These days York only has one model shop that sells railways but in the sixties there were three and all within a short walk of each other. Starting at the Minster there was the Minster Gates Model Shop. Mike Cook who for years organised the Easter Show in York had a Saturday job there to supplement his teaching salary. Mike also ran the Castle Model Railway Circle, the club I joined when I'd be ten or eleven. If you walked for a minute down Petergate you would come to Precious's Toy Shop which had a good selection of model railway stuff.
From there five minutes walk up Goodramgate would bring you to the Monk Bar Model Shop where the model railway department was on the first floor.
Over the years a few more have come and gone. The two most memorable were stationed either side of Micklegate. On the left if facing uphill was 'Robin of Micklegate' who only sold second hand stuff but he had two rooms packed full, floor to ceiling of interesting stuff. I could disappear for hours in there on a Saturday. On the other side was a branch of Puffers, which had the potential to be brilliant but was unfortunately run by a complete and utter grumpy tw@t, who was rumoured to be an ex army officer. Tetchy at the best of times I saw him tear a strip off one of the shop workers who had given a refund for an un-buildable tender kit. I saw the kit after the rumpus died down and it was a shocker.
Happily, Monk Bar Models is still going strong. Though it's fifteen years since I left York for Wales I'm still greeted as a friend when I pop in on visits back to see family. It's a brilliant proper model shop which has moved with the times and thrived. If you're in York I recommend a visit.