is this for him?" When my husband said yes, the woman looked surprised and didn't want to sell us the train until my husband said it was also for him. And then she started to lecture, " [...] These trains are delicate ..." OK. When we go to spend over $300 on a model train, please do not start lecturing two adults *ages 42 and 41* on purchases. That was incredibly poor salespersonship and just rude. I guess you don't want our business. Because I like my husband, I will let him shop here in the future, but I will give my experience to whomever asks me; it was NOT good. The service was also slower than a snail. Why did we even bother to make a special trip to Santa Clara for this rude treatment?! read more

Have to downgrade my review after today's visit. Seriously I've gotten better service at Burger King. Spent a few hundred and WOULD have spent a few hundred more had the salesman actually cared about me as a customer. When asking him about trains he showed almost ZERO product knowledge and total disinterest in selling the engine I was inquiring about. I don't know his name but he was an older guy with glasses (late 60's -70's). If this was an isolated incident, it might not be a big deal - but considering the numerous 1 star reviews on here, it clearly isn't. PS If you are compelled to come here, get the young guy with the beard - he's friendly, knowledgeable and a hell of a lot better than the others here. read more

I had a very disappointing experience at this store. They definitely carry a wide selection of trains for the experienced hobbyist, but the staff was very unhelpful and borderline rude (I'm not an experienced railroad hobbyist) - did not even care to answer my questions and said "the manufacturer's decide everything. I can't help you". I'm sure experienced people would find this a great place to find what they need, but this place is not for beginners looking to start. I was looking to spend a significant amount of money (in the thousands) and the unhelpful staff was such as turnoff I decided to save my money and find other places. There was an older gentleman (with glasses), and a woman (I think also with glasses) that didn't seem to care, a younger guy that was busy with other customers (that appeared to be helpful), and one other older gentleman that was a bit busy. So the place was well staffed, just not with the right attitude to help new customers. The place looks like it's thriving well but if their current customer base shrinks they will probably wonder what they did wrong - not developing new customers. The sad part of this review, I live a stone's throw away from this shop and wanted to support a local business and now I have to go to stores farther away. In conclusion, given the competitive nature of business I would not be surprised if this joint struggles to stay in business as the old customer base shrinks and prospective customers are put off by the poor service. read more

Read Filtered Reviews For True Representation Of Customer Experiences At The Train Shop!! You will see a very consistent message!! For the train enthusiast this shop has everything except helpful and attentive staff. In fact they were downright rude and dismissive. So if you know what you want and are not in need of helpful advice then stop by. My son and I are building his first train set and he is absolutely obsessed with them. He dressed from head to toe in his train gear so that we could make our way down to the Train Shop and select some parts for his trains, get a power supply and some tracks. The absolute minute we stepped in the store the lady behind the counter took one look at my 4 year old son raised her eyes to mine with a look of disgust. It was almost as though she wanted no part of kids in her store. Fortunately my son did not see her as he was in heaven peering at all the trains. I powered through much to my displeasure and asked her where I might find a few parts for my trains. To my absolute amazement she was curt and said she did not have the expertise to point me to what I may need and instead gave me the number to a local train club!!! Are you kidding me.....Come to find out, thanks to Just Trains in Concord, CA, I needed a handful of couplers some grease, oil and a basic power supply!! Really you needed expertise for that?!?! You work in a freakin train shop that specializes in TRAINS!!!! RAMROD!!! The entire time we were in the store she did not take her eyes off us. When my son set the train he had brought with him down so he could look at others Medusa from behind the counter immediately left her stone perch to remove said train from her counter and promptly placed it back in the hands of my son. We avoided eye contact for fear of being immortalized in stone but what a joke. In handing it back she said is was her fear of it falling to the floor that she worried about. Really, you were worried about my sons $2 plastic train hitting the floor???? Finally I grabbed a $4 packet of couplers which I thought were correct, they weren't, and as I rounded the corner on the next aisle she caught my eyes and said that I would have to place the couplers upon the counter and that I could not carry them through the store. WHAT?!?!?! At this point I shot back through the reflection of my shield a look that brought her to her knees. In the end my son missed all the action and had a great time looking at the selection. If you are just buying and needn't any help and you are literally across the street then this place is okay. However if you are at least a block away head to Just Trains in Concord...way better, much nicer, incredibly helpful and the lady behind the desk there hasn't any snakes atop her head. =) read more

