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PROUDLY SERVING THE LAS VEGAS AND SURROUNDING AREA
FOR OVER 20 YEARS. WE ARE AND WILL ALWAYS BE A NAME YOU CAN TRUST!

BLACK FRIDAY TO CYBER MONDAY ONLINE SALE

START THE HOLIDAY SEASON OFF RIGHT WITH DEALS FROM WESTSIDE TRAINS!

This will be the first year we have had in a long time an operational website. Just in time for the holiday season. And what better way to start things off then with a special deal.

The number 13 might be unlucky for some but for our customers it spells savings…..

Staring Black Friday and extending the entire weekend all the way through until Cyber Monday we are offering an additional 13% off already marked prices. That’s right, just enter Lucky13 at checkout and the 13% will be applied to your order. This is for online sales only.

So what better way to try out our new website and its ever expanding products inventory?

Remember this starts on Black Friday and extends only until the end of Cyber Monday and is for online purchases only.

Thank you and have safe and happy holiday season.

Tina Marie Caouette – Webmaster

AN END OF AN ERA

Since I was in my early 20’s I always wanted to own a Model Train & Hobby Store. Back then they were all over the place and very few, if any were for sale. The couple times I found them for sale the owners wouldn’t sell to “a girl”, because they didn’t think it would work. So I moved on over the years and bought many other companies that did well because I had a passion for the product I was selling.

In 2008 I moved to Vegas and found Westside Trains. My son was young and had a passion for Thomas so natural we ended up hitting any and all train stores. Back then in Vegas there was many and we supported them all. However, out of them all, Westside Trains and John O’Neill was always the one that stood out each time we went into the store. His passion for the hobby showed and always treated me and my son like family.

Fast-forward to 2020, which just about destroyed the hobby here in Vegas. We were losing stores and owners. In 2020, John got COVID and the store was closed for almost three weeks. I thought we were going to lose one of the last remaining stores and a place I called home. That is when I approached John about buying the store. I wasn’t sure if he wanted sell or if he wanted to sell to a girl.

We worked out a plan to transition me as owner over a two year period and in September of 2023 I became the new owner of Westside Trains, Inc. in Las Vegas. A dream of mine for years had finally became a reality.

At the end of October of this year, 2024, John worked his last day in the store. It was filled with customers celebrating a man who gave back to community. A man who had a passion and still does for trains. A man who looked beyond gender and said, “This girl is going to make great things in this hobby!”

I truly have been blessed to have such a great previous owner, and mentor in my life. Everyone thinks I’m his daughter and although that isn’t the case it is an idea I find that puts a smile on my face. John was at the helm for 19 years and I’m hoping to continue that tradition for 20 plus years myself.

I have been very lucky over the years to have many talented individuals across the country in many hobby shops take me under their wing. I’ve learned a lot and still learn every day. My goal in to give that knowledge back and bring others young and old back into the GREATEST HOBBY IN THE WORLD.

Thank you John for entrusting me with your legacy. It is something I will treasure.

Thank you Paul Mickelson (Center Picture) for a great photo of John and I on his last day in the store. What a day it was! Memories, memories, memories.

John O'Neiil's Last Day At Westside Trains

WHY BUYING EARLY THIS YEAR IS A MUST

So having been involved for the past few months in inventory of the store as well as marketing our online store I’ve noticed an alarming trend….

Compared to previous years many are coming in and buying early in fear that we could see store shortages as well as large price hikes as we move into December. That is partly true!

Many vendors have limited supply on items that are normally bought in bulk this time of year. John had the foresight to purchase many items back in January thinking this could be an issue and we are sure glad he did.

Many of the normal vendors are either out of stock on items, or limited thus limiting the number of items they can send you as they wait for their own shipments that have been delay to be restocked. These shipping delays are causing many stores to closely monitor items in high demand this time of year.

If that wasn’t enough reason to buy early how about pricing? Over the past few month items we buy every month have continued to rise…so when our cost goes up so does the cost to the consumer. The longer you wait on that big ticket item the more likely the price might go up in just a few weeks. I know, sounds crazy, but that is the truth. Sets we bought back in June have already gone up by as much as $20.

You will find that prices for slightly used items, or items that have been bought in an estate sale will remain consistent. However, even simple items like track seem to go up on each order, and this time of the year we sell a lot of it.

Now granted bigger stores might be able to absorb those costs for a short period of time compared to smaller mom and pop operations, but eventually even they will succumb.

That is why we are pushing everyone to take advantage of our Black Friday to Cyber Monday sale. You get a discount, you get the lower price compared to the middle of December and you will get the item shipped to you on time. Well, hopefully, pending USPS delays. In addition you don’t risk getting to the store to only be told we are out of stock and won’t see items until January.

Now, please, as we are still spending many hours adding to our online inventory, if you see an item out of stock, or not listed on our website please call the store at 702-254-9475. We have many items showing out of stock or not showing at all on our website, but that is just we haven’t had the time to inventory, weigh, and process it in the online store as of yet. There are items we truly are out of stock on but to be sure please call the store. Maybe we can even order it for you and still get it in time for the holiday season.

