[PRCo] Bill & Walt's

[Bob Rathke]

I don't know when Bill & Walt's Hobby Shop started, but I became acquainted
with it in the mid-50s.  Until that time, I frequented Burland's Hobby Shop
on the North Side - it was in a tiny store on North Avenue across the street
from Allegheny General Hospital. Around 1955, Burland's moved to Federal
St., opposite the Western Auto store, and then around 1958 to a larger store
on Federal St. closer to the Library.  They eventually moved to the North
Hills Village shopping Center on McKnight Rd.

Back to Bill & Walt's: Walt Henkel was a member of the McKeesport Model RR
Club when it was in the B&O Freight House in McKeesport in the 1950s.  I
believe that Bill (I can't remember his last name) was member of the
Pittsburgh Model Railroad Club which was located in the PRR's Shadyside
Station.

Bob 2/3/03

-----------------------------
----- Original Message -----
From: <Fredbruhn at aol.com>
To: <pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org>
Sent: Monday, February 03, 2003 6:41 PM
Subject: [PRCo] Re: Pittsburgh-Some Place Special



> Was Bill and Walt's in business in the early 50's.  If so that is the
> location where I found the PERA West Penn History published in 52.  They
had
> one copy and I grabbed it for $ .50.  This booklet added a whole new world
of
> the West Penn for me as my only previous bit of literature was the Feb. 52
> article in Trains magazine.
> I think it was spring of 53 before I found that shop.  I used that PERA
> publication to the point I had to laminate the pages to keep it together.
I
> still use it, but have a good copy as a backup.
>
> the other Fred