Going to be in Chicago Area for train diesel days

[Irocian]

Any good hobby shops for HO and N scale items in the area? Any help would be apprecaited

[Santa Fe buff]

Ed's Hobby's, the service can be terrible, but the stock it just incredible. You can buy use or new engines for a deal, they have 3 Big Boys and an entire industrial shelve of Athearn freight cars. And Acela engines. I also recommend Pat's hobbies, that's where I got my F40PH set from, they have N scale too.

[dwc13]

In Chicago:  Grayland Station (HO, N), RAM Hobby Shop (HO, N -- call ahead, as owner has recently had health problems), Zientek's Model Trains (HO).  In the suburbs, Des Plaines Hobbies (HO, N), Lombard Hobbies (HO, N).