“I’m here for the hobbyist,” said Frank Evans, owner of the Sayre Hobby Shop located on North Lehigh Avenue in Sayre.
Evans started his hobby shop in West Sayre in a small gas station building on the corner of Madison and Keystone Avenues on Dec. 14, 1982. There he made and sold one of a kind models and limited editions.
In September 2008, Evans moved to Lehigh Avenue and opened his hobby shop in October in this new location.
The Sayre Hobby Shop is wall-to-wall, floor to ceiling plastic model kits. Someone entering for the first time will be amazed to see the custom model trains with decals including Lehigh, Erie, Lackawanna, Barclay and Laquin. What they won’t find is remote control items or war-gaming of any kind. Evans sells HO scale, slot cars and track.
“If I can’t obtain an item I want,” said Evans. “I will make it.”
Evans designs his own train cars, often turning a car of one design into something different. When he sees a train car in a photo, he will make it. He will start with a basic model train car and modify it by cutting, moving and adding new parts until it resembles the train car in the photo. He was inspired to make the Black Diamond tail car from the Milwaukee Hiawatha tail car. He used a Chuggington inner city subway car to create his own design for the Black Diamond.
In addition to his models and trains, Evans is an artist. Visitors will find his watercolors hanging in a unique way in his shop. He has also created his own designs for mugs, T-shirts and hoodies for sale there.
According to Evans his shop is a hands-on hobby shop. And on any given day when he is open, hobby enthusiasts will find him there and ready to talk about trains and the history of the area, especially that which involves the trains and early pioneers.
“There’s incredible model crafts persons in this area,” said Evans. “Bob Huber is quite a model craftsman. He especially loves model trucks.”
The Sayre Hobby Shop is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m., and on Sunday from noon until 8 p.m.
Most days, Bob Heib will be in the shop with Evans. Heib is a semi-permanent fixture, and is almost as much a part of Sayre Hobby Shop as Evans is. These two are full of ideas, ready to share with anyone who stops in to visit.
“If people would just take the time to visit small shops,” said Evans. “They’d be much more delighted in the things they purchase and have.”
Evans and Heib enjoy helping people get started building model railroads and have lots of recommendations for what they believe is a great way to create a model railroad base.
Their number one recommendation is to use Dow or Corning blue or pink foam board. One quarter inch, one half inch, or one inch is the thicknesses they recommend.
“It’s less than a third of the weight than using plywood and plaster,” explained Heib.
“And it’s one tenth the cost and one tenth the time,” added Evans. “It doesn’t swell; it doesn’t shrink; moisture has no affect on it.”
“I did it so the kids could get involved in creating a model train layout,” continued Evans. “It’s so great for kids to work with. They can’t do it wrong. They can only do it better.”
Evans gave the example of creating rocks using the foam.
“When it comes to making rocks, have your young children or if you have a dog, give it to them to rip apart and it will make the best rocks,” explained Evans. “You can’t buy rocks like these.”
Evans has a model railroad with its base made entirely of the foam board on display. The bridge is made with four wooden broom handles. He wants to show visitors how easy it is to get started in model railroad building. Many of the materials are easy to find and not expensive.
“I want people to have fun making their model railroad base,” said Evans. “If you can save money on the railroad base, you can buy a better train and track.”
As a result, Evans has written a manual showing ways to create using the foam. His “IMAGINE – F.O.A.M.” (First Outrageously Affordable Method) is step-by-step and full of detailed photos.
“My hardest job is convincing people that the foam is almost all they need for their railroad base scenery,” said Evans. “But when they come back smiling I know they tried my method.”
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