Where & how to buy G scale trains?OverviewLarge scale trains can often last 20 years or more if properly handled and maintained. A number of manufacturers have gone out of business after the "golden age" of Large Scale, but many NOS (new old stock) and used items are available.The following will provide some suggestions on how to buy, followed by a section on large scale places to buy.How to buy:First, you need a bit of help to understand what to look for, whether you are in person, or buying by "mail order".New trains:research the seller. If it is one that is mentioned often on forums, that's a good thing.If it's a brick and mortar store, try to ascertain if it is really new, and how long it has been in stock, research if there were several versions of the loco/car and you might be buying an old version at a new version price.Used trains:parts availability is paramount, look for 3rd party companies that produce replacement partsresearch ebay and other sources for parts availabilityfind a way to check the common wear items/problems in person or remotelyUsed or new:if you see the loco/car in person, look for signs of wear on the wheel, power pickups, removable or moveable parts, if mail order, get photos.were there 2 or more versions of the loco/car? If so, find out the differences and spotting cluesmanual? box? (boxes are over-rated except for shipping locos the foam inserts really prevent shipping damage)research the loco/car and look for common problems/issues. a simple Google search "USA Trains F3 problems" will tell you a lot.if there are common problems, it is not a strike out, are there common and easily available solutions?parts availability?what is the return policy? Places to buy: The following is a list compiled from contributions by others. I'm not responsible for the content or comments.If you do find errors, or have a different experience, please feel free to contact me to correct or updateFirst: online auction sitesebaynext, 3 different facebook sites, search for "G scale swap and shop" Next: the major online sellersRLD hobbies www.rldhobbies.com Finally: brick and mortar Alabama Alaska Arizona ArkansasJacksonville - Rail and Sprue Hobbies - http://www.railandsprue.com/ CaliforniaBurbank - Train Shack - http://www.trainshack.comConcord - Just trains - https://just-trains.com/ - 5650 Imhoff Dr, Suite H, Concord, CA 94520 (925) 685-6566 Costa Mesa - The Train Crossing - http://www.thetraincrossing.com/La Habra - Narrow Gauge Junction -250 West Whittier Boulevard, La Habra, CA 90631-3852 562-694-0598La Mesa (San Diego) - Reeds Hobby Shop - mostly trains, all scales - http://www.reeds-hobbies.com/Novato - Dollhouses Trains and More -Good selection of LS & the smaller scales. Great general hobby shop with everything from plastic kits to dollhouses. http://www.dollhousestrainsandmore.com/Placentia - Bridgemasters - https://www.bridge-masters.com/Roseville - Railroad Hobbies, 119 Vermon St. Roseville - Fair stock - http://www.rrhobbies.com/Railroad_Hobbies/Home.htmlSacramento - R/C Country Hobbbies, 6011 Folsom Blvd. Sacramento - Best stock in Sacramento area - http://www.rccountryhobbies.com/San Rafael - Dollhouses Trains and More - 1295 Northgate Dr., San Rafael, CA 94903 (415) 499-3576 Good selection of LS and other scales. A very wide variety of all kinds of hobby items from plastic kits to dollhouses. http://www.dollhousestrainsandmore.com/Santa Clara - The Train Shop, 1829 Pruneridge Avenue, Santa Clara, CA 95050 (408) 296-1050 Good selection of LS and other scales. A great RR book section.Upland - Upland Trains - https://uplandtrains.com/ 1531 W. 13th St. Suite G, Upland, CA 91786, Tuesday-Friday 11am-4:30pm, Saturday 11am-4pm, (909) 985-1246 Ventura - Gold