This is one of the last train stores in the area. I really appreciate that it is close by. When I need a part or a piece right now, they are here for me. I support them when ever I can. I was not surprised that there are some negative reviews for customer service, but, 1 stars? Really? My thoughts are that the people that felt this way were intimidated by the nature of the store in the first place This is an expert hobbyists source for parts, materials, and community. You have to take in consideration of their main clientele. They have folks come in and drop thousands of dollars without even batting an eye. Yes, they have some Thomas stuff, cheap train sets and some souvenir trinkets. But, look around a little deeper. The expectation of the staff is that you know what you are looking for when you walk in the doors. And yes, Bachmann is cheap, but, they are getting better. If you are a beginner and feel a bit lost, tell them up front. They will know how to help you. I feel the same way when I go into computer parts stores; I have know idea what I am looking at, but, I know what I want to accomplish. We (the model train community) want to get new people involved. You are not the ideal customer of this store, but, you might become one if you try hard enough. ;) Might I suggest you find a mentor? I did the same with my lack of computer knowledge. They have a bulletin board just inside the door of upcoming events and clubs in the area. Now, to all the serious scale-ferroequinists; Can you find the same stuff on the internet at a lower price? Sure... But if you keep doing that, this store will close. Then what are you going to do when you need a 00 brush, 3 #5 couplers, a bottle of labelle oil, some code 40 connectors, 2 sound decoder (a light steam and climax), a six pack of tortoise switch machines, and a book on the history of some obscure niche of the world that you have decided to create in 1:48 scale at 3pm on a Friday afternoon? Right now you can find them all in one place: The Train Shop. read more

If I could give less than a one-star review I would. I have an eleven year-old and a thirteen year-old. They were with me today as I entered the hallowed world of "The Train Shop." They were also with me as I left ten minutes later with nothing I had come for. I've been an avid train fan since my dad (Who worked for GRS- look it up if you want to know the significance) first brought out his own childhood American Flyer Set from 1949. I inherited it 20 years ago when he died, and I have painstakingly kept it operating- and restored parts of it since. Circumstances in our family meant that my young kids had not seen the train since more than eight years ago when I brought it out for Christmas this year. (Yes, I know that defines me as "not a hobbyist") and they, in their electronics defined world, were enthralled. My 13 year-old helped me to disassemble and refurbish our 312 locomotive and tender. He was at the helm (Tiller, Throttle, power lever??!!) when we launched it again- choo chooing around our track on demand and without protest as it has done for the past 70 years or so. We decided to redo the two Pullman cars- drilled out the rivets holding the trucks to the chassis, and that was our first need- new rivets. And a couple of light bulbs. And as a complete flyer (no pun intended) knuckle coupler conversion kits- basically the most common American Flyer part there is... Well let me cut the long narrative short here: If you need any parts for an S Gauge American Flyer train, locomotive or anything else you will not find them at this shop. The only thing they will carry that you could maybe use is some grease- but if you say American Flyer to the guy behind the counter you will get a scowl (and I am not making this up) "Those things are fifty years old!!" (Actually they are 70 years old, and they represent an entire generation's worth of kids who got interested in railroading as a result.) Including my dad, who was an electrical engineer and went to work for a railroad signalling company as a result of his love for trains- started by his "old" American Flyer set, the same one my kids are enjoying today. I have written very few reviews, saving them for when I felt they were truly necessary or worthwhile. I am certain that if you are a modeler and you are in the "in-crowd" The Train Shop is a great store and just what you need. But if you just love trains, have an old one, and are looking to get it into operating condition again. Go somewhere else. read more

