Railroad Hobbies

I’ve been going to this business since its humble beginnings in 1991. Other model train shops have come and gone in the internet era, but Mike’s shop is a survivor, and I’m rooting for him. Guys are always helpful here, and they get to know their regulars. It reminds me of the old TV show Cheers, you walk in there and it’s an enjoyable experience whether you buy something or not. The owner Mike is profoundly introverted but don’t mistake his quiet ways for unfriendliness. He has a vast wealth of knowledge and experience and has a passion for trains and for his customers if you get to know him.

I went there last week to find one gas station kit, Bachmann, but they did not have it, but they did recommend the JL Innovative Brownies Northside Service Kit which had lots of Flying A, Shell and Texaco signage plus all the big tire brands including Goodyear, Firestone, Goodrich and Michelin. I’ve shopped there since last November and I will continue to go there. They are really knowlegeable about model trains and accessories.

My husband and I just left. It was a train shopping paradise. They had a well organized store with friendly, knowledgeable staff who were very helpful. My husband says the people there made him feel at ease and comfortable purchasing supplies for his new model railroad.

This is a well stocked model train store. More friendly and well priced than the other store in Lodi, Ca. This Roseville store is fair in pricing and has more than most stores I’ve been in. Plenty of parking. As for the comment about Bruce’s Train Store, that place was a dump. A-​holes of employees and that’s why they are no longer in business. Over priced and in a dangerous part of the city. You won’t go wrong with the Roseville Railroad Store!

This store used to be a place I frequented as a child, a couple years ago I returned after a several year gap and found the store has changed a lot, their selection has gone down but they still have a good amount of stuff to choose from. Their repair service on trains isn’t the best though. I once dropped off a locomotive for a modification to them and was told they would call me back in about a month when it was done. I called a number of times only to be told they couldn’t help me and didn’t know about my locomotive. I finally got concerned enough to come in only to find it was sitting in the back of the shop not being worked on. They didn’t do any work on it for that entire month, yet had never bothered to call and tell me that they had decided that it wasn’t worth modifying. But I will say that besides that experience, the store is very charming. It is the last model train shop in the Sacramento area, and for that reason alone it is a treasure. I hope it stays in business long enough that I can one day bring my kids there and show them where I once went as a child, and so they can see what an old fashioned hobby shop is all about.

This is one of the best Model Railroad shops I’ve been too. The staff is very knowledgeable and they always have a great selection of products. You absolutely cannot beat their prices – most of the time they are even better than what you can find on the internet. Someone mentioned that they do not stock new stuff and I do not necessarily find that to be the case. They always have new buildings etc. from Woodland Scenics and I have yet to go in there without finding something new. They are not as big is Bruce’s Train Shop, but Bruce’s is way overpriced and it’s difficult to find good help. What I like about Roseville’s Railroad Hobbies is that there are a lot of people working there that can give you tips and old-​school secrets about model railroading. It’s always a pleasant experience when I visit. It is also cool that when you leave the store there is always some cool train activity in the Roseville train yards just a few hundred feet away from the front door.

It is safe to say that I will never set foot in this store again. My dad and I brought his 70+ year old Lionel train in, which he had just handed down to me, for a «checkup». We were told it may take a month or two since they were so backed up but it shouldn’t be a problem. After about 6 months and several calls from me, since they decided it wasn’t necessary to keep us appraised of the lengthy delay, to check on the progress I was told there was nothing they could do with it. My dad and I picked up the train and immediately delivered it to Bruce’s Train Shop, off of Marconi in Sacramento, for a second opinion. Less than a month later and only a $ 35 bill the train is back in «like new» working order. But I thought there was nothing that could be done Railroad Hobbies??? If you are looking for a «real» model train shop I highly suggest Bruce’s Train Shop. The staff at Bruce’s Train Shop is extremely helpful, knowledgeable, and they carry a vastly larger selection of products and parts than Railroad Hobbies. Please don’t waste your time with these guys at Railroad Hobbies like my dad and I did.

Just your typical model train store… but the nice thing about the place is that they are right near Roseville Yard. Railroad Hobbies also does offer a bit of a discount off list price. The one downside is that they don’t seem to carry as extensive of a selection of new items as other places I have been. Otherwise, a very good selection of N, HO, O and some toy trains… good magazine rack… pretty everything you’d expect a good model train store to have.
The staff here is very helpful and friendly.