Train Crossing The

This place has the best staff, great prices and a great variety. Mostly HO and O scale equipment with a little bit of everything. If you live in the area and can make two trips, usually the store faculty can order something for you if he doesn’t have exactly what you’re looking for and give you a good price for it at the same time. If you live far away and plan on making a trip I’m sure you can call in and ask about what the store has in stock. Overall, great place, great location, and great prices. Stop on by next time you’re in town!

Absolutely one of the best locations to buy trains of all scales!!! Very small store (hidden gem) but filled all the way up to the ceiling with trains. Great LGB and Lionel selection. Ive been going here since John’s father used to run the store. Unfortunately he was called to the Lord’s home and now John and his lovely mother run the store. I picked up an entire LGB Amtrak set from John couple years back and he gave me an amazing price!!! Great place! Great trains! And most definitely Great Staff. Thanks John. Happy holidays!!!

Really good service and prices. Large selection of trains and hobbies. Super Friendly staff. Go here!

They are closed Sunday and Monday’s for the summer. Waste of an hour drive to stop by.

Great store, great service and great selection of Lionel O Gauge trains, cars and accessories. A must see if you’re a model train enthusiast or interested in getting started.
Simply stated, this is a great store with a very helpful and knowledgeable staff. The store is welcoming and everyone is helpful and friendly. John is very friendly and very helpful.
More of the story…
I wanted to start a Lionel train set and I didn’t know much when I walked in. I had shopped for trains at other locations around Orange County and online but didn’t know enough to get started. So, like many I’m sure, I got a starter Lionel train SET and I started driving it around the included circle of track. I quickly realized I needed to learn more. That’s when I started looking for stores with a physical location to visit and people I could talk to — and not another website listing, with the same description and photos from the Lionel website.
That’s when I found this store. As others have mentioned in their reviews. It’s a small space, jam packed with stuff. More important for me, you feel welcome when you walk in. John (who works there) is very helpful and will take the time to talk about almost anything and explain everything.
It’s hard to find people to help and offer personal service these days. It’s a treat when you find someone who really loves what they are doing and are willing to spend time helping — John is that guy.
I will buy all of my train stuff from The Train Crossing and I know I will always have a resource for questions, answers and help with planning.
I have purchased brand new Lionel Legacy Train stuff, Lionel FasTrack, accessories, wiring supplies and vintage cars new in box along with vintage, used accessories.

WOW! I was amazed when I walked in! You could spend a week in here. such a great variety of old and new trains. not too mention the service is great. They aren’t just out to just take your money. and have no problem giving you advice even if it cost them a sale. Check it out for yourself. You won’t be disappointed.

The moment you walk in there are people who are friendly. It’s nice to walk into a store where people care more about you enjoying the hobby over making a sale. There are even enthusiasts that hangout there that are super helpful.
If you are getting back into the hobby they’re more than happy to test out all of your old equipment to see if it still works.
When I was ready to purchase, they had just what I wanted. A Southern Pacific Daylight Steam Locomotive — 4449.
Their prices are competitive and if I would pay the same in the store than I would online, this is one of the few times I prefer to make the trip!

The Train Crossing is kinda like one of those critters written off as extinct and then miraculously discovered living on a secluded hillside somewhere in south east Asia… But in this case, it’s Costa Mesa… in an unassuming strip mall. You could easily drive by it a hundred times and not know it’s there… unless of course you’re some old guy who loves the art of the model railroad. I’m not that old, but on a whim, I went there on my lunch break. The place is a time machine. Like some mom and pop hobby shop in small town middle America, circa 1960’s ish. And it is small. And it is a ‘mom and pop’ shop operation. The tiny place is STUFFED with every conceivable (and hard-​to-​find) kit, figurine, locomotive, little plastic tree, resin cast tunnel façade, pre-​fab graffiti decals, etc. Don’t miss the little cave of a back room with paints and dyes, and glues… and MORE stuff. It’s overwhelming yet inspiring. The old guys come in and talk model railroad talk with the owners… who are incredibly helpful as you can imagine. And the ‘mom,’ who knows where the hidden gems are stashed under two decades of dust, is especially charming.
Small as The Train Crossing is, you can easily get lost in there. Give yourself more than a lunch break to explore it. If you don’t find what you’re looking for, you’ll need to buy a plane ticket to find a more cool, more jam packed, more helpful place.

Great to find a good train shop close to home! I am considering starting a layout and the folks at the Train Crossing are very helpful and encouraging!

With so many hobby shops falling by the wayside these days, especially those that deal with niche hobbies like trains, it’s hard to find a good place anymore.
The Train Crossing is a small family owned shop that’s been around for over twenty years. It’s common to find 70 something year old Levia and her sons working there.
They are always in a helpful mood and nice to deal with, although some of their stock is dated, and a few times they have been out of the most common items.
Quite a bit of HO & N scale trains specializing in Micro-​Trains, Kato, Athern, and Lionel (They also have some Z scale and larger ones too). If you really need something, I suggest calling ahead, and even then I’ve received mixed info depending on who you speak with.
The store is pretty narrow and packed to the gills. There are some gems in here for the collector, but you’ll need to be patient and take your time looking around. It can seem a bit claustrophobic.
While the paint selection is good, I can’t be sure how old some of the paint is, and for you scratch-​builders — the balsa and bass wood selection is kinda lacking. Most common pieces are never in stock, but oddball sizes always are.
Prices are competitive, and if you bring cash, you get an extra 10% off all your purchases (except magazines). Levia is pretty helpful when it comes to looking up coupler conversion kits and overall service is friendly.
Otherwise for new items it always seems hit or miss for me. Could use a little more organization inside.