I don't often write reviews against local small business but I felt it appropriate this time. I came in looking for some standard small working blades for a craft. The gentleman at the counter was very helpful but the woman behind the counter was unreasonably rude. Since I didn't know the exact amount of tooth blade I wanted she was barely willing to help. Questioned me a few times, what size, what size, what size, never once looking up at me. Maybe with a little customer service I could've been helped to find exactly what I needed? Maybe talk with the customer instead of at them? Overall the store seems great and seems to thrive but at the end of the day employees should be there to help customers with what they're looking for. I did spend money here and will likely come back if I cannot locate what I'm looking for elsewhere. read more

It's the only game in town. Not much of a currency selection a few older pieces. I had to buy two different tunnels because they one had one of each. I get it, it's a dying hobby so that why they get three stars. read more

This place is great for modelers! Of course, consistent with the reviews, the customer service is not that great, but you should try being a little more precise with your questions, as it is hard to answer a vague question. I came in here after purchasing my first locomotive to re start my railroad, and got everything I needed. I asked if they had any dc power packs for athearn locomotives, once again SPECIFIC question. They happily brought one out and told me how to get it set up so its easier to use on my track. Thanks! Will Come Again. read more

We got a train handed down from a relative that passed, who was a train enthusiast. We wanted to keep the tradition going with our son so we came to this store. We came in and the man and woman at the counter didn't say anything and kept talking amongst themselves which wasn't a big deal. So we walked around looking at stuff waiting for a break in their conversation to ask some questions. We told them we had a Lionel vintage train and wanted to get accessories for it. I was holding a cute little scene of a building and a man in my hand and the woman started laughing at me saying that it was not the same size as our train. Ok... can you help me then? Point me to an aisle? Something? What's so funny about needing assistance? I'm here to purchase things and hopefully get help and information from what I thought would be knowledgeable people but instead I'm being laughed at as if I'm some dumb train outsider who's so stupid for not train specs. Haaahaaahaa that's so funny........said no one ever. So cool, they made what was supposed to be a fun new hobby into a weird,awkward experience were we don't feel comfortable asking for help. It's just trains Lady, they are supposed to be fun and happy. We ended up leaving and doing tons of research online and in books and ordering a few things online. What crappy people your employees are. I can't imagine being a kid who loves trains coming in asking for help. To the Rude Yoko of Trains, thanks for breaking up the band. ITS JUST TRAINS! You work at a damn train store, find happiness. read more

I am a life-long model railroader and I have a very large collection. As the train shop is really the only model railroading store in the San Jose area, I have been going there semi-regularly for years to purchase supplies and items. I would say that the selection there is adequate, but not exceptional. The notable thing about this shop--as many others on this thread have indicated--is the consistent behavior of those that work at and run the shop. The words that come to mind are...strange, snarky, aloof, schzoid, unfriendly. I just go there to buy what I need, and don't ask a lot of questions. read more

If you are a big train nerd it is cool. If you aren't they kind of act like they can't understand why you chose to live life as if you aren't a big train nerd and they really don't have time to educate you. Cuz they're busy talking shop with other train nerds at the counter. Kind of like when Ford guys get together. On the other hand I'm not saying that gaining acceptance here is like getting jumped into the Crips or anything. But I don't know personally. It's a cool store, though. And I probably reeked of holiday-shopper-who-will-buy-once -and-never-return stinky cologne. read more

Let me preface this by saying I know next to nothing about trains. Found this place on Yelp as I wanted to find a small model train for my boyfriend's Dad for Christmas. He works for the Long Island Railroad in NY and is big into trains. I thought this would be a tiny shop with a few expensive train cars, but the place is pretty big and they have everything from Thomas the Tank Engine sets to fully functional model train sets. They also have tons of books on trains and other novelty stuff. I was able to find a model train of a Long Island car for ~$90 which is basically what I was looking for. If you're a train nerd, I think this would be a great place for you. If you aren't into trains but need a gift for someone who does, you can probably find what you're looking for here. read more

