During the middle of April, 2008, I will be visiting above cities in Netherlands and Germany. Any recommended model train shops to visit?

Thanks,

Hello Dave,

The Marklin store in Amsterdam is a nice place to go. It is not big, but has a very friendly shopkeeper.

You might consider taking the train from Amsterdam to Utrecht (about 25 minutes travel). In Utrecht there is a quite big Marklin store, see http://www.marklin.nl/dealers/a...007-03-26.111241-13/view. Oposite that store (!) there is Kuijpers Hobbyhuis which sells other brands like Roco and Fleischmann. Disadvantage is that I personaly like the shopkeepers less in Utrecht.

René

Generally, when travelling to a strange city and looking for hobby shops in the area, it is useful to look at the dealer list of various model train manufacturers.
For Amsterdam, an excellent resource would be marklin.nl. Don't forget that companies like LS Models (lsmodels.com) also have a large selection of Dutch product and list many hobby shops as well.
I recently acquired a set of LS Models NS Couchette coaches from Huenerbein (eBay Huenerbein321) in Aachen (near the Dutch border) and I have to say they are among the highest detailed coaches in my collection. These are ex-TUI coaches that have since been repainted in NS, Citynightline and EETC colors.
One effort that I make when travelling in Europe is keeping my eyes out for items that cannot be found in stores on this side of the pond. So, if I find a little hobby shop, I just might be able to find that rare gem to add to my collection.
Good travelling and good shopping.

Regards

Mike C

Enjoy the trip Dave

AFAIK, Marklin Store Amsterdam also gives you tax refund bill from Global Refund for certain minimum amount of price. You have to pay the price plus tax first, then you can collect the tax back at the airport.

As other said, the shop in Utrecht has more collection than Amsterdam. Does anybody know if the Utrecht shop has tax refund service?

Enjoy your trip, don't forget to ride the monorail in Wuppertal.

Wasn't that model in the Märklin Museum ?

Thanks for the link. What I had in mind with that question was whether or not a "mass produced" model had ever been made for the market. There mightn't be enough demand, although maybe some keen modeller somewhere has built a working model of it.

Here you see the adres of my favorite dealer in the Netherlands:

http://www.grootendorst.net/

Woerden is a litle city with a railway station on the railway Utrecht-den Haag/Rotterdam.
Comming from the railwaystation, the Märklinshop is reachable in about 10 minutes by foot.
It is possible to visit Woerden coming from Amsterdam-CS or Utrect-CS by train.

With friendly greetings,
Dutchman

Hello Dave,

I have been to that store in Amsterdam. It is conveniently located. You may find that model of few years ago that you didn't buy and regret there (I found my Mä 37021 BR 53 Borsig w/condenser tender there), but be aware that their prices are on the high side.

Prices are much more competitive in Germany.

I agree with Zora la rousse about Muller department store for buying the not fancy items .

I guess that you will be travelling by train, the only civilized way , and will get into Lower Saxony into the Rhur valley and then to Rhein river.

Depending of where your train connection is you may go by Osnabrück (Osnabroeck). There are 4 train stores. Plus, a worth visit to Felix Nussbaum (painter) Museum and writer Erich Maria Remarque, "All Quiet on the Western Front", small museum near the university. They are two of most know people born there that unfortunately were killed by that WWII government.

You may check this store for nice variety and presentation models 1 to Z :

J.B.Modellbahn-Service
http://www.jbmodellbahnservice.de
Peter Schwenderling is my salesperson over there.

If you make there, is worth a visit to the city Müster (30 min south) for the history of 30 years war. Sorry, no train store of note.[:(]

In the Rhur valley:

Dortmund:

Der Lokschuppen Manfred Berlinski (2,6 km from main station by street car)
Märkische Str. 227
44141 Dortmund

Essen:

Müller Ltd. & Co. KG Deptartment store(0,4 km)
Limbeckerstr. 59-65
45127 Essen

Modellbahn-Ecke Inh. Ursula Aschmann (2,9 km)
Kölner Str. 48-50
45145 Essen

Dusseldorf:

Nothing that I remember.

Wuppertal: Land of Schwebebahn suspended monorail

MATSCHKE Modellbahn - [:p] My 2nd favority Marklin Store
42281 Wuppertal -
Schützenstraße 90

Cologne:Köln HaupbahnhofMain train station,Kölner Dom cathedral, Ludwig Art Museum and Römisch-Germanisches Museum Romano-Germanic Museum. These are not to be missed attractions.

There are some stores, but too much to see and no time for toy train shopping [|)].

My favorite store in whole Germany:

Eisenbahn-Treffpunkt SCHWEICKHARDT GmbH
Biegelwiesenstrasse 31, D-71334 Waiblingen-Beinstein,
Telefon ++49 7151 93 79 31
http://www.modelleisenbahn.com/index_e.php
my salesperson:Jens Schubert

This store is near the size of Safeway! Best prices too.

Waiblingen is about 11 miles from Stuttgart and it can be reached by local train and taxi.

REMEMBER [:0] :Stores are closed on Sundays and open only half day on Saturdays- Plan ahead![}:)]

Enjoy your trip.

Ed
p.s. I copied this text from my notes that I compiled to myself for my friends and I went I go over there.

P.S. We rode the Schwebebahn in Wuppertal for two full circuits and video! Great fun, including rousing songs from local and thoroughly "lubricated" football (soccer) fans and visit with German railfan taking his grandson on Schwebebahn roundtrip.

My father is from fairly near Wuppertal and I remember seeing a Maerklin S-Bahn in a shop window in Wuppertal in the late 1980's (I was born in 1980), it's taken me nearly twenty years and the invention of ebay to start buying the train for myself....coaches 4185, 4184....I still need 4183 and a 111 lok to complete it.

This gentleman from Wuppertal makes an HO Schwebebahn...

http://www.hielscher-dampfmodelle.de/

...aside from the schwebebahn model he also makes (amongst other things) a live steam HO model of a loco used on a tramway in Great Yarmouth in England....which is where I live now