Yeah, I recall Vern. Nice fellow, and that place was great for many years. I heard the new guy is his son. I just found the environment to be less friendly. The guy was rude and dishonest when I was inquiring about buying the same Brodart book covers that they use, either from them or directly from Brodart. He was also rude when I inquired about a few Four Ways West books.

Then the woman in there rudely told me I was allowed to photography their Trains Magazine. Yeah, right. Like I was really going to that. I was looking up a phone number in an advertisement in the magazine and pulled out my cell phone (which doesn't work as a camera anyway).

Then I called later to ask again about the Brodart covers and he (Dennis, I think) blatantly lied to me. He said I couldn't buy them because they are made custom only for him. He said he had 1000 on order and he may or may not want to sell them to me. I called Brodart and asked them to sell me what they sell the Train Shop. She said the Train Shop really hadn't ordered in a few years (lie #1) and she gave me the catalog number of the off-the-shelf covers that the Train Shop uses (lie #2).

He's lost my long time business (along with Chuck at Railbooks.biz, but that's another story) and Bill at Karen's books has earned it.

I really like the Eastside Trains in Kirkland, WA too. They are also very warm and friendly.