Red Caboose

Red Caboose is pulled out of Diagon Alley. On the street you can hear the whistle blow. The shop is into a short hall and then duck left down a few steps, already surrounded by ancient and odd engines. Behind glass. As David N says here, «Everyone needs to visit this place whether you are into model kit building or not. It’s more museum than hobby shop.» Like others I first heard about it on the Christmas photo display in the NYTimes (I can’t find the pictures right now, but here’s an article they put into words:
). There are a lot of nuances to the model rail hobby and its people and all of them are right here in this little shop. Just go and hang out for awhile, and browse and listen. You have to keep moving around because there’s not enough room for you, the trains and that little boy staring at the cat in the back room. You’d like the owner to be a fuzzy yoda but he’s a cranky precision train builder. You want crappy trains? Unique high end trains? Japanese starter sets? Tiny sculptors with tiny models? Got em got em got em.

Dropped by this spot after hearing about it in the Times
because it was the holidays and because I used to be obsessed with trains. Not disappointed, but unclear how long they’ll last even with the recent press.

The guy that owns this place (Allan Spitz) is the lowest of the low. His only goal is to rip you off. I basically had to beg him to sell me a postwar Lionel train as a gift. He made me wait 45 minutes as he ignored me. Then told me he didn’t want to sell me the train because I knew more about trains than he did. While I was there he also yelled at a kid and his father for knocking over a box and called them «idiots.». Do not do business here.

This little hobby shop is located in the basement level of a building. You would have to walk down a steep staircase in order to get to the store. Once you’re down there, you will see what this store carries. This store sells model trains, and numerous die-​cast vehicles of cars, trucks, buses and more. Most are packaged, and others are not.
The aisles in this store are very narrow, therefore you need to be careful when walking through so you don’t knock over anything off of the shelves. Speaking of the shelves, some were organized, but others were just down right messy. You would have to look slowly through the mess to see if there would be anything that would catch your eye. Also, if you have little kids who don’t know anything about collecting, you have to watch them carefully so they don’t knock anything over.
But what’s disappointing is the fact that certain models, especially the Corgi buses, are taken out of the boxes and left out on display for sale. Those particular buses left out are priced really high. As a selective die-​cast collector myself, I would never take this stuff out of the box and leave it out in the open, because this would devalue the overall quality of the product. If I really wanted to show off, I would just remove the lid of the box and just position the boxed model vehicle in a safe angle for everyone to see without removing the clear, plastic coverings on top. That’s a good way to show that the model vehicle inside is still in an excellent condition.
One of the key things for a hobby shop to stay alive is keeping up with the trends in the world of die-​cast collecting. Unfortunately, the hobby shop in Central Jersey closed down for not keeping up with those trends. But this store does an EXCELLENT job with that because I have found CURRENT BOXED vehicles that I saw online being sold right here at fair prices. Even though I felt that those vehicles weren’t necessary for my collection, I do give the owner credit and an extra star for his effort in keeping up with those trends.
I noticed a sticker that says «People Love Us On Unilocal». I really wish I could say the same myself, but I’m sorry that I’m not one of those lovers. This is the 2^nd time I came here because I know this store is geared toward collectors like myself. But the messy shelves and vehicles being placed out of the box on display for top dollars leave me hesitant on whether or not I would return. One thing’s for sure, is that I would never go out of my way solely for the purpose of coming here.

I like this little gem. Lots of older N Scale Engines still brand new. Atlas with Kato drives. Many used items. If you are knowledgable you will do just fine. Take your time looking. Got a great deal on a very old run loco (nonDCC Friendly). Work the deal.

This place is great! Big selection of trains and great showcase models. I love coming here.

Love this place. Yea the owner /​manager is a complete lunatic, but he knows his stuff. Stores like this are going away. Support them while you can. The eye candy at the store is worth the price of admission (free). While you are there, pet the cat, he is probably sitting on the counter.

I went to this hobby shop because my original planed one was closed. I am so glad I went.
It is filled with many trains as one would guess. The store includes other items too, including planes and building sets. They are home to the NYC subway cars and they also can custom make some models with an order. I found just what I was looking for; a baggage car, two Pullman cars, and the rare lounge end car. All in a Burlington paint.
If you like cats, the owner has one named Lionel!

Great selection is more than offset buy one of the weirdest owners/​salesman you can imagine. I’ll stick with online orders.

