Little Choo Choo Shop Inc.Spencer, NC 1-800-334-2446

2011-06-01T07:45:00.001-04:00

Any of you who have had to work outside any the past couple weeks have certainly noticed that Summer is here!

As always, a great way to escape the heat is to spend the afternoon working on your model railroad or seeing the new items at the Little Choo Choo Shop. Our staff is always glad to offer our expert assistance and answer any questions you may have about your railroad or the hobby as a whole.

2011-03-18T10:41:00.002-04:00

Spring is quickly rolling around the corner. The shop has gotten many new items in and, as always, our staff is here to help with any of your model railroading questions.

Last month we mentioned seasonal layouts so as spring approaches it's a great idea to come in and get some supplies to bring a little color to your layout! Remember, if we don't have it in store we can always order just about anything you might need and will still offer our always low discounted Little Choo Choo Shop prices!

2011-02-12T07:39:00.002-05:00

Seasonal layouts are a great way to keep your model railroad fresh and interesting. Start now by updating your layout to a winter scene!

We have all the items you would need including snowy ground cover, winter foliage, and much more!

Our expert staff can also give you some tips on giving your layout that mid-winter look beyond the obvious snow-fall and brown trees. Come in soon for some fresh ideas!

2011-01-21T08:38:00.000-05:00

If you haven't started your new railroad projects now is the time!

New items are coming into the shop every day as we replenish our post-holidays inventory. We have new modeling supplies, HO items, Lionel Items, MTH, and scenery of all shapes and sizes. Come in soon to check out the new stock and begin a new project or enhance your current railroad.

2011-01-08T12:01:00.001-05:00

Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season. Time to get 2011 off to a good start with some new model railroad projects. Come in now to stock up with products and advice to begin those projects that will help you through the long winter months.

2010-11-28T09:36:00.000-05:00

Christmas time is coming soon! Be sure to get out your Christmas train set and, if it isn't working, bring it in for repair or choose from our large selection for a new one!

Also, be sure to keep ahead on your special annual Lionel Christmas items. Stock is always limited so get yours before it is too late!

2010-08-22T08:20:00.001-04:00

It's never too early to get a jump start on your holiday shopping. Pay attention to your favorite model railroader and you might get a great tip on a soon-to-be-released railroad item. We can always place the order for you now here at the shop and we'll have the item in for you just as soon as it comes out. You can then have it ready and wrapped for that special railroader on your list.

The best part is that, for most items, you won't have to pay a dime for the order until it arrives! You'll have the shopping done but your wallet won't take the hit until autumn!

2010-07-17T08:18:00.001-04:00

Ever wondered how you can enjoy the sunshine AND your trains? How about building a garden railroad?

We can help you get started on this project with books and advice while placing an order for just about any item you might need!

2010-06-28T08:17:00.002-04:00

Beat the heat this summer with a good model railroad project. It's always nice to spend the warm beautiful summer mornings outdoors and then slip inside after lunch to work on some scenery or scratch building projects. That way you can enjoy being active without getting cooked!

2010-05-06T16:44:00.000-04:00

Summer is just about here and we all know how unbearable those hot humid summer afternoons can be.

A great way to beat the heat is an afternoon of model railroading! Come on down to the shop to stock up on essential supplies and get some helpful tips to help your layout progress!

2010-04-16T16:41:00.001-04:00

Here's a useful article from Steve here at the shop!

Model building is an enjoyable pastime that can be made even more enjoyable by having the right tools. I spent most of my adult life overseas, many years in third-world countries, so didn’t always have access to the sophisticated special-purpose tools available here. Now, I really appreciate how much easier a well-equipped workbench makes things (guess that’s a pun?) So, without further ado, I hereby offer my suggestions on what tools are essential to produce top quality models. I’d appreciate hearing your suggestions as to what I may have left out, or questions as to why I’ve included certain tools or how to use them. Enjoy!

