York Model Shops

I love York, it's a beautiful city and as befits such a place, it has a couple of excellent model shops a few minutes walk from the very centre of town.

For railway modellers the Monk Bar Model shop is the first place to find.The windows display is a feast on its own. Inside, a huge range of Hornby, Bachmann etc. is available. The showcase displays of locomotives and rolling stock are one of the biggest I've seen for a long while. It's not just RTR either, loads of kits and bits to be found hanging on the walls along with a wide range of paint and materials. I get the feeling that there are enthusiasts working here judging by the range and number of magazines and catalogues decorating the counter tops.

For the general modeller there is a reasonable range of plastic kits and loads of diecast vehicles at the front of the shop. Quite a bit of slot car stuff too.

More information on their website.

At the other end of the city (about 15 minutes walk from one to the other) is P&S Hobbies Models. This is where you come if you are into garden railways, radio control aircraft, boats or cars or (like me) just love a really crowded model shop where you have to squeeze in between piles of stock and get the chance to have a really good rummage around.

When you walk in, on the left is a huge wall full of plastic kits. All sorts of things are stocked. I even found an Airfix set of England world cup stars ! It's not just the main ranges on sale either, there are plenty of the more esoteric military models for you to build.

On the next wall and overhead are model boat kits. Again, there are the usual suspects along with one or two from eastern Europe that I'd not seen before. Quite a few fittings are stocked with more of the pricier items behind the counter. Don't miss the Billings rack at the front of the shop either.

In a cubby hole at the back of the shop as well as some of the more prominent piles you find garden railway rolling stock and buildings. The cubby is a sea of LGB boxes but I know there is other stuff in there too. If I have a complaint it's that a couple of the sets were a bit buried such is a quantity of stock in there !

Because of the aircraft modelling customers, the range of glues, paints and materials is wide. You can buy different types of wood and plastic along with wing coverings and weird stuff I didn't recognise immediately.

More on their website.

Both shops are excellent, staffed with knowledgeable staff and make a visit to York well worth the trip. Well, that and the best Yum Yums in the country...