Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, April 11, 1991                   TAG: 9104120515
SECTION: NEIGHBORS                    PAGE: W-6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: BETSY BIESENBACH/ SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES & WORLD-NEWS
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

BUSINESS CHUGGING RIGHT ALONG AT THE RAIL YARD

"There has been a revival of interest in model railroading," he said - much of it from aging baby-boomers who remember the train sets they had as children and want the same thing for their kids.

Business is so good, in fact, that on April 1, The Rail Yard moved from its old quarters in Hollins to a store on Williamson Road with twice as much floor space.

Molinary and his parter, Rick Anderson, operate the store with their wives, Bonnie and Brenda. Bonnie Molinary runs the store during the day, and the others work the rest of the time, each putting in at least 20 hours a week. With the expansion, Jim Molinary said, they expect to hire part-time workers.

All four have regular jobs as well. Both the Molinarys work for ITT, with Bonnie putting in time on the weekends. Anderson is an auto-parts salesman, and his wife, Brenda, works for the Home Shopping Network.

Unlike many small business owners, the Molinarys and the Andersons do not dream of someday quitting their regular jobs. They have owned businesses in the past, Molinary said, and don't care to deal with the headaches of working solely for themselves.

"It's a nice hobby," he said. "We're here to promote the hobby of railroading rather than to make a fast buck."

Molinary said their success is due to an aggressive advertising policy. At least 10 percent of the budget each year is set aside for advertising. They also go to conventions and trade shows to let potential customers know who they are.

The Rail Yard is one of several model railroad stores in the Roanoke Valley. There are about two more stores than an area this size would usually support, Molinary said, but because each store has a different focus, there's no competition. "We're all growing."

One store, he said, specializes in finely detailed all-brass sets, and another buys, sells and trades new and used equipment.

The Rail Yard concentrates on offering a large selection of equipment and supplies.

Most of its customers are from out of town, from within a 150-mile radius, Molinary said. They come from as far away as Florida, Texas and England.

If not for the Rail Yard and the other stores, he said, model railroading buffs would have to go to Tidewater, Charlotte, N.C., or Washington to buy equipment.

"This quality and quantity do not exist between those points."

Most of the store's customers are adults, he said, although model railroading is a good hobby for a child.

"It gives a child the chance to practice or use his mechanical skills."

For adults, he said, constructing a model railroad is "very therapeutic, very relaxing."

The new store will have plastic car and rocket kits and Breyer model horses, but the store "will always be 80 percent railroad."