| Date |
| March 5, 2010 |
Another week of working on the 5% left to do.
As mentioned over a month ago, was the move really that long ago, some of the panels (#s 12
through 37) were mixed up when they were moved from the East wall to the West wall. Work
has started on rearranging them. Tools, misc trucks and couplers, Kadee, Details West, NWSL
and MBE are now back on facing panels. Details Associates is next in line. All the vehicle panels
will be reorganized soon.
Books were reasonably organized but have now been piled up to make way for the Neon Sign
installation. I still do not know how the books are going to be reorganized. I am still waiting for
the 'Aha' moment to tell me what to do.
The Inventory is looming in the future (two and a half months). The plan we used for ten years
went out with the old store. Time to start designing new maps for the new store. We will use the
same method of inventory, we just need new control maps.
Out back of the store CN has been doing tie replacement. Seems a Government Agency came
buy and said you need to do some track work. Here's a fine to get you started. They had a full
track gang here.
I haven't had time to take pictures of everything or get numbers but here are two images.
 Harsco MK IV .
 Kershaw Machine .
|
| February 24, 2010 |
Signs, Signs, everybody needs signs.*1
A store needs signs. We now have a  sidewalk sign.
Produced for us by Coastal Signs
 Sign Box
We now have a store sign. It is not lighted yet (will be this week we hope) but gives us more
visibility. Not as good as our old awning. Still to come, a neon sign for the front window.
*1 For those of you who remember The Five Man
Electric Band
|
| February 23, 2010 |
Found the DVDs and set up the DVD display.
Also a bit space for plastics was made.
|
| February 18, 2010 |
The main display case has been loaded.
The DCC Test Layout is now operational.
|
| Saturday, February 13, 2010 |
| The HO Scale Rapido Trains cars are organized.
|
| Friday, February 12, 2010 |
| The Preiser HO scale figures are now in one rotary cabinet as well as lights and signals.
|
| Thursday, February 11, 2010 |
| Z Scale is now all in one Rotary Cabinet.
|
| Tuesday, February 9, 2010 |
| The Royal Hudson came back from White Rock today. It was a great day for steam. The air
was cool enough for the steam to linger.
|
| Monday, February 8, 2010 |
| A day to ride the Royal Hudson to White Rock. A very nice trip.
|
| Tuesday, February 3, 2010 |
The rush to get things out of boxes and on the shelves is slowing down. Now we are
working on organizing things on their shelves. The Book Nook is still a disaster but it is getting
better. Still need to put four shelves on the wall and then sort and organize the books.
A major future project is reorganizing the thirty-seven parts panels. With the move, twenty seven
of them moved from the East wall to the West wall. This means that items that used to be across
from each other on adjacent panels, are now on the Opposite Sides of adjacent panels. This does
not affect too many manufacturers (Details Associates, Details West, NWSL, Kadee and
Miniatures by Eric) but it is a good excuse to reorganize all of them.
The N Scale area has had a major reorganization. Many items that were on low shelves in the old
store are now on shelves on the wall at a much more accessible height. All the shelves still need
to be sorted in order but they are up and full.
|
| Tuesday, February 2, 2010 |
The wall of boxes is getting much lower however the pile of boxes with junk is getting
higher.
Most displays are in their final (or close to) locations. Most aisles are clear. Still more to do.
Starting to think about the Grand Reopening. We are not ready yet but with the Olympics coming
soon that will push the date into March. |
| Saturday January 30, 2010 |
| Open for business. Filling shelves. Much still to do. |
| Friday January 29, 2010 |
| More shelves on back wall and N Scale wall. |
| Thursday January 28, 2010 |
| The back wall of shelves are up, twenty-four feet by seven shelves high. Now to load them.
|
| Wednesday January 27, 2010 |
Open for sales. Still a long way from finding everything! More moving and reorganizing.
The renovation crew painted the back wall. We can put up the shelving later today. Then we can
start on the wall of boxes.
 The new store front.
No sign yet.
|
| Tuesday January 26, 2010 |
Open for limited sales. Front counter mostly assembled.
The computer is up and works! Yeah! More moving and reorganizing.
The renovation crew mudded the back wall. |
| Monday January 25, 2010 |
Only junk left to move, give away or throw out.
The renovation crew started working on closing in the back wall. Moved boxes, set up displays.
More reorganization. |
We had a fantastic crew of helpers yesterday. Customers donated from a few hours to a few
days and some are still helping.
Central Hobbies would like to thank: (in no particular order) Al M., Greg and Suzie, Emil, Paul
N., John G., Dave M., Dave H., Dave S., David Y., Mike M., Dick S., Glenn W., Norio R., Jim
G., Len T., Geoff G., Graham W., Neil R., Richard Y., Jay San, Greg K., Doug S., Ian P., Ian L.,
Al R., Bob H., Mark, Jamie and Jamie (yes two Jamies), Rusty, Monty, and no doubt a few
others who I forgot.
Thank You everyone for helping with the move. We could not have done it without
you. |
| Sunday January 24, 2010 |
Moving Day. What a Day! Twenty plus customers came to help. The vast majority of stuff
was moved into the new store. All of the displays and cabinets are where they are supposed to be.
Sadly it looks like my measuring of the new store was wrong. Happily it was short not long so
we ended up with wider aisles.
We knew in advance that not everything would fit. We have to down size a bit so G Scale which
has not been paying its way for a long time will be sold off. We will special order anything but
we will not stock it. Plastic models will be cut way back. The new store only has a third of the
space the old store had for them. Should be a bit of culling in the train stock we currently have.
|
| January 23, 2010 |
| We started moving boxes today. After a long day it didn't look like we had made a dent in
the store stock. |
| January 22, 2010 |
| We start moving this Sunday the 24th. We have been packing for the last few days and have
barely made a dent in the store. Going to be a busy day Sunday. |
| January 21, 2010 |
So what is the move going to do to the operation of the store?