ESSENTIAL TOOLS
for
(a) building scale structures

No.1 X-acto knife w/ no. 11 blades
HO steel scale ruler
Pin vise w/ drill bits
Miniature miter box and saw
NWSL Chopper (II) or equivalent
Fine grit sandpaper
Coarse grit sandpaper
Needle files
Medium/small size regular file
Sanding block
Ponce wheels
CA glue
Wood glue (both light and dark)
Rubber cement
Fine tweezers
Sprue cutter
Jeweler’s needle-nose pliers
Magnetic gluing jig

(b) building locomotives and rolling stock
(as above plus)

Jeweler’s center punch
Dremel Moto-tool or other rotary tool
Jeweler’s hammer

ESSENTIAL DECORATING MATERIALS FOR SCALE MODELS

Paint thinner
Gray spray primer
Red spray primer
Flat white spray paint
Flat black spray paint
Flat matte spray
Weathering chalks (either powder or stick)

VERY DESIRABLE DECORATING MATERIALS

Air brush and compressor
Color ink-jet copier

2009-12-24T22:18:00.001-05:00

Everyone here at the Little Choo Choo Shop would like to take a moment to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. Thanks to all our customers for making 2009 another fun year here at the store. This was our 20th year in business and we'll look forward to another fantastic 20+ years will your support!

Thank you again.
The Staff of the Little Choo Choo Shop

2009-11-21T21:45:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving is almost here! Now is your last chance to get your Christmas shopping done before the big holiday rush begins.

Christmas items are arriving every day at the shop so come on in and get your shopping taken care of. You might even find a good deal or two to buy an addition to your own layout while you're here!

2009-09-20T21:04:00.000-04:00

There is plenty of activity coming up in Spencer and the surrounding area!

Disney's Christmas Carol train and Thomas the Tank will both be rolling into the museum in the coming month. If you'd rather enjoy some good food and festivities you might also want to check out the Lexington BBQ Festival.

Either way, know is a great time to come to the area and stop by the Little Choo Choo Shop to enhance your model railroad layout or start or Christmas shopping.

2009-09-15T05:03:00.001-04:00

Autumn is fast approaching so know is a great time to get an early start on your Christmas shopping. Nobody enjoys dealing with the crowds in November/December so get something for that model railroader on your list now while prices are good and the crowds sparse!

2009-05-15T22:15:00.000-04:00

The weather is beautiful so there couldn't be a better time to stroll through historic Spencer, North Carolina. Visit the museum, have a bite to eat, and complete your day with a trip to the Little Choo Choo Shop to add some new items to your model railroad layout!

2009-04-12T20:59:00.002-04:00

Quick reminder. You can always shop our inventory at www.littlechoochooshop.com and be sure to check our eBay auctions. The items we list on eBay sell at clearance prices often as much as 60% below the original retail! You can find a link to all our active eBay auctions from our website.

2009-04-01T23:15:00.000-04:00

With Rail Days around the corner over at the Transportation Museum and the weather warming up it's a great time to spend a day in Spencer.

Be sure to drop by the store and take a look at our new items while you're in town.

2009-03-26T08:08:00.003-04:00

Spring is Here!
Isn't it funny how these stretches of Spring rain seem to always run right through the weekend? It makes it hard to get out and enjoy the warm weather (when we actually see any).
On the bright side, it's great weather for some model railroading! Drop by the Little Choo Choo Shop (or www.littlechoochooshop.com if you aren't in the Spencer, NC area), browse our large inventory, or ask our expert staff any of those nagging questions you've had on your mind.

We're going to be making an effort to communicate better with our customers and this Blog will be one of those efforts. Please feel free to drop any comments you have and check back often for news, tips, and general posts!

