Frank the Trainman

My parents recently shipped us my Lionel train from 1979. This thing ran every Christmas for years before getting boxed up and stored for at least 10 years. The train got here in good shape, but it was missing a piece of track, so I couldn’t fully test it.
Inside the box was a folded paper with a state-​by-​state list of hobby shops and train stores that service Lionel trains. The date on the list was 1979. I located San Diego, and there was one shop listed: Frank the Trainman.
«Put this in your phone,» I told wife, as I joked about how old the manual was. «It says here Frank the frikking Trainman might have the piece we need.» She laughed, and said right away Frank the Trainman actually still exists and is OPEN.
I flew down here, and was blown away by the stuff in here. Dozens of old box cars and engines along with catalogs, track, and all manner of accoutrement abound in this place. It was truly a pleasure to browse the shelves in this store. It had what seems like 100 years of history just sitting there. Now, Frank has passed on, but the workers here do more than enough to carry on the flame. Good, good people here and very knowledgeable.
I bought a maintenance kit and some track, fixed up the set I have, and it runs like a champ. More importantly, my kid loves it, and I feel like a kid again. Thanks, Frank the Trainman!

Frank’s Trains is the real and only place to go for model trains. Fun, Fun. Fun.

Great collection — This guy is a serious collector of cars, model trains, irons, still banks, jugs, mantle clocks, bottles, lanterns, transportation, local pieces and more. His car museum is worth the $ 5 fee and goes to a good cause. This is a gem in the city and a must stop for a serious antique collector. The items are not for sale but you can see good examples of many categories.

I brought my 7 year-​old niece here who loves museums. Admission was only $ 2 for her and $ 5 for me. My niece has been to many of the great museums in Washington DC and New York, yet she still enjoyed this little gem. They have a few antique baby carriages and dolls that she loved looking at. This place has a very different feel than big museums; it felt more cozy and intimate, as if we were in an old home. It was cool meeting Frank the Trainman. He is native to San Diego and so were his parents. I bet he has a lot of neat stories about San Diego. I would love to come back and pick his brain one of these days.

I wanted to start doing more things that would build a special bond between my boy and his Dad. Knowing my son’s love for trains, this seemed like the right place to at least start looking. Boy did I luck out! Jim met us as we walked in the door. I told him I was interested in building HO scale trains with my 5 year old and he asked me a series of questions that led me down a better path to a train that would last longer under the playful hands of my rough and tumble boy. Going here is like taking a trip into your past — Jim and Carmen are the kind of people that have a passion for their trade and are wiling to take the time to share it with the next generation. My son walked out of the store as the happiest kid on earth when Jim gave him a Lionel cargo car to attach to his new Santa Fe Diesel engine.
Thanks for a memorable day and a good start on a hobby I hope my son and I will share for years to come! Highly recommend this place to others!

With a son now old enough to play with an electric train, it was time to resurrect my 1950’s Marx Streamliner. It worked, but poorly.
I stopped by Frank the Trainman and Carmen (I believe) helped me diagnose the problems and dug-​up a used Lionel transformer double the capacity of the dying Marx transformer in order to save me an additional $ 70. for a new transformer. She knew exactly how many track segments I’d need to expand my sad little oval to an exciting figure-​8! I was so pleased with the service that I purchased a boxcar that matches my set’s design and material.
I’m going back soon to browse the wide range of new and vintage train gear and to see the car museum as well.

I’ve grown up LOVING model trains. I’d be upset when the train would fall off the tracks. Quality was sometimes an issue. My buddy Johnny is way more of a diehard fan than I am, and I couldn’t get through a single day without him screaming at me to go to Frank the Trainman. Well this time he was right.
I walked in and the staff was awesome. they knew and loved their trains and I could sense the passion. Sensing that I was a busy adult with other responsiblities, they talked to me about setup time and space allocation. I walked out an extremely satisfied customer!

I love this place. They always have a large inventory of Lionel trains. They have catalogues for free, and during Christmas time I like to look at the train set up. They have been helpful in resolving problems in the past. I highly recommend this place to any model railroad enthusiast.

Frank the Trainman is a life long memory for me. I remember his shop across the street. It was taken down, but the iconic Frank the Trainman neon sign was incorporated into the new building. The Frank the Trainman neon sign is a true icon of University Heights and greater San Diego.

This place, a model train store owned and staffed by an older couple, is a time warp. Founded in 1943 by the current owner’s mentor, the shop hasn’t changed much. Even the antiquated cash register must be an original.
To the left is a gate leading to a «car museum» containing some beautiful old cars, available for the viewing with a $ 5 entrance fee.
Jim and his wife Carmen are very knowledgeable about model trains, and they were helpful when we went in to get parts for a 1950s Lionel set. No, they aren’t terribly warm, but boy does this place have character!
Here is a link to an article I found about the place:

Walking into this store is not only like walking into a time warp but do not expect to be greeted with any level of friendliness or interest in doing business. I am new to model railroading and interested in building a nice set for my son. The second you walk in a lady asks if I need help but with a tone and disposition of someone who is inconvenieced by a customer coming in rather than welcoming it as an opportunity to sell something. Their inventory doesn’t look like it’s been updated since Nixon was in office, it’s dark, smells like a retirement home and in general just a miserable store. I’d recommend going to Hobby Central where they actually are interested in helping hobbyists and are glad you came into their shop to spend money.