I understand why some people wouldn’t like this place… it’s like going into the basement of a toy hoarder. It’s crowded, dusty and it feels like you could be crushed at any moment. But it’s also got a huge selection of a wide variety of items and reasonable prices. There’s also a cat who lives there. It’s not as hard to find as you’d expect if you’re looking for it, and even if you don’t buy anything you can still get enjoyment out of the incredible collection of trains and toy cars.

I can’t speak for the trains as I build model cars but I’ll say this: a great hobby never dies and this place is a true gem.
Unfortunately it’s rare to find a real hobby shop these days unless you consider franchise craft stores to be in that category. I’ll take a tight, dusty basement store over a pritsy franchise any day!
Yes, this store is cramped & dusty, but I like maneuvering my way through the maze of highly stacked boxes of planes, trains and automobiles, and believe it or not, this place is organized in the owner’s very own way. Speaking of the owner, he is very knowledgable.
As for the negative reviewers, welcome to New York. Now go back to wherever you came from.

In celebration of Voyager I’s 36 years of travel through our solar system and beyond the heliosphere into interstellar space, I wanted to commemorate its voyage so I went to Amazon and bought a good looking replica for about $ 30 – I did not want anything too cheap.
What arrived was unexpected – a model I had to glue together and it contained like 400+ delicate pieces as if I were building the real thing. The kicker was that all the instructions, including the outside of the box were in Japanese. It has been at least 40+ years since I was into model building, but I had done quite a bit of it at that time.
So I went on-​line and typed in «Hobby Shops in NYC need my office zip code». Finally something good, a block away from my office was the Red Caboose – it has been in this location since 1946 and is tucked away at the end of a lobby squeezed between other businesses. I would have missed this place completely had it not been for the mp3 loop of a dull train whistle outside on the sidewalk. I followed the signage that lured me down a labyrinth of staircases, lined with miniature model trains, cars, planes, tanks and figurines. I felt like such a total kid by the time I got to the bottom of the stirs and all I could say to myself was «Wow! Are you kidding me!.»
Everyone needs to visit this place whether you are into model kit building or not. It is more of a museum than a hobby shop. If you bring in kids, make sure they respect his space and take the time to introduce themselves – a lost etiquette these days.
However, the most interesting and peculiar thing here is the proprietor (Alex), nestled between stacks of brushes, paints, glues, and plastic parts. He is always working on something and quite fascinating – busying himself and donned with a magnifying goggles attached to a visor. He is a combination of Willy Wonka meets Rain Man– polite, knowledgeable and immediately likeable. But do not bring your NY game face in here and start with, «I need…». You are in his world and he is part of the machinery. It’s like being transported into some inner workings of a model train set – you yourself feel miniature among the millions of pieces that go into model building and he is your eccentric guide.. There are books and so much to look at you can get lost here. It is mostly geared for model train building, but I imagine, everything that ever was has passed through this portal.
I asked what I would need to put this together and he equipped me with some liquid glue and fashioned a small piece of piano wire to keep the nozzle clean. He demonstrated how the glued worked and recommended the right paint brushes and paint. It’s not the kind of place you call up and ask for stuff – that might give you the wrong impression– you need to see the brick and mortar.
What every business professional in this city needs on their desk is an exact replica subway car and this is the place to come.

The Red Caboose is a fantastic store. They have more railroad Items than I have ever seen in one place. The owner is very knowlegible. I asked him several questions and he was helpful with each of them. When you get to his address you have to walk down the hall then downstairs into the basement. Merchandise is in cases lining the stairs. The entire large basement is full of merchandise organized on floor to ceiling shelves. If you model railroads you have to go here. The also had a large selection planes and cars but I didn’t look closely at them.