-Little Choo Choo Shop Blogger

2007-04-26T11:18:00.000-04:00

Little Choo Choo Shop SWAP MEET
This weekend we're holding the first Little Choo Choo Shop sponsored model train swap meet here in Spencer!
The event will run from 10:00am - 4:00pm this Saturday April, 28th in the blue building next door to the store.
We're hoping to see a lot of you there to make this a big success.
If there is enough traffic and positive feedback we'll plan on making this a fairly regular event!
Admission is free to come on by and say hello this weekend. The weather looks beautiful so you could easily plan to spend a day in Spencer. Visit the museum across the street, shop the swap meet, and come into the store.
Hope to see you all there!
-Matt

2007-03-08T10:27:00.001-05:00

Store News
We're exploring the idea of a model train swap meet in Spencer!
We have plenty of space in a vacant building next to the store and Steve has plenty of
older Lionel items he'd like to sell so we might begin opening the building on Saturdays at some
interval to be determined and rent tables for our customers to share train items they'd like to sell
or even just show off!
Before we get too deep into the process of setting this up we'd like to know how many of you
would be interested in participating and/or shopping at a regular swap meet like this.
Drop me an e-mail at support@littlechoochooshop.com
and let me know whether you'd be interested.
If we get a good response we'll start working on a schedule and table pricing and let you know ASAP.

2007-03-08T10:05:00.001-05:00

What a busy beginning to the year!

If you haven't noticed already, check our website for details about our Ebay auctions. We've begun to use Ebay to move more of our older stock that hasn't sold in the store. The products we list on Ebay are being sold at or below in cost in many cases so be sure to keep an eye on it!

Also, check out the new catalogs from Lionel and MTH. We're taking special orders so be sure to place yours now before it's too late.

A customer of the shop is looking to sell his fully portable 36x96 HO scale train layout. The layout features a coal mining theme. Contact Jimmie Combs by e-mail at crashedone@aol.com or by phone at 704-871-0827 if you might be interested.

2007-01-03T10:48:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year from everyone here at the Little Choo Choo Shop! We hope the holidays went well for everyone and that you're ready to embark on a new year!

We're doing our best to recover from a wonderful, but hectic, Christmas season. New products are arriving every day and we're quickly re-filling the shelves.

The first big in-store project of the year has been marking products down. We've chosen a number of products in all major scales to discount deeply so be sure to stop by before they're gone.

The first big internet project of the year will be adding photos to our on-line shopping cart. I know it's nice to be able to see the product your buying and make sure it's exactly what you want so I'll be working hard to add photos as quickly as possible. If there are no photos for a product you'd like please feel free to contact us and we'll e-mail you a photo and additional product information ASAP.

Time for me to get to work but we look forward to seeing you all and making 2007 a very successful year!

Matt Kessenich
Office Manager/Webmaster
Little Choo Choo Shop Inc.

2006-12-07T10:00:00.000-05:00

Christmas is barely over 2 weeks away. Isn't it incredible how quickly time flies?

There's still time to mail-order Christmas gifts but you'd better hurry (especially those of you on the West Coast) because you know how congested UPS and the post office get as Christmas approaches and the last thing you want is to have a gift arrive in early January.

Don't forget that we also offer Gift Certificates for the picky hobbyist in your family. If you order it online make a note in the comments section of the order form to receive your gift certificate instantly and we'll e-mail it to you immediately with no extra charge.

I'm also still looking for feedback on our website and shopping cart so e-mail me at support@littlechoochooshop.com if you have any suggestions or comments both positive and negative.

We look forward to seeing you soon and hope you have a wonderful holiday season.

Matt Kessenich
Webmaster/Office Manager
Little Choo Choo Shop Inc.

2006-11-25T16:08:00.001-05:00

Everyone here at the Little Choo Choo Shop hopes you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving to get your holiday season off to a good start.

Be sure to get started on your Christmas shopping as soon as you can. There's still enough time before Christmas for us to place special orders for you and make sure you find the right gift.

Many of our Christmas orders have arrived including the new sets from Lionel. Don't forget that most of our items are priced below retail.

For example, the Polar Express set from Lionel is priced at $253.95 in our store and it would normally retail for $279.99.

We also have gift certificates available in store and on-line. If you purchase one on-line you have the option of requesting on-line delivery. You'll receive a copy of the certificate via e-mail as soon as we process your order.

We look forward to seeing you soon!

