Vegas hobby shops?

[BCOL 747]

This has probably been asked 100 times on this forum and I tried doing a search so go easy on me.

I am going to be in Las Vegas in a few weeks for a wedding and was wondering if there are any good N scale rich hobby shops worth visiting?

Thanks,
Chris

[Chris333]

I have a buddy who's an expert on N scale hobby shops in Vegas, let me give him a call.   

[wazzou]

The shop with 5 poles is better than the one with 3...       Oh, wrong topic, sorry.

[peteski]

The shop with 5 poles is better than the one with 3...       Oh, wrong topic, sorry.

I'm a 1-Pole person - no wonder I have problems. 

[BCOL 747]

The shop with 5 poles is better than the one with 3...       Oh, wrong topic, sorry.

Bryan

I am pretty sure we will be visiting a few of those 5 Pole shops while we are there as well. A little later at night though. LOL!

[Ike the BN Freak]

Having used to live in Vegas, plus still talk to some of the members of the club down there, no shop is worth it.

The Train Exchange, which is on Boulder Highway, and took me almost 2 years to find, as the guy has a sign that is seriously 2x1ft...he is mostly HO, but had some decent stock of N. Plus lots of structure kits.

Westside Trains, is on Durango, its alright, mostly Lionel, however stocks HO and N, but everything is at full retail.

Did almost all of my hobby shopping via phone and internet while I was there.

For railfanning, its not the busiest UP line, or atleast it wasn't 3 years ago when I left. Up in North Las Vegas, near the Lamb overpass and north from there isn't too bad, as there is a small yard up there. Saw the MKT heritage unit doing some switching one day on my way home from work. Otherwise, if you can, make the trek to Barstow, its about an hour to hour and half south on I-15, do Cajon, and another hourish from Barstow is Tehachapi Loop.

As for the 3 vs 5 pole places, I know a little about some of those too...shoot me a PM if you want some info.

[C855B]

...make the trek to Barstow, its about an hour to hour and half south on I-15...

Uh... CHP wouldn't be happy with 110 mph to make it from Vegas to B'stow in 90 minutes. Not that folks haven't tried it.

More like 2.5 hours. Not my favorite drive. I don't know if it's improved much in the twenty years since I drove it semi-frequently, but last time I was on it the trucks had battered the crap out of the right lane and it was a pretty rough ride. And watch out for the Los Angelinos trying that 110 mph stuff.   

[mcjaco]

I think if you're looking for a hobby shop while in Vegas....you're doing it wrong.

[jpwisc]

As a Vegas transplant, I have not found a hobby shop here that I would recommend yet. At the best one you can see everything they have to offer in about 2 minutes. Hardly worth the drive.

[sdodge]

Having used to live in Vegas, plus still talk to some of the members of the club down there, no shop is worth it.

The Train Exchange, which is on Boulder Highway, and took me almost 2 years to find, as the guy has a sign that is seriously 2x1ft...he is mostly HO, but had some decent stock of N. Plus lots of structure kits.

Westside Trains, is on Durango, its alright, mostly Lionel, however stocks HO and N, but everything is at full retail.

Did almost all of my hobby shopping via phone and internet while I was there.

I have to agree with this. I have been working part time in Las Vegas for 8+ years and I have yet to find a good hobby shop. I have been looking for The Train Exchange for years and still have not found it!

[jpwisc]

It's the beige building with the bars on the windows. They don't take credit cards for small purchases. I went in on my first visit without cash, all I had was my check card. I haven't been back since.

[pogopod]

So, Karl, the winter in Minnesnowta doesn't seem so bad now, does it?

[jpwisc]

So, Karl, the winter in Minnesnowta doesn't seem so bad now, does it?

I stopped by Scale and Hub before I rolled out of town just to say goodbye to everyone that worked there. The people, the railfanning and the hobby shops: the things I will miss most about MN.

[Ike the BN Freak]

Uh... CHP wouldn't be happy with 110 mph to make it from Vegas to B'stow in 90 minutes. Not that folks haven't tried it.

More like 2.5 hours. Not my favorite drive. I don't know if it's improved much in the twenty years since I drove it semi-frequently, but last time I was on it the trucks had battered the crap out of the right lane and it was a pretty rough ride. And watch out for the Los Angelinos trying that 110 mph stuff.   

However, the speed limit in town is 65...but if you are doing less than 80 you'll get ran over. Last time I did it, most of I-15 is 3 lanes wide...only slow down you have is that "check point" just outside of Yermo.

So ironic, buddy of mine, who lives in Vegas, called me early this afternoon offering me a job down in Vegas...guess I'll be getting sucked back.

Probably miss the railfanning of Spokane, WA...

[C855B]

... Probably miss the railfanning of Spokane, WA...

You probably will. The LA&SL used to be a great line to 'fan - 35 years ago. It was DD city! When UP absorbed the WP traffic dropped a little, but when they ate SP there was even talk about turning it into a branchline ending in Vegas. Cooler heads prevailed, and I do understand that traffic levels are up slightly given the construction on the Sunset. What happens to it when the Sunset upgrades are done is anybody's guess, I suppose. However, with the slash-and-burn style of mainline abandonments of the '80s and '90s no longer vogue there's a chance it might yet be there for a while.