This is a "hobby shop" in the truest sense of the phrase. It's run by hobbyists FOR hobbyists plus it does carry some more mainstream train toys especially at Holiday time. I have been visiting this shop my entire life from when it was on Bellomy St. to off of Stevens Creek at the 880 on-ramp and now on Pruneridge. There are other hobby shops that carry train supplies, but nothing like this place in the Bay Area. Do your research and go in looking for specific things or just browse and enjoy, either way its enough to satisfy the interests of just about any level of model railroader or scale modeler. By the way, the place is frequented by several NMRA Master Model Railroaders out of the 500+ or so that exist world-wide. read more

I was very impressed with The Train Shop's inventory. Just about any of the items I had seen in catalogs, or on eBay, were on their shelves...plus a WHOLE LOT MORE! I'm still new to the hobby, and don't always know what I need, or how to best accomplish something, so it's a great help to talk to someone with a few more years in the game than me. Having said that, I will agree with some of the recent reviews that the folks behind the counter were less than engaging, and borderline rude, until I offered up a purchase. When I started asking questions, and plunked down a couple hundred dollars in stuff, the lady behind the counter brightened noticeably. In all fairness, this seems to be true of just about every shop I have been to; it's a lot like walking into the diner of a little town, everyone kind of stops and locks eyes on you while they keep their conversations going with the regulars. All things considered I would still love a chance to roam around this shop the next time I am in town (I drove an hour south to pay these folks a visit!) read more

Honestly please make a better system for your detail parts. The whole catalogue "tell me the number" system isn't even up To date, it's way too time consuming, and complicated. Every other train stores I go to have the detail parts on peg board. They don't get damaged that way and it doesn't take a employee to help you. When the lady isn't there all the other employees let me look in the detail boxes, I spend $100-$300 each time I'm there, just on detail parts, by the way they are covered in dust because no one buys them! In short, please just let people look in the detail parts boxes or put them on a peg board. I'm sure you sell a lot more if it was a better system. read more

Excellent store for you model railroading needs. Always get great service. One of the last around and I'm glad they're here.

Came here to look into buying a new ho scale diesel engine. As I walked in two people behind the counter just starred at me like a deer in the headlights, so I said hello...no response. I checked out the aisles and eventually found the trains in the showcase to be what I wanted but the man and woman were too busy opening some packages that had just arrived. I asked the man about the dcc ready locomotive with sound, about how loud would it be. NO RESPONSE!!!! I asked for a demo of the train,and what is needed but they said these trains were not what I was looking for. Was willing to pay the couple hundred, but left in amazement that they were not willing to make a sale or show some customer service!!!! This place has a lot of stock of all guages but horrible non friendly employee's and rude owners. I wish this small business and owners the best of luck. read more

Really great inventory. I'm only giving them 4 stars, because when you need help finding something, they generally just give you Walthers Catalog and tell you to give them a part number. Of course, if you find something you want, there's a pretty good chance they'll have it. One thing they really excel at it tools. The tool aisle is probably worth a visit if you like to build things even besides model trains. A whole wall of railroad books. Most are expensive, like train books usual are, but if you poke around sometimes you can find a bargain on some obscure railroad you never heard of, if you just need a fix and don't want to spend too much. read more

I've been a customer of the Train Shop in Santa Clara for years. They have a full inventory of model trains and hobby supplies. The staff are helpful in terms of knowledge and finding the right item and supplies for your hobby needs. The prices are hard to beat as well! They also have a huge selection of local history books both railroad and non-railroad related. read more

I may be going a bit too high on the rating, but relative to other similar shops I've been to, this is pretty good. For starters, it's a real train shop that focuses on model trains. The inventory is pretty robust - they cater to the smaller gauges (HO and below) but have plenty for the O gauge and bigger fans. There is plenty of floor and shelf space and it's filled with all kinds of rolling stock by the major manufacturers and includes a few by outliers like Tichy, Kadee, and Red Caboose. I got a relatively inexpensive Athearn HO Santa Fe passenger car series for my Warbonnet engine. The stock was priced competitively (sometimes less than $15 or $20 for ready-to-run quality cars - the passenger cars were in the $25-$35 range). Right now I'm at the newb stage of the hobby. The guy was quiet but not surly and once you got to know him pretty encouraging. He walked me through what I needed for the passenger Santa Fe cars to make it look all right and didn't try to gouge me by insisting I need a post car or extra luggage cars. I can get them later. Also, he helped me pick out some decent wire for doing piping around my damaged HO tank cars. The place has a pretty good inventory of all kinds of realistic HO scale (and others) stuff - everything from rock talus to modeling wires to little houses and heavy equipment. They have track too - Kato HO track features a whole slew of different radii to choose from. I didn't buy these because I was out of money and didn't want to clear out their inventory (they don't, to the best of my knowledge, sell full HO Kato track circles, but they sell 4 pack segments). Ah - one last thing - books - coffee table books, technical books, train books, modeling books, books and pubs for specific historic train lines. I bought one general train book to get up to speed on stuff I should know if I'm going to take this seriously. I can't go back anytime soon because I'll spend too much money. read more

