Wigan Model Shop

Does anyone remember the Wigan Model Shop which supplied model trains and other hobby models. I think the shop was on Library St. Anyone know why it closed? I've heard that they closed due to high cost of rent, which is a shame really as I used to go in there in the early 90s and bought a few diesel, electric and steam locos and accessories. There was an old chap that used to work there called Tom who lived in Garswood; anyone remember him?. Bought a few rare die cast 00 gauge steam engines from him (which I still have). Shame these great shops are few and far between now. I believe there was a hobby shop in St Helens which I didn't know of until recently, which has long since closed.

G & I Models.

There were quite a few modeling, toy, hobby and craft shops in Wigan when you think back.

things of the past now sadly,there was one in newport when I first came down here I think it is the rents that shut them,when newport became a city the shop landlords starting charging city price rents.

I think there was a model shop in Market Street as well? Wouldn't it be good if there wasn't so much greed about? Lower, reasonable rents = fewer local businesses forced out = more money coming into the town? No doubt some economist on telly will enlighten me as to why I'm so deluded and naive.

The one in Market Street Belonged to G & I as well, They also had a shop in Warrington.

There was one in Pemberton and the one upstairs in JJBs. The daddy of them all locally was in Bolton, Roland Scott's.

It must've been Market St, dunno why I thought it was Library St, just can't remember the name of the place. I know they used to have those big foot type American trucks in there (I think one was called Midnight Pumpkin) that where all the rage in the 90s; I think they sold mainly trucks and trains because I don't remember them having model aircraft. We used to call in on on a Saturday mostly to buy tracks and scenery and those small pocket rail books. Shame these places have to shut because of high rents, that's why Wigan and other places are now comprised of big high street chain shops and corporations. The big people can afford it but the independent small shops can't.

In 1950's, JJB did some marvellous model rail exhibitions in Powell street Drill Hall.

To avoid electrical continuity problems, like those seen in James May's effort, much of the rail was soldered to make a continuous length of rail.

I ended up with the job of de-soldering, reshaping, and adding new fish-plates to restore usable track lengths, when dad bought the stuff at auction.

That's the first time I've heard of there once being a model shop in Pemberton and at JJB, never knew they had other shops in the area. As far as I know there was only one shop at one time in Wigan town centre; I think it was first in Library St and I they later moved to Market St, but the one I only seem to remember was in Library St because we often used to nip through the alleyway between King St to get to it. I know there is a model shop still near Bolton (can't think of the name).

The model shop in Market St sold remote controlled planes It's a charity shop now

Pitts special radio control made by my husband late 80s. al from scratch apart from nose cone wheels and spats.



Son doing the modeling.

Cool jacket.

The model shop in Pemberton was called 'Tony's Models' and it was in in Chapel Street and the model shop in Market Street, closed a long time before the model shop in Library Street closed down

Tony moved next door to the Esso garage further down Pem. About 1979-1980.

I bought 'Mallard' off him for a tenner.

My cousin Frank Tickle had a shop that sold everything from materil o Models and Jewellry in the Wiend and many years later moved to Mesnes st some where nr where Crawford wool shop was (shows how old I am

I'm not sure the model shop in Market St closed down a long time before the shop in Library St, it's my understanding that the Market st shop opened after the Library st one moved,/closed unless people are getting confused with a completely different shop(s) selling completely different things.

Mallard for a tenner? that's cheap, but probably would've been quite abit of money back then, and probably likely just a plastic toy Hornby version model rather than those now rare and valued die-cast models; I have a small number of die cast Wrenn steam trains which I bought off the chap who was involved in the Wigan shop (Tom, didn't know his surname) from his house in Garswood, complete with original boxes - thankfully I still have them. Was told back in the 90s they were worth about £300 each.