2.5 stars…
I’m not sure if the owner of this shop has a mental disability or if he’s just eccentric but don’t come into the shop expecting great service. Another reviewer nailed it when he said that he’s like the Soup Nazi of model trains. So if you’re looking to chat with a guy who’s passionate about model trains and to get his opinion, you may love this guy but if you’re looking for friendly and helpful service, go elsewhere. Also if you’re expecting a good deal, Red Caboose definitely isn’t it.
Let’s back up a minute. I’m building a terrarium and need a couple little figures to put inside the little world I’ve created. The right figure size is the HO scale used in model train sets. From what I can tell NYC only has around 4 model train shops (1 in Queens, 1 in Brooklyn, and 2 in Manhattan). I called Red Caboose to ask if they had the specific figures I wanted and the guy said he didn’t have anything organized or in the books where he could tell. He said he had a lot in stock and that I should just come by and take a look. He also went off on a tangent telling me his opinions on the Preiser brand verses the Woodland Scenics brand, it was then that I knew this guy knew his products and was passionate about quality.
Preiser by the way is by far the best brand to go with and not every store carries Preiser (or much of it). For example Rudy’s in Astoria deals mostly with ModelPower, and TrainWorld in Brooklyn deals mostly with Woodland Scenics. Other companies are probably fine to go with for a large train set but if you only have a figure or two to look closely at, you probably want a good quality, well painted and cast figure that only Preiser (and Vollmer) from what I can tell can provide.
I arrived at the cramped, musty, and dusty basement shop that was just filled floor to ceiling with all things model train (also some cars, and some other stuff). I went to the owner to show him the photos of the figures I wanted but he refused to look at them telling me that wouldn’t help. If he knew his inventory and what he’s put into his shelves of course it would have helped. After I couldn’t find any of the figures I wanted I asked if he could place special orders and how long it would take. He was very dismissive telling me some things would take weeks some things would be unattainable, pretty much brushing off the fact that I wanted to make a purchase. I also started looking at the price tags of everything and realized he’s marking everything 15−20% above list price.
Do yourself a favor and order your stuff from
, and if you don’t find what you want/​need online then drop by here, just know what you’re walking into.

This is the most magical Hobby Store I have been ever, period.
Totally clattered, crammed to the brim with arcane stuff, little treasures everywhere. Reasonable prices, a feast for a REAL modeler.
The person that was there on Monday Oct 8^th opened 11am sharp as advertised. He was a kind, absolutely nice person; knowledgeable and informative, nothing like the ogre described by some reviewers, but he is a New Yorker, which I liked, not a New-​Age I-​Love-​Everyone character. I also liked his cat!
I purchased some long-​sought items, and because my plane was leaving right there, I could only spend 20 heavenly minutes. I’ll endure NY again, but only if I can spend a lot of time (and money) in that store of wonders.

What a horrible little troll of a man who owns this store; do not bring children here. Cramped basement, crowded with haphazardly stacked items, incredibly dusty.
Owner does not like children; he also does not like to part with his collections; seems to be in business for the wrong reasons; hurts the hobby.

To the person who went to a train store to get her boyfriend’s helicopter fixed. Trains have wheels and move on tracks.

Definitely a one of a kind hobby shop. At first glance it appears that the shop hasn’t been updated in ages, that the owner is a gruff hobby elitist. But neither could be further from the truth.
Think the soup Nazi for trains. Start up a conversation with the owner and prepare yourself for a masters course in model rail road hobbying. He’s knowledgeable, crafty, witty and smart. But don’t try and convince him his methods aren’t right. If there’s one thing he knows, it’s trains.
I’ve been to other more organized shops but this is by far the best hobby shop in New York.
Every hobbyist must experience this shop and even if you aren’t into trains, you should stop by and witness a true New York character.
One if a kind.

I found this place almost by accident, they had some window display… but where’s the entrance??? Sure enough, the entrance will lead you to basemaent! The owner is a character to say the least, he reminded me of movie guy Woody Allen (like the other gentleman here reported) The selection of toys are somewhat all over, he has good selection of trains, new or (ab)used. Plastic models from land, naval, air, commercial. Die casts. No Radio Controled items, so be aware. There are also a cat which poops all over the place so if you have to bring your date, be aware. My only complaint was two items I bought were broken, and had to return them, and one seemed to be locally repaired (hmmm?) If you want to be certain, be sure to ask Mr. «Allen» to open up the box and inspect before leaving the store. Other than that, this is type of store that NY stays strong, small biz!

Given the name I would have never known this place sold anything else beyond model train related products. I’m glad my co-​worker invited me along.
Nestled right next to the Good Burger and down a set of flights right into a cavernous basement stacked in messy rows of boxes upon boxes of model sets resides a quirky cat and it’s equally quirky owner.
The guy that runs this place — I kid you not — will remind you exactly of Woody Allen.
He speaks exactly like him. Fast paced and extremely passionate about his craft. The same syncopation and intonation. It’s crazy. I believe it’s his long lost hobby shop owning, socially awkward basement dwelling brother.
Don’t expect crazy deals, it is midtown after all and it is a hobby shop which goes to say hobbies aren’t always the cheapest things.
Their selection covers mainly trains but they do have a solid offering of military models like tanks, planes, figurines etc.
Their car selection seems a little out dated, but then again this place is in a hard to find basement that can only stock so much.
The friendliness though of the owner is what makes browsing this place so much fun. He’s sure to just randomly tell you a great story and interesting information even as you’re slowly backing away towards the door.
Love it!