paratom
Western Thunderer
Here it is, it happens to reside with me and I intend to incorporate it into my layout along with some of the other buildings they made.
Model Shops Remembered
- Thread starter TheSnapper
- Start date
paratom
Western Thunderer
paratom
Western Thunderer
I remember them well and worked for awhile in the mail order department in the basement of W&H. Always remember the guy in charge of the mail order department always had a fag in his mouth and the air full of smoke. I also remember a ramshackle model railway shop that was located on Church Road, Crystal Palace that had loads of locos on display in the front window. Another model railway shop I remember and use to hang out at was a tiny shop on the walkway up to Norbury Station run by an old guy who had Alsatians in the shop with him. Bet he never got robbed.
Dog Star
Western Thunderer
I used that shop in spring and summer of 1973 - I do not recall the dogs. Not sure of the name of the shop, was the owner Mike Bryant?
paratom
Western Thunderer
Can't remember the name of the guy but another thing I remember is the Wills kit built Southern tank loco he had in the front window that I used to look at in awe.
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TheSnapper
Western Thunderer
My first train set was a Christmas present in 1957 – the new Hornby-Dublo 3-rail “Bristolian” – comprising “Bristol Castle" & 2 Chocolate & Cream coaches (with hindsight, an strange choice for one living firmly in LNER country!)
That set was probably bought from the local Co-op.
It’s quite strange how many diverse local shops sold Meccano products.
For instance, in amongst the plimsolls & tennis rackets of a local sports shop, lurked the familiar blue & white ( & latterly, red & white) striped boxes.
More surprising was a Mothercare-type shop which at one time hosted a factory-built French Hornby Acho layout amongst the prams & cots! What I wouldn’t give to make an offer on that now...
The first “proper“ model shop I experienced was Cuttriss’s in Doncaster, originally on Cleveland Street.
They seemed to sell everything including model aircraft engines which they used to test on the counter with resultant noise & fumes. No H&S then!
A particular attraction was the display cabinet of fully finished Kitmaster models, which subsequently appeared on the left-hand side of the entrance to their new shop in Duke Street, where they moved in about 1962, I think.
It was a family-run firm and here they can be seen behind one of the counters, which always boasted a selection of catalogue & magazines.
In addition to my model-railway related purchases, over the years they supplied me with:
- American Car & Hot Rod kits from AMT, Revell and Monogram
- AMT aerosol spray paint @ 7/6 each a tin– I was only on 5 shillings a week pocket money – but who could resist such colours as Lemon-Lime Metalflake – and I can still smell it now...
- Control line model aircraft – radio control was far too expensive in those days
- Dinky Toys, Corgi Toys & Spot-on models
- Many Airfix, Frog & Kitmaster kits of course
A Proper Model Shop Much Missed.
Tim
paratom
Western Thunderer
Five people working behind the counter shows you how popular those hobbies were in those days.
Graham Bustin
Active Member
With the closure of all model shops in Reading, we were once spoilt for choice!, I now use Alton Model Centre, Alton. I understand that is run by the son of the former manager of Eames, Reading. Useful for all those sundries, paint etc that are expensive to purchase by post. It also provides an excuse to see the real thing on the Watercress line, just up the road. Also a new O Gauge group has recently started in the town. A nice place to take our wives, plenty of shops to keep them happy.
Graham.
Graham.
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Wagonman
Western Thunderer
I have a vague thought it was Ray Somebody...
Alex Bowie's Modelmania which as a boy I frequented back in the mid to late 60s. He was also editor of the Model Railway News I think or at least a regular contributor. Showed me and my friend Pete how to put a motor bogie into a couple of Tri-Ang suburban brakes to make a crude 2EPB. I was so proud!
Kubes
paratom
Western Thunderer
Copied from RMWeb
It was a tiny lock up shop which was stuffed with all sorts of useful model railway bits and pieces - and two big Alsations. If more than 1 customer was in the shop, the dogs were booted out. Not unnaturally, they were usually very reluctant to go outside in bad weather and objected loudly, but always did as they were told.