I took my son here to look at some wooden trains and they had a huge selection and at a good price. If you are into trains, you already know about this spot. Great selection and informative staff on the whole hobby of trains. read more

Something not mentioned in prior reviews is that The Train Shop also has a complete line and deep stock in scratch-building supplies; for example, they have virtually every Evergreen styrene sheet and strip product and broad stock of strip wood and sheet wood. Detail parts are available behind the counter and perhaps my only issue with the store is that you can't browse them on racks, which is unfortunately necessary to prevent theft. You need to go in knowing the manufacturer and part number, or at least a close description of what you want ("HO scale double-hung residence windows in styrene") and get help. In a time when almost no one builds from scratch and everything is in simple kits, built-up or ready-to-run, you can still buy scratch supplies here and spend an evening being a craftsman. They are closed Sundays and Mondays - I usually go on Friday afternoon after work and load up for the weekend. read more

Yeah, this is the train shop I was hoping for. I went in while waiting for my girlfriend to be ready to go out, and immediately had to text her that it was a good place (she knew I was going). The "prototype" book selection, documenting the 1:1 scale railroads, is AMAZING. I'll be going back after payday to get at least one, maybe two or three books from the big back wall of books. I didn't quite understand the organization of the books, but when my wallet is fully loaded I'll ask for help. I saw a lot of locos and rolling stock that were of interest, as well as all the usual supplies and tools and accessories. They do have two aisles that are dedicated to locomotive displays, with test tracks available on top of them. Probably not the best for short viewers, but there was probably a stepstool somewhere. They carry a wide range of magazines for various scales and interests, and the issue of N Scale Magazine that I picked up had an article on a desk layout that I'd just been thinking about last week. Perfect timing. Now that I know how to get here, I'll be back. And probably broke. But that's okay. read more

The sales lady didn't even notice us as if we didn't have money. The sales man was particularly helpful. Also looked as if I had no money. Little do they know I have lots of money but I refused to purchase one item there. read more

We were in San Jose so my daughter could attender her orientation day at San Jose State and the wife and I decided to stop by and check out The Train Shop. A lot of these yelp reviews leaned heavily to the negative side so with that in mine we were prepared for the worst. Our experience was far from bad. We were greeted at the door and everyone was friendly. The woman behind the counter was all smiles and even struck up conversation with my wife. This place has a ton of stuff. I really wish there was a shop like this in riverside county. We picked up some scenery material for my wifes layout as well as a few model buildings and some rolling stock that was on sale. Prices meet or are lower than what you see on the internet. In fact I'm going back this morning to check the AC11/12 cab forward. I might have to have it. LOL read more

THIS IS THE BEST HOBBY SHOP AROUND. They have some of the best staff. Always super friendly and helpful. They don't swarm you to buy stuff. You can take your time browsing without any rush. They even let us in as it was closing time! You will find some of the best deals here! IVE SAVED $100+ WITH THEM! No drought the best stock and super full shelfs!!! I always find what I'm looking for! Worth a drive from anywhere along the central coast! CUSTOMER FOR LIFE!! read more

