What are your top 5 places to buy Model Railway stuff from...I'll go 1st...

[JJ73]

In no particular order, here are my 5 top places where I like to buy my Model Railway bit 'n' pieces from...

1. In C'feild There is my Local Model shop - W. D. Models!!!
2. Staying in C'Field - Every Thursday at the Antique market - there are 2 different stall which sell old 2nd Hand Model Railway Stuff (& if your Lucky enough - sometimes you can also find actual real (may be fake) Railway Signs (remember those 2 Railway signs that I showed you a few yrs back???))
3. Going to Buxton - there is a Traditional Toy Shop called Appleyards & Son which sells a small amount of Hornby Stuff (they even sell Tiddlywinks & Snake & Ladders if you look in their window display!!! 😮😀)
4. In Matlock / Matlock Bath (somewhere around that area - can't remember where cos I haven't been there for a while!!!) There is an old Warehouse / Cotton Mill type building (which has been converted in to shops & you can even park inside part of the old Cotton Mill Building!!!) they sell a selection of Hornby stock (some where around the bottom floor - if I remember correctly)
5. & of course not forgetting good old Hornby.com on their / this Lovely new Web Site!!!

🙂🚂🚂🚂

[morairamike]

Street lights and trees I use Wish.

[M. Matthews]

1. Gaugemaster - luckily I'm less than an hours drive from the shop. Unfortunately, not many bargains to be had. I usually go just with the intention of seeing what items look like in person but end up spending money as well.
2. Bluebell railway - Again, high prices and don't usually intend on buying things from there but once said items are in front of you, I just can't help it.
3. East Surrey Model Railway Club - There is a gentleman that always brings things with him to sell. This week I picked up a Hornby S15 for a tenner. Old model but great condition and great runner.
4. Fleabay - what more can I say? Bit of a gamble but shop carefully and you can find some good stuff.
5. Car Boot Sales? - I go a few weeks to try my luck, but never had any. Would be interested to find out if anyone else has?

 

[Bulleidboy]

1. Hornby
2. Model Railways Direct
3. Whoever has what I am after.

 

[atom3624]

The title states 'Model Railway Stuff', not specifically 'Hornby', so they're not normally on my list. After the 'recent furore' they're even lower on my list tbh!

1. 'Google' options.
2. Ebay.
3. Hattons.
4. Rails.
5. Indicated availabilities within the Google search - perhaps Colletts, etc.

Al.

[Brew Man]

I tend to use Hattons a lot. Their prices are (mostly) good and their delivery times are (almost) always next day.

[Engine shed 1]

Hi all here goes

Wd models in Chesterfield

Rails in Sheffield

Hattons

And last but not least most def if I'm in the area a place called classic rail in Wadhurst in Sussex near Hastings a great little shop for second hand items and those items that you can't always get hold off well worth a visit if you are near

[maw78]

I always used Rails of Sheffield before but I've found their customer service to be lacking a bit the last couple of times .... added they now dont stock new hornby releases I find myself trawling model shops via Google for the best possible price. I've used Cheltenham Model Centre, JDM Models, Monk Bar Models and Jadlam Racing in the past.

[MartKS1707822133]

Mine are in order

1. Peters Spares
2. Hornby
3. On Line Auction sites, this covers FB-groups and the Bay etc
4. Car boots / model shows.
5. local model shops

[Rana Temporia]

Online auction sites (I am being honest)

Swap meets and exhibitions (when they start up again)

Specialist suppliers off the internet

Hornby (for spares when they have them)

A model shop in Culcheth as it’s on the way home from work and if I have time I can just pull in to the car park. He often has interesting second hand stuff.

I have bought from a lot of the major suppliers in the past and used to use Blackwells of Hawkwell, East Kent Models and especially Modelspares of Burnley. I think all the stock from the last three is now with Peter’s Spares?

[CORKY.]

@ Engine shed 1, I try to keep an open mind, so took a look at your suggestion, Classic Rail.............. ended up with a purchase !

[wairoalbany]

I live overseas so my fav. places for UK outlines are as follows

TMC

Hatton's

Ebay

Here I buy from

Trainworld

and my local hobby shop "Smokestack Hobbies."

[threelink]

It depends what one is looking for but here is my list:

1 Toy and train fairs

2 Stalls on preserved lines

3 Tony's Trains, Rugby

4 Car boots

5 Junk/Charity shops

As you will probably guess, I only buy rubbish to cobble up into complete items, and spares and materials to do the job. MM asked about success at car boots. I've had a few over the years. It takes patience and many sellers ask ludicrous prices, especially if the name "Hornby" is involved, but sometimes there is gold out there. I paid the £12.99 asked for a filthy 2 rail Trix Twin Britannia with apparently damaged valve gear and one driver ruined by a ham-handed attempt to solder in a crankpin, sold as a non-runner. I bought it for spares to fix another wreck but under all the muck it proved to be in pristine condition inside and out, with motor windings as bright as the day it left the factory. The wheel was easily replaced from the wreck and the motion was just tangled, not damaged. An hours work cleaning, scraping off splattered solder and servicing produced a stunning collectors' item.

During the covid pandemic I have been forced to use on-line auctions but consider them very expensive.