Tina Marie Caouette – Webmaster

A Great Product Review by New Haven Rails!

We launched the new website just a few months ago. We only have maybe 15% to 20% of our in store inventory posted. As I’ll be at the store moving forward Wednesday through Thursday I’m hoping to get more products listed daily during those days as well as over the weekend.

If it is listed as Out of Stock on our site it could truly be out of stock, or just a product I’ve created a temp page for and we might have in stock I just haven’t got around to updating the page with current inventory and pricing. When in doubt feel free to call the store from the number listed on our site during business hours and ask, or even send us an email. We can also order items for you so if you really want something just ask and we will try and help.

One of the things I love is one of the fist people who bought from the new store Rob Poidomani posted a great unboxing on his YouTube Channel, New Haven Rails. There are so many great people in this hobby to want to help support small stores like Westside Trains. Below is the video so please watch, like and leave a comment for Ron. Show him some great support!

If you have buy something from our store and do a review on your YouTube channel, please send us the link at contact@westsidetrains.com and we will make sure to share it on our social media sites.

Again, thank you Rob for a great review and glad you enjoy your recent purchase from our store. Happy Model Railroading! Cant’ wait to see some pictures from your layout.

Tina Marie Caouette – Webmaster

A Thousand Things To Do and We’re Only on #7

So it has been just over a week and half since launching the new website for Westside Trains, and we haven’t even started on all the work that needs to be done…..

So after months it was finally nice to have the site up live, but with that comes troubleshooting bugs that can’t always be tested in the backroom. Yeah, so many different devices, different browsers and they all don’t play nice together. So as comments come in, my job is to investigate, troubleshoot and fix them on top of still adding new products and trying organize the main brick and mortar store. Yet, through it all, I love it!

The one thing that is disturbing is some complaints of products being out of stock….well folks it happens on everyone’s website, but even more here and let me explain why!

It is unfair to compare this website to other train websites that have a full blown staff, plus have had an active and working website for years. They, just like us, at some point learned to crawl, then walk and finally run. They have had years to add product to the point they just have to manage any new products which is a fraction of having to build an entire store from the ground up. As the months get along and we are able to continue to add product from our store, plus the goal is to expand the store, our “out of stock” items will slowly go down. You can never remove all out of stock items, it is just the nature of online sales.

I’m still working out a bug on the filters for our store. They work fine through computers but on some mobile devices they aren’t working properly or not showing up all together. Frustrating, but expected as building a site this large you have bugs that need to be addressed. That said if you are in our store page to the left you have the ability to filter not just by category but by in stock, price, road name, brand and such. Again, I’m trying like crazy to update new products daily but as this is a side project of passion for me, at least right now, I do still have a regular day job.

I also want to mention to don’t forget to sign up for our Club Car Rewards points. It cost nothing!!! Just go to the login area and create an account. Why? Well you get points just for visiting the site daily. So even if we don’t have a product you want now, we might in the future, so why not earn points daily while you wait. Think of it as us giving you something for being patient with us as we expand the online store. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither is an online store with 10,000 plus products.

I do want to say thank you to all that have taken the time to visit the store and leave comments, even if was of a negative kind. That is how we grow and proceed into the future. I’m looking forward to meeting some of your if you make your way to Vegas, as well as serving those of you who choose to buy from us in the future. I love this hobby, and can’t wait to see what the future holds for Westside Trains.

Tina Marie Caouette – Webmaster

Are Brick and Mortar Hobby Shops Dead?

The short answer is NO, not yet. However, the longer answer could lean towards the word YES!

For years I visited my local train stores, not just on the west coast but as well on the east coast when I lived in New England. Back in my days in New England they were abundant, and I enjoyed each one for their charm, unique selections as well as the personalities of the owners. It wasn’t just about buying trains, but talking shop and love for the hobby. Many of those stores even held monthly workshops where you could learn new things from active members locally in the hobby. Plus, get notifications when locals would open up their layouts to the public. I look back at the wealth of knowledge I gain in my younger years from those elder state men and women in the hobby. A much simpler time!

Flash forward many, many moons and different coast plus add in a pandemic and the times in many markets have changed. Why?

Now, don’t get me wrong, there are still some hot spots in parts of the country where you can find multiple stores within miles of each other but the buying trend over recent years has shifted and so have the owners of these stores. And markets that once had many stores have found themselves with one or none within a 100 mile radius.

Let us first start with many of the stores that have closed or are on the verge of closing their doors forever and why that has become the trend over the years.

When you went into your local hobby store over the years you were or maybe still are greeted by that familiar aged face that has been the staple of the store for decades. Over time those faces have moved on to the great big train store in the sky and without an end game in place, these stores just shut their doors and closed. Family members rarely, if ever would continue the legacy built and many times ended up auctioning off, for pennies on the dollar I might add, the inventory just to move on.