Coast Station Trains - http://goldcoaststation.net/Westminster - Arnies - http://www.arniesmodeltrains.com/Westminster - Milepost 38 - http://milepost38modeltrains.com/ColoradoConnecticut DelawareClaymont - Doug's Trains, Toys & Hobbies - Trains, Toys & Hobbies - model trains, planes, rockets, cars, railroads and books 2907 Concord Pike, Wilmington, DE 19803 - All around hobby shop: trains, paint, rocket kits, scenery supplies, etc... They advertise that they carry LGB products. The store hours are a bit all over the place depending on the season, check website for the particulars.Newark - Just Trains - Just Trains of Delaware, Supplying all your Model Railroading needs - They sell mostly O scale stuff, but you will find occasional G scale stuff as it is traded in or sold to the store. They also carry the typical range of Woodland Scenics products, repro paints, and K&S metal products. FloridaEast Orlando - Ray's Garden Railroad - 904-854-2799 - Rob's Hobby World, 8602 SW State Road 200, Ocala, FL 32674Orlando - Colonial Photo and Hobby - http://www.cphfun.com/Pinellas Park - H&R Trains - http://www.hrtrains.comOrlando The Hobby Spot - 6013 E Colonial Dr Orlando, FL 32807GeorgiaBuford - Trainmasters,601 East Main St Buford, Ga,678-546-3600Lawrenceville - Legacy Station, 251 -f Hurricane Shoals Rd., Lawrenceville, Ga Hawaii Idaho IllinoisAlbion - RLD Hobbies - 877-753-4629, http://rldhobbies.com/332 Industrial Drive Albion, IL 62806, all large scale, wide selection, great customer service.Cartersville - The Pizza & Pasta Express and Train Shop, Cartersville, IL Itasca -- America's Best TrainsWoodstock - St Aubin TrainsIndianaTolin's KnK in Kokomo IN 403 E Arnold Ct, Kokomo IN 46902 Zionsville Train Depot - 5082 West 106th Street, Zionsville Indiana 46077 https://zionsvilletraindepot.com/IowaCedar Rapids - Box Karr HobbiesKentucky Louisiana Maine MarylandAnnapolis - Star HobbiesBel Air - HobbyWorks - http://www.hobbyworks.com/default.cfm/Content/Stores/hs/rc Cockeysville - M.B.Klien - http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/Forest Hill - Forest Hill Station Fredrick - HobbyTown - http://www.htufrederickmd.com/ MassachusettsDuxbury - Duxbury Green Hanson - The Brass Caboose Malden - Charles Ro Supply Co.Orleans - Snows Home & GardenPiano Works - SandwichRockland - Bill's Friendly Train ShoppeWareham - Hogie's Hobbies - 3103 Cranberry Hwy, Wareham, MA 02571 (Mainly on consignment.) West Springfield - Pioneer Valley Hobbies Worcester - The train PlaceMichiganBridgeport - Jct Valley Hobby Shop Erie - Jackie's Trains - (5 miles from Toledo, Ohio) Flint - Riders - http://www.riders.com/Livonia - Merri-Seven Trains - 19155 Merriman Rd, Livonia, MI 48152 - (248) 477-0550MinnesotaBuffalo - Onlytrains/Carerra slots - 308 B Brighton Avenue Buffalo, Minnesota 55313 - primarily mail order, but you can visit. http://www.onlytrains.com/Duluth -Carr's Hobby in DuluthLittle Canada - Hub HobbyRichfield - Hub HobbySaginaw - Brasseur Electric Trains - http://www.traindoctor.com/St. Paul - Scale Model SupplyMissouri MontanaBozeman - Mr Choo Choo Bozeman, MT (They don't stock much but will special order) Nebraska NevadaReno - Train-Li - https://www.trainli.com/ New Hampshire New Jersey New MexicoAlbuquerque - Trains WestNew YorkBrooklyn - Train World - 751 MCDONALD AVE. Brooklyn NY 11218 - 1-800-541-7010- 718-436-7072Cheektowaga (Buffalo) - Niagara Hobby & Craft Mart in Cheektowaga NY - some large scale trains and some hobby supplies but is rapidly becoming more & more of a toy storeHorseheads - Lantz's Hobby shop (Wholesale Trains), Horseheads NY (Elmira area) A good share of the business is not in stocked trains and supplies but in drop shipping through the website.Hurley - Hurley Country Store, Hurley NY 845-338-4843Lynbrook - Trainland - 293 Sunrise Hwy , Lynbrook , NY 11563 - 516-599-7080 - www.trainworld.com - (same company as trainword )North Carolina North Dakota OhioLancaster - Smoke Stack Hobby Shop in Lancaster, OH. OK selection of large scale amongst other scales. One of the few "old timey" train shops left.Newark - G Scale Junction, Newark (Granville)Newark - G Scale Junction, NewarkWest Chester - EnterTRAINment Junction - http://www.entertrainmentjunction.com/Oklahoma Owasso - Reindeer Pass Railroad http://www.reindeerpass.com/ Reindeer Pass RR, 10919 N. 173rd East Ave, Owasso, OK 74055OregonBeaverton - Tammie's Hobbies,503-644-4535,12024 SW Canyon Rd Beaverton, OR 97005 Great Customer Service and flexible on pricing as much as they can be.PennsylvaniaBroomall - Nicholas Smith TrainsDubois - Fishel's Hobby Shop in DuBois, Pa. - not nearly as much as they used to carry, msrp+ on many items.... but still lots of diecast cars Greensburg - Brady's Train Outlet in Greensburg - mostly O and HO, a lot of the LS is upscale stuff. https://bradystrains.com/Hermitage - Kraynak's Garden Center in Hermitage, Pa. - darn good selection, not so good prices, plus lots of toys and plants. http://www.kraynaks.com/Indiana - Whirlwind Toys in Indiana Pa - not a whole lot, but do have some buildings and sets. OK pricing. Nanticoke - Warrior Run Loco Works, 32 S. Market St, Nanticoke PA, 570-735-5570 - http://www.w arriorrunlocoworks.comPittsburgh - Brentwood Station, PittsburghWilkes-Barre - Walter's Hardware, Wilkes-Barre Rhode IslandWarwick - Grandma's House and Grandpa's Train Depot. 1415 Warwick Ave. Warwick, Rhode Island 02888. Phone: (401) 463-7803. Fax: (401) 463-7824South CarolinaRaleigh - Nick's Trains 919-881-1010 https://www.nicks-trains.com/ South Dakota Tennessee TexasPorter - (Houston) Mikes Hobby Shop 21768 Knox Dr Porter TX 281-354-7240. Store front with very large G scale inventory including NIB discontinued items. http://www.mikes-hobbyshop.comUtah VermontEssex Junction - Tony's Trains - 57 River Rd #1023, Essex Junction, VT 05452, long time train store with DCC tips pages. http://tonystrains.com Virginia WashingtonBelluvue - Inside Gateway, Belluvue, WaKirkland - Eastside Trains, Kirkland, Wa. Nice inventory of Large Scale. http://www.eastsidetrains.com/ Seattle - Seattle Train Center Seattle (Interbay), WaSpokane - Sunset Junction, Spokane, Wa (Not much selection) West Virginia WisconsinMilwaukee/Butler - Sommerfeld Trains Green Bay - Engine House ServicesWyoming CANADA AlbertaAirdrie - Canadian Scale rail & HobbyNanton - Ultimate Trains Limited, Exclusively G-Scale http://www.ultimatetrains.com/ British ColumbiaKamloops - Interior CraftsKamloops - Kelly's Kaboose Langley - Eurorail Hobby Shop, all scales, European G-Scale only http://www.eurorailhobbies.com/Victoria - B. C. Shaver & Hobby Shop Manitoba New Brunswick Newfoundland Northwest Territories Nova Scotia NunavutOntarioAlliston - Hockley Valley Railroad, all scales but a large G-scale selection http://www.hvrr.ca/Dundas - Dundas Valley HobbyGoderich - Machan's Home HardwarePort Hope - The Doll House and Train EmporiumPuslinch - Winona Garden Railway, exclusively G-Scale http://www.wgrr.ca/Streetsville - Credit Valley Railroad, all scales, some G-Scale http://www.cvrco.com/Toronto - George's Trains, all scales, fair amount of G-Scale, http://www.georgestrains.com/Toronto - John's Hobby, general Hobby shop, carries a fair amount of G-Scale http://www.johnshobbies.ca/main/St. Catherines - Niagara Central HobbiesPrince Edward IslandQuebecMontreal - Max Trains, G-Scale only, but is not very large, 4058 Monselet, Montréal-Nord, QC H1H 2C5 Tel: 514-322-8626 SaskatchewanYukon