I would like to give a 4.5 Reason is this store is Great that have a very good selection if your very serious about model trains. There have been few other stores pop in the bay area and I have stopped in other locations in the Valley but their stock and Prices are not as FAIR as The Train Shop. I find that a lot of times especially for small orders and for locomotives I get them at the Train Shop so I know I have a working Item. As to Fair prices, they are able to sell N Scale items below MSRP and when you add taxes you can still get stuff cheaper here than ordering it online. Since most online stores charge MSRP + S&H will be more expensive than picking it up locally and you don't have to worry about return shipping if the locomotive is defective, since The Train shop will test in front of you before you leave. The negative if your into DCC or getting started with DCC you will find they have a great selection of DCC but you wont get much help here. Recommend the yahoo digitrax group is a good place to start. Also Digitrax Published a book called the the BIG BOOK OF DCC good book to get started. read more

I must confess, I am a train shop junkie. I actually remember their old location( yes that location 28 years ago) I was 8 and my dad made the trip to San Jose to buy me N scale trains even though his trains were HO and took up the entire garage ( bad A$$ ) don't know how he ever talked my mom in to it ( I guess it's just what us dads do). I took my four kids and they loved it. Prices Fair and selection good as always. A must if you have train lovers. read more

The Train Shop - Caltrain photo, I guess it dosent count, but it is the train!! - Hobby Shops Near Me - Santa Clara, California

My brother is a huge train fanatic so when he visits for the holidays you know where we are going to make at least 3 visits before he has to fly back home! When we were growing up my dad had built him this huge model platform that was displayed and took up more than half of our Living room! They would only put it up for Christmas (starting in November after thanksgiving and going into the new year) but this was all he did when he was a kid! This store truly has everything a train enthusiast would ever want from trains to miniatures, calendars, books, I could go on and on. Each time we went in the owner laughed, they could just see that he totally reverted back to being a kid and was just in train heaven! I think my brother made a new friend and I am sure the owner is going to love my brother calling every week to check if anything new came in. Thanks for your store - my brother and I don't have anything in common - not even trains - he's the train lover not me - but it makes him happy when we stop by over the holidays so thanks for the family time! Thanks for reading another Sara D's Approved review! read more

The casher acted as though she did not want to talk to me. As I began asking questions about trains it was apparent I was not worth her time. I did find a HO Cab Forward train and I ask if I could look at it because it was open in a display case. She went to help someone else??? I waited until she was done and asked again if I could see the engine and she replied what do you mean by that... I made sure to look her in they eyes and tell her never mind and I will not be spending money with you. It's pretty bad in today's world a business treats paying customers the way I was. I was with two other co-workers and they even apologized for what happened. I normally would just write something like this off but it really bothers me that a hobby store treats customers like this. read more

Been coming here for years. Have spent well over a years salary here dating back to the late 90s. They do have competitive prices and a great selection. But they don't accept returns. Went to return a locomotive that I purchased two weeks ago. Unopened, never ran, with receipt and they flat out said no. It's unfortunate. If you want repeat business and referrals, then it might be worth providing just an ounce of customer service. I guess it's time to reluctantly start purchasing my model trains online. read more

After two years of not visiting this Hobby Shop I decided to visit The Train shop as I'm planning to revamp my G Scale setup in my Back Yard. I was Greeted by the same Woman that was rude to me on my last visit, I asked about what they had available for my G Scale setup and she was very nice and Helpful. The store didn't have much in stock as it did in the past. I hope this place will survive as its the only one remaining Train Hobby shop on the peninsula all the train hobby shop has closed in San Francisco. This store is a true treasure in Santa Clara I hope it remains open for future generations. The internet does not compare to a real Hobby Shop. read more

This is the last train shop left in the Santa Clara Valley. Once it is gone, there will be no other place to look at models or parts before buying. They have a lot of competition, and managed to keep their prices near internet prices. It is a tough, low margin business to be in. They do operate like in 1950s, but they managed to survive and keep good inventory. Even I somewhat agree that their customer service is not the best, I am still grateful to them for keeping their business alive. And if they close their doors, will you get better customer service from eBay sellers or some internet stores? So if you are planning on buying something, do your research before hand, and everything will be Ok. If you ask them a specific technical question, you may get a better answer, at least I do. read more