Italy - Hobby Shops

[Nick_Burman]

Hi all,

 

 

It seems sadly that I'll have to scrap my plans to go to Japan** once my present contract expires - a combination of "unkosher" Yen + need to sort family affairs in the UK saw to that.However in exchange my mother and I are considering going to Venice, then visiting my maternal grandmother's patch (Gorizia, next to the Slovene border - in fact, the border cuts the station square right through the middle!), which I've never visited before. My mother wants to go to Milan and I would like to put my nose into the museum dedicated to the "Don Camillo" films at Brescello near Parma. The Q is, could someone point me to model shops in the general region? When I get there I'll get a copy of "Tutto Treno Modellismo" or "Mondo Ferroviario" and check the listings, but in the meantime some addresses would come handy...I used to know a very nice shop in Milan ("Stephenson's") but it went belly-up last year....

 

 

 

**I have a cattle-rancher (stinking rich...) friend who is dying to go on a railfan tour in Japan and wants me to go along. Maybe I could still make it I if could convince him to "hire" me as a guide (meaning coughing up the air fare + JR Pass + hotels) in exchange for doing all the "homework" (checking what to see and where to go) and steering him through the system. I doubt he'll take the idea up, mean b****r he is...

 

Cheers NB

[bill937ca]

Here's a list. Look under Lombardia for Milano.

 

http://www.flaviocapra-bernina.net/plastico-negozi.html

Edited June 18, 2013 by bill937ca

[jappomania]

Hi Nick!

give me a few days and I let you know everything you need :)

Mr.Pizzolla (Stephenson's) has gone retired after more than 40 years activity and nobody bought her shop..

p.s. how you think you will travel in Italy? rental car, taxi or train?

 

see you soon!

 

Ciao

Massimo

[Serow]

Don't miss the veteran Peter Witt and Stanga trams in the city and the last line of interurban.

http://www.train-tram.be/reportage/atm/index.htm

 

Also don't forget Opicina / Trieste

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opicina_Tramway

[jappomania]

28' type tram in Milano are still in service, some repainted in the original yellow/white livery but Opicina tram line are still out of service after the last derailment in sept.2012, Trieste Trasporti (owner of Opicina tram and Trieste bus transport system still searching fund to restart the service, but in Italy you know........)

If you like, in Trieste you find the Campo Marzio station musem, you can see some old locos like the E626 and more...

http://www.museoferroviariotrieste.it/

also in Milano don't forget this

http://www.museoscienza.org/english/departments/rail_transport.asp

[Nick_Burman]

Hi Nick!

give me a few days and I let you know everything you need :)

Mr.Pizzolla (Stephenson's) has gone retired after more than 40 years activity and nobody bought her shop..

p.s. how you think you will travel in Italy? rental car, taxi or train?

 

see you soon!

 

Ciao

Massimo

In treno, ovviamente! Living in a country where there are only three long distance passenger lines, one goes to Europe to get drunk with train-riding... :-)

 

I visited Stephenson's in 1996, he was located a few blocks away from Milano Centrale station. Nice shop and I think I got Mr. Pizzolla himself at the other side of the counter...

 

Cheers NB

Edited June 18, 2013 by Nick_Burman

[Nick_Burman]

28' type tram in Milano are still in service, some repainted in the original yellow/white livery but Opicina tram line are still out of service after the last derailment in sept.2012, Trieste Trasporti (owner of Opicina tram and Trieste bus transport system still searching fund to restart the service, but in Italy you know........)

If you like, in Trieste you find the Campo Marzio station musem, you can see some old locos like the E626 and more...

http://www.museoferroviariotrieste.it/

also in Milano don't forget this

http://www.museoscienza.org/english/departments/rail_transport.asp

 

I rode a "vent'otto" the last time I was in Milan in 1996...rode the line from Milano Centrale to Milano Porta Genova station, then came back via "Metropolitana". Riding behind the motorman is usually an excellent way of improving one's Italian with a few choice words, usually directed at dumb motorists... Had dinner at a "Ciao" chain restaurant (excellent buffet-style meals at prices which won't bankrupt you) a couple of blocks from Centrale before boarding a night train to Paris (I was with my father, on my way from Genova to the UK to meet my grandmother on his side).

 

Sad that the Trieste-Opicina line is shut...a very weird and wonderful operation...mother has Trieste on her sights and I have the Campo Marzio museum on my list. The museum is threatened with closure because Trenitalia wants the managing organization to come up with the full rent for the facilities, would you believe that? Have they sorted that out?

 

The last time I was at the Leonardo da Vinci, the museum looked very run down indeed - everything covered in dust. Has it by any chance improved?

 

 

Cheers NB

Edited June 18, 2013 by Nick_Burman