Schaufelberger AG, Thun

 

Strolling around Thun, a really nice city with many pretty features, and very little in the way of tourist tat shops, I spotted a Marklin sign dangling from a department store. Looking in the window, it seemed to promise more than just a toy department, so of course, I investigated. 

There is a toy department, a great big one, on the third floor. But looking around, I could see stairs, but no escalator, to a fourth. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, I had a look. 

What I found was the sort of model shop any city would be proud of. Well stocked with plastic kits, boat and flying aircraft kits, glues and materials. The only omission seems to be paint. A few spray cans, including some Humbrol, but not a rack full of colours. Odd, that's the sort of thing that encourages repeat visits. 

Scenicly, all the main European manufacturers were represented with racks, and spinny display things, stuffed full of product. I liked the look of the 3D sheets from Noch, although I have seen these before, and Carson HO scale radio control vehicles. A quick play showed them to be very controlable. Not cheap, but hey, Switzerland. 

Of course there is a cabinet full of trains. A 30% sale was on, but with what I took to be DCC locos costing over 500 Swiss Francs, those are still scary prices, although the models are sublime. 

The Marklin Start-up sets look interesting. A step above the My World range, these are still dead rail radio controlled locos, for modest prices. Conversion potential perhaps? 

My biggest problem was working out what to buy. I didn't want to spend a fortune, and the space in my rucksack was minimal, so it had to be tiny. See what I ended up with tomorrow. 

In the meantime, the Schaufelberger AG website is here.