I'm planning a trip to Chicago coming up, and I'm looking for tips on good N scale shops that are worth the visit.. Lombard Hobbies and Des Plaines are already on my list.. Are there any others? Thanks. ~Ian
Grayland Station is well worth the trip. Just about the most N-scale for square foot. Very nice owner who is always there.
When I lived in the Chicago area, I felt like I was in an N scale wasteland. [Two ways to take that, I know. ] If you are there during a show weekend, I would recommend you take in the train show at the Wheaton County Fairgrounds. Next show is August 14th. Great Midwest Train Show Andy Tetsu Uma
Thats the plan I'm hoping to spend an afternoon at Union, IL, visit some good N scale shops.. do a bit of sight seeing and hit Wheaton.. Thanks.
Hit the show first (and I should have said "DuPage County Fairgrounds"), right when it opens. A lot of the sellers are packing up by 2pm. Wheaton to IRM (yes, I'm still a member) is over an hour. You can kill the rest of the day at IRM - I wouldn't even try to hit the hobby shops. Des Plaines is the other way (East) from Wheaton and personally, I was never overwhelmed by their N Scale selection. Huge HO selection, though. Steve from Grayland is usually in Wheaton.
Cool.. I'll add B&G to the list... I have plenty of time to work with-- Coming in from the west on Friday.. Then Chicago Saturday, Wheaton Sunday AM then home.
Lived in Chicago for a few years, Greyland is good. Chicago Land Hobbies seemed to have a good selection, although I only made it there once. I really enjoyed Des plaines Hobbies, generally near O' Hare Airport. Americas Hobby Center was good too. I always seemed to find a good sale at Des Plaines and they have a great selection of Microscale decals. Kato USA Headquarters is in Schaumberg, a Chicago suburb. Small office in a non-descriptive building. MY general thought was nice to say I had been nothing interesting enough to go back or recommend.
Yep, Schaumburg. Working from the assumption that "Chicago" = "Giordano's", that puts Kato 29 miles away via the Kennedy. Google Maps Link
Where exactly "west?" If that takes you anywhere near Rochelle, it would be well worth your time to detour to the Rochelle railway park for an hour or two (or more....). Always great train action and a lot of fellow railfans to meet. Also, regarding the Kato HQ in Schaumburgh; if you need any parts it's a great way to get them without shipping charges. I stopped in there when I was in the area last October and picked up a part that I had been needing. IRM at Union is an absolute for me any time I'm back in Northern Illinois. If you haven't been there before, start in the big steam barn in the back and work forward. You'll know you're in the right spot when you see the finest looking diesel ever to grace the rails.
Oh YEAH!!! You'll need some :thumbs_up:Giordano's:thumbs_up: STUFFED :thumbs_upizza for sure at some point during all you train buying.
Gino's East is the best (get the pizza with the entire layer of sausage) followed by Lou Malnatti's. Connie's is great, too. As an Aurora native, I think you have enough good suggestions to fill a week. Andy Tetsu Uma
If you go to Rochelle, do yourself a favor. Go in the early afternoon, railfan, then get on IL 251 north, then at the 4 way stop of 64/251, hang a left on 64. This follows the C&I of the BNSF. You will come into the town of Oregon. Go through town and make a left on 9 and take a side street and you will find the Oregon IL CB&Q station, complete with layout and Historical Society. You will also see plenty of BNSF action. When you get hungry, get back on 9, go towards Rockford and look for Blackhawk Steak Pit. This is my all time favorite resturant run by two Greek brothers. All of the meat is hand selected daily and cooked on an open pit, charcoal fire in the middle of the resturant. Some of the best steaks I ever had was there. You might want to look them up and get reservations as they get busy in the summer. I know we are all giving you a lot, but Illinois, despite it's politics, has a lot to offer a railfan. I can't wait to get home to Monticello IL after my training is done.
If Grayland is at the show, the show in the morning and Union the rest of the day is the way to go. As good as DP hobbies is, their selection doesn't match Grayland and prices are closer to retail. Plus, Chicago is a big place. I just sense that the driving to seeing great N scale ratio would be lower trying to look at many other hobby shops. I say this as someone who has done the ChiTown LHS tour while traveling. Grayland has the most stuff in the loco and rolling stock dept., at the best prices, which is what I usually buy on the road. I usually don't have room to pack structures and the like, although I still have some brass water tanks and a diesel fueling rack that I bought at Des Plaines years ago, still serving proudly on my layout.
