Model train store a dream come true for retiree

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Updated: April 1, 2011 11:15AM

Downers Grove resident Keith Lipske, 68, is living proof that if you have a passion for something, it’s never too late to pursue your dreams.

A veteran of more than 30 years in the area of information technology, Lipske continued in his free time to invest in his hobby of collecting model trains. And now he has taken his interests to a new level with the opening of the Timberline Train Shop in downtown Downers Grove, a mom and pop store run by him and his wife, Pam Yano.

“I wouldn’t be doing this without her,” Lipske said of his business partner. “She’s one of the main reasons I’m here. When I was working in IT during my career, I used to run a mail-order business out of my home with model trains and after a while, I got so busy I couldn’t do both. But now that I’m retired from my other job, it’s given me the opportunity to do something I’ve always wanted to do. And with the economy the way it is and rents lower, this was a good time to start.”

Lipske said he and his wife moved to Downers Grove in 2003 and that for him, having established a connection with the village and the people living in and around it convinced him that his current location on Main Street would be a solid place to open a business.

“I know lots of people here and others who are train enthusiasts, and I think this is the kind of hobby shop people still want to have,” he said. “I know a lot of places like this have closed over the years, but this is something that people continue to have an interest in. I know you can go on the Internet and find many of these things, but people like to see and touch the product and talk with someone about it.”

Lipske sees building model railroads as a way for families to reconnect with one another, as well as a multifaceted hobby that involves many different skill sets.

“When you make your own layout of a village, you have electrical, artistic, carpentry and other issues to deal with,” he said. “The big problem with kids today is that they spend too much time at computers and don’t do anything else. I see this as a way for people to work together on something constructive.”

The Timberline Train Shop will carry products from 50 to 60 different manufacturers, Lipske said, including major players in the market like Kato, Atlas, Athearn and Woodland Scenes, names that are said to be as synonymous to train enthusiasts as Chevrolet is to car fans.

“These are some of the biggest names in the field today,” Lipske said. “About 70 percent of the collectors are into the ‘HO-scale’ trains, while about 23 to 25 percent like the ‘N-scale’ models. The HO are larger and more popular, as they’ve been around for about 70 years.”

If you haven’t played with a train set in a while, be prepared for some surprises, Lipske said. The quality and array of features is far better today, and the detail added to each piece is noticeably more realistic. Even the smallest locomotives now include sound, and collectors can still buy individual pieces or entire sets.

“People still do the thing where they set the train up once a year and let it run around the Christmas tree,” Lipske said. “But there are others that build large railroads all over their basement and mess around with them 365 days a year. There are even clubs for people that get together and share their hobby with others. I want to have a place for people like that.”

The Timberline Train Shop is at 5228 Main St. in Downers Grove. Its hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday to Thursday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. The store is closed Monday.