It's a little off the beaten track, but once you get there, for canal enthusiasts there is a lot worth seeing. The shop entrance is low-key but once inside, it opens up into a veritable model railway Aladdin's cave.
On the left, a wall of Wills kits and bits'n'pieces. Owner Tony French wasn't convinced by these when he took the business on but the sales have justified their retention. Under the test track on the left there are many packs of the same companies building materials as well as Slater's Plasticard.
Behind the repairs bench is a huge selection of new and second hand RTR models, both locos and rolling stock. Hornby, Bachmann, Dapol and Oxford Rail are in stock. By the door, a display case shows some of the new models but there's more on the shelves.
Stock is mainly OO but with a few bits of N and O. Others scales can be ordered in - one of the assistants is a 7mm modeller and while I was there picked up some Parkside kits to go with his recently purchased Dapol Terrier.
Although Tony only took over the business a few months ago, the shop has been open for longer and so there are a few gems to be found if you dig. I was also pleased to see the best range of Merit models, often overlooked but very useful for anyone building a layout.
As befits model shop that isn't just shifting boxes, services such as DCC decoder fitting are offered and buyers can see models work on the test track.
Considering the location, the shop was busy too. In a couple of hours mid-week there were half a dozen buyers as what should be a really quiet time of year. In the summer, when the cafe is open and you can leave the family in the sunshine by the waterway, it would make an ideal location to "accidentally" visit, the rest of the time, it's a good, solid useful model shop.
No comments:
Post a Comment