Things will be very chaotic for a while. It will take a few weeks to get organized.
We will be staying open as much as we can during the move. Orders will be taken but expect
delays in shipping. |
| January 20, 2010 |
A new address means a new CPR Steam Locomotive.
Here is a picture of our new namesake. Picture courtesy of GTC Collectibles. Used with
permission.
|
| January 19, 2010 |
| Another week, more delay. So the 20th is out, now maybe the weekend. All going well
Sunday the 24th is going to be a busy day. So will all the days of the following week as we finish
the move and try to get the new store setup. |
| January 12, 2010 |
| Well my guess as to the move not being the weekend of the 17th looks to be correct. The
store should be ready in the following week so the move may start mid week.. |
| January 7, 2010 |
| As of today it looks like we will be moving in the next two weeks. The move might start the
weekend of the 17th but I think that it will be the weekend after. |
| January 6, 2010 |
This is how we hope the outside of the store will look (not including the boarded up
window of course).
|
Progress is being made. The plywood panel is not covering a broken window. The window
opening was not measured right so the window did not fit.
|
| December 24, 2009 |
| The MOVE: The move will be perfectly planned and come of without a hitch. . . . Now that
everybody has had a good laugh, the reality is that we will be in a greater state of confusion than
usual for a few weeks. We will be open for sales and to take orders during all of this. I expect
order shipping to be delayed for a week or two. More details as we know them.
|
| December 19, 2009 |
It is hard to believe that behind this poster covered hoarding a new store is taking shape.
|
And here is the proof. Construction in the interior. The mezzanine storage area is in (but the
stairwell has yet to be built). The building utility room is roughed in. Still a lot to do but it is now
recognizable as a useable store space.
|
| December 18, 2009 |
Still no firm date as to when we move but it will be next year, for sure, maybe.
Progress is being made on the new location. Projected completion is the end of the year or
very early next year. That would make the date of the move early to mid January, maybe.
Stay tuned for more details.
|
| December 3, 2009 |
Well the rumours are true - Tiger Woods is pregnant with
Elvis's Love Child. Remember you heard it here first.
Seriously a move is in our future. The current plan is to move 83 feet West to the location we
were located in, in 1995. The projected new address is 2825 Grandview Highway. Same postal
code. No change to phone numbers or email addresses. As the new location is in the centre of the
building both parking lots (east end and west end) are useable.
When is the move happening? We don't know. It is supposed to happen before the end of the
year but the new location is a long way from being ready to occupy.
We should have enough advance notice to advertise it properly.
We expect to be closed for most of a week while we move. We will need help with the move.
There will be a sale of stuff that we do not want to move.
To reduce the inventory that we have to move, we have several in store sales on various product
lines now. Please note that the sales do not apply to special orders, brass or holds.
Stay tuned for more details.
|
| November 5, 2009 |
| The latest problem involves the demolition in the centre of the building. The fumes from
the Bob Cat exhaust they are using to remove the concrete debris are permeating the building.
We have to flush the air in the store the first thing in the morning. Not too bad after that. Of
course the dumpster occupying three parking spots is a bit of a bother, but remember that there is
parking at the other end of the building as well. |
| October 30, 2009 |
| The centre of the building is gutted. Some reconstruction has started.
|
| September 5, 2009 |
I had not noticed the lights before. I need to come by and get a night picture.
|
| August 28, 2009 |
The sign on the back of the store is going away. Here is the last image of the sign as it is
being covered by the new mural.
This is the new mural. Not too shabby.
|
| August 25, 2009 |
Much of the upper half of the building is now covered in glass. Doesn't look too bad.
|
| August 15, 2009 |
Much has happened in the last month or so. The scaffolding went away (a bit late). The
building was covered (mostly) in a Blue waterproofing material. Installation of the support grid
for the windows and siding has started. Windows have been installed. Installation of the panels
for the upper building covering have started.
This side view of the building shows the Blue waterproofing material and the support grid.
 East side of building.
This front view of the building shows the installation of the first finishing panels.
 Front of Building with new panels.
|
| May 9, 2009 |
Proper scaffolding has been installed. It should be gone by the second week of June. We
will see.
 New Scaffolding
started.
|
| May 7, 2009 |
After a week of relative quiet, proper scaffolding is being installed. It does infringe on the
security door a bit but not enough to impede access to the store.
 New Scaffolding
started.
|
| April 29, 2009 |
| Interior work on the rest of the building continues but nothing is happening to the exterior.
Parking on the east side of the building is OK although a large bin is blocking one and a half
parking spots. |
| Friday April 24, 2009 |
Comedy - Today the city informed the contractors that there must be five feet of clearance
on the sidewalk. Down comes the scaffolding while they decide what to do now.
 Central Hobbies building today.
|
| Wednesday April 22, 2009 |
Today Banners were put up on the scaffolding showing we are open.
 Central Hobbies from the
East.
|
| Tuesday April 21, 2009 |
| Today scaffolding is up covering the front of the store and most of the East side. Doesn't
look like there is an open store here. Will have to do something about that. Parking on the east
end of the building is constricted. You are permitted to park at the West end of the building.
|
| Monday April 20, 2009 |
| A Black day for Central Hobbies, the long threatened renovations have begun. Our awning
is now history. Parking will be impacted. As well there will be changes in the store. Much bother
will ensue over the next three to four months. Updates will be posted as the renovations progress.
It is hoped that there will be no store closings but we will see what transpires. |
Central Hobbies as it was. |
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