When Covid hit many didn’t have a plan in place and being forced to shut down for months found they didn’t have a way of reaching their cliental. Plus, some of that older base ended up being lost to a virus. Those that tried to remain in business found their bills still came and yet because many hadn’t embraced technology were forced to close their doors instead of depleting their life savings.

Covid also had a huge effect on inventory as well as cost. Many of these smaller stores work on such small profit margins that even the smallest increase in cost had to be passed on to their customers. In years gone by this wasn’t an issue as people remained loyal to stores, however that trend has shift over the years with PRICE being the final driving factor for many. As larger stores who had shifted to online sales years before the pandemic saw sales go up, they ended up with a huge advantage compared to your local small mom and pop store. Just like with everything, the more you buy the better the cost you can get from manufactures. A store that can afford to layout money for inventory and buy twenty plus of one item like an engine will get a far better deal than the small store that can only buy one or two. That buying power in savings to cost of goods sold, along with online sales has been the huge driving factor of smaller stores shutting their doors.

As a consumer, we always look for the cheaper price without understanding the driving factor behind that price. And as Covid came down hard, many who were reluctant from buying online soon realized that it was not just a cheaper option but also offered a much larger selection of proudcts….so you waited an extra week or more, in the long run it was worth saving that $5 or more on an item. Plus, with all the new products now coming out, your local store couldn’t possibly carry everything, you got what you needed right away. But truthfully was it worth it? I think we are all seeing the long term effect of those choice today. As many hobby shops have shut their doors in many markets forever!

I’ve run many businesses over the years and know very well that many consumers have no idea what goes into running a successful business, especially one that has a physical presence. The countless hours spent behind the scenes doing even the smallest task because you can’t afford to pay for the help. The cost of renting a commercial building in many locations, especially since COVID, has become so costly that for hobby stores with such small profit margins a majority of any profits they might have seen has be depleted just keeping the lights on in the store. These stores have finally got to the tipping point where there is no longer a profit in keeping the store open. And the idea of selling it not an option because their financial numbers don’t justifying any bank to finance a sale. Or a new owner to come in just to break even without a profit or the opportunity to take a salary. This fostered in some stores trying to shift to online selling only, drop shipping from the larger manufactures and running their business from the comfort of their own homes. Can it work yes, to a point, but it isn’t the same buying experience.

I was one that bought online a lot, but over the past year of working with John from Westside Trains on his new website I have found a love for why these stores need to and must remain open! And why I will as much as possible buy from these smaller stores regardless of the price.

There is something to be said about going in to a store and seeing trains sitting on self, sometimes hidden gems bought in an estate sale. Maybe an item you have been dreaming about since a child finally coming home with you. But truthfully, the biggest thing I have pulled away from being at the store over the past year is the FACES! Yes, familiar faces just looking to come in, even for a few moments to talk about their passion for the greatest hobby in the world. Updating us on their layout, talking about engines and rolling stock they have or are looking for. Maybe someone new looking for advice to start their first ever layout. Or that single mom, clueless, but still wanting to bring the joy of trains into their child’s eyes. Sometimes they buy little items, sometimes sets and at times they just want to talk. I think that is the one of the things most people miss when ordering online.

For me though, the biggest thing, is watching the faces and excitement of dads and even moms bring in their child, sometimes for the first time. Hearing them run around the store with excitement yelling, “Trains!” I had forgot over the years what it was like for me as a child, what it was like for me having a son and sharing that experience with him when he was young. The utter joy in his eyes picking out a new engine or boxcar to take home and run. I think we never left the store with a little something for his layout. I didn’t have to wait a week for that experience as it was instant and made so many lasting memories. Memories I hope to share with other families in the future.

I understand the youth have migrated to online buying. I understand that everyone wants a deal as money is tight. But next time you are going to buy from one of those big online box stores, or from eBay and such, remember your local store, if you still have one. You might pay a few dollars more for an item, you might even have to order it and wait a bit, but you are helping to contribute to the joy of that young child walking into his or her first train store and seeing the trains run in the shop. That smile alone, and chance to bring someone else into this great hobby should never be lost just so you can save a few bucks on an engine.

Remember those that operated hobby stores for years never made huge profits and still don’t, it was a passion, a love for the hobby that drove them to continue to stay open. Help what few small stores we still have left to remain open. Stop by an order or buy something from them…not based on price, but based on the love of still walking into a store. If they don’t have what you need, call them and ask if they can get it for you. Remember what it was like the first time as kid you went to a train store. Your eyes bugging out of your head as what seemed like at the time a colossal Lionel Train did a simple oval with smoke coming out of its stack and that awesome sound of it chugging around pulling its load. Don’t ever let us loose that for the future generations.

Someday, I hope to own my own brick and mortar shop, an idea I have had for many years. And maybe, just maybe, I can help bring that joy for trains to future generations. The same joy I once had as a child and has only gotten stronger with age.

Tina Marie Caouette – Webmaster

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