Alex Bowie (for those who haven't heard of him) was a modeller himself and had been Editor of Model Railway Constructor and been involved with the Meccanno Magazine when it had some model railway content. He usually produced layout plans with sketches of how the result would look when complete, along with drawings of possible buildings and scenic treatments. He was a good writer, certainly as entertaining and as lively as Cyril Freezer.
A visit to Modelmania usually entailed allowing at least half an hour. Although you could be pretty sure you would come out with whatever you needed, Alex could talk for England. He was a great eccentric and full of interesting stories. After so long (he died in the 1970s, I think), I can't remember any of them, although I do recall he told me he used to build baseboards out of balsa at the end of the War because no other timber was available.
David C
Yorkshire Dave
Western Thunderer
I came across these when searching for one of my strassenbahn books.
A couple of catalogues from some of the aforementioned model shops.
Taylor & McKenna - This is from 1953 as one of the Peco pages refers to a new Peco Publication being available later that year (1953).
W&H 1993
A couple of catalogues from some of the aforementioned model shops.
Taylor & McKenna - This is from 1953 as one of the Peco pages refers to a new Peco Publication being available later that year (1953).
W&H 1993
oldravendale
Western Thunderer
Fascinating.
Looking up on t'web £3 in 1953 is the equivalent of £84.31 today, so considering their fidelity at the time those Hornby models were pretty good value.
Brian
Looking up on t'web £3 in 1953 is the equivalent of £84.31 today, so considering their fidelity at the time those Hornby models were pretty good value.
Brian
Steph Dale
Western Thunderer
Not really, Dad; with average take home pay of £9.25 equivalent/week, that was still a sizeable dent in the average pocket. Proportionally a great deal more than the current crop when compared to today's income. This is a bit out of date, but still an interesting comparison: 1953-2003: then and now
Steph
oldravendale
Western Thunderer
From that perspective you are, of course, correct. My example was based on the effect of inflation over the period in question. Just demonstrates how disposable income has increased in a single lifetime. We're going to pay for the Covid thing one way or another, though, which could well make a difference in the short to medium term.
I seem to remember that my brand new Trix Twin "Hunt" was about £7.00 when bought for a combined Christmas and birthday present at about the same time. I was a really lucky boy, wasn't I? But I still lusted after Hornby Dublo which, even at that time, was much more prototypical. I must have been a really ungrateful child!
Brian
I seem to remember that my brand new Trix Twin "Hunt" was about £7.00 when bought for a combined Christmas and birthday present at about the same time. I was a really lucky boy, wasn't I? But I still lusted after Hornby Dublo which, even at that time, was much more prototypical. I must have been a really ungrateful child!
Brian
Muddysblues
Western Thunderer
Does anyone remember "Farnworth Model Rail Centre", Farnworth, Bolton, run by Ronnie ? not the most organised place, but you only had to ask him if he had XY or Z in, off he would go rummaging round in the back room or upstairs !! and generally he would find it.
Sadly he had a heart attack in the shop and died, it never re-opened as far as I know
Craig.
Sadly he had a heart attack in the shop and died, it never re-opened as far as I know
Craig.
Firehead
Member
Does anyone remember "Farnworth Model Rail Centre", Farnworth, Bolton, run by Ronnie ? not the most organised place, but you only had to ask him if he had XY or Z in, off he would go rummaging round in the back room or upstairs !! and generally he would find it.
Sadly he had a heart attack in the shop and died, it never re-opened as far as I know
Craig.
Yes, I remember that shop. You're right, it never did reopen after Ronnie's death.
I remember Tennent’s original shop, often tied in with a visit to Warley at The Harry Mitchell Centre, smell of meths and noise of live steam as you walked in. As the child of emigres from the far south west and a black sheep of the family for going to school in Birmingham, I remember the trips to Beatties in the Bull Ring, Bob’s models I think on the Coventry or Stratford Road, and a small shop that didn’t stock much on vicarage road in King’s Heath. Though the one I remember most clearly was Ballard Brothers’ small shop in School Road, Kings Heath. A real mixture of all sorts, including American, British, n, 00. When they closed down my father bought a complex double slip crossing they had built for somebody who never collected it, which we still have and may be up for sale. All the shops had a certain unique smell. (For smells Vale onslow’s showroom on the Stratford Road is another story). Andy
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