Matt Kessenich
Webmaster
Little Choo Choo Shop Inc.

2006-11-08T14:13:00.000-05:00

I'd just like to announce that we'll be open Sundays again this Christmas season. Our hours will be 1:00-5:00 pm every Sunday from November 19th until Christmas.
Also, we will be closing at 12:00 on the day before Thanksgiving due to the Thanksgiving Parade. Once the parade starts it becomes impossible to get to the store anyways so plan your visit for the morning if you want to stop by that day.

We look forward to seeing you as Christmas draws near!

Matt Kessenich
Webmaster LittleChooChooShop.com

2006-11-02T13:21:00.000-05:00

We're quickly approaching the Christmas season and things are starting to pick up at the store. We'll soon be getting our shipments of MTH and Lionel train sets in for Christmas and they have a great selection of new sets coming out.

If you're looking for a unique Christmas gift idea have someone's train repaired or restored. We have a staff of two full-time repair employees and we can handle everything from the most basic locomotive chip upgrade to serious repairs in all major scales. We can also handle older products from Lionel or others. If you know of someone who has an old set wasting away in their attic or just an active model railroader looking to upgrade their engine bring it by and have us take a look.

We're looking to add a frequently asked questions section to our information pages. If you have any questions you'd like answered about the store, or model railroading in general, contact us using our on-line contact form at our Contact Us page and submit your question. We'll post it on our site for everyone to see because I'm sure other people are wondering the same thing you are.

The last thing I'd like to mention today is that word is definitely getting out about our website. Alot of this is due to visitors like you and we definitely appreciate it! Keep coming back and we'll keep the site updated so there will always be something new to see. Our blog was mentioned on ConverStations.com in the November Blog Tipping issue.

We look forward to seeing or hearing from you soon!

Matt Kessenich
Webmaster LittleChooChooShop.com

2006-10-21T09:13:00.000-04:00

Be sure to check out our Lionel Southern Railway Crescent Limited set up for auction on Ebay until Friday the 27th of October. The set is priced well below retail and is a discontinued item from the 2003 Lionel catalog.

Also, the Christmas season is approaching so be sure to stop by the store, or the website, for gift ideas. Many of our HO Engines, Lionel and MTH items and BRIO toys are on sale at, or near, our cost!

-Matt Kessenich
Webmaster, LittleChooChooShop.com

2006-10-06T09:48:00.000-04:00

Thomas Promotion

We are offering a Special-Buy an Island of Sodor Playtable and get a Playboard Free! $199.95 for the Special from October 1, 2006 through November 30, 2006. This would be the perfect Christmas gift - at a great price - for your Thomas fan. See the web site or call for details.

2006-09-29T11:25:00.000-04:00

Thomas the Tank Engine is at the NC Transportation Museum this weekend and next!
Bring the kids or grandchildren by for some fun and be sure to drop by the Little Choo Choo Shop while you're in town!

Our Brio wooden train products are compatible with Thomas Wooden Railways and come at a much lower price so stock up on track and buildings to enhance your child's play set.

Even many of our Thomas Wooden Railways products can be found at a lower price than those sold in the big Day Out with Thomas tent so be sure to take a look!

Our on-line inventory is also expanding every week! We're up to over 10,000 different products now and it will continue to grow and change daily.

We've also added a number of new event listings to our calendar. If you know of any train shows or model railroading events in the area that we've missed drop us a line and we'll add them ASAP.

Matt Kessenich
Webmaster/Office Manager
Little Choo Choo Shop Inc.

2006-09-07T11:10:00.000-04:00

Just Arrived for the Holidays!

It's September and warm breezes are still blowing, but we are getting ready for the Holiday season.

Cards with TRAINS-steam and diesel-and wishes for the season are in stock. Box of 10 cards and envelopes $8.65.

Mail orders available. Call Sue for assistance.

2006-08-25T12:55:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the Little Choo Choo Shop Inc. BLog.

Check back often for posts from store staff members and feel free to post your comments.

-Matt Kessenich, Computer Tech Department