Business Spotlight: Battlefield Station Family Hobbies

Welcome to Larry Levine's train station. Or would that be Larry Levine's hobby store?

Customers who come to Battlefield Station Family Hobbies at 220 W. Battlefield Road might have a little trouble distinguishing the difference at first, since the store is laid out like a train station terminal, complete with a ticket counter, waiting area and a mock train platform.

This 8,000-square foot store is fast becoming a Mecca for area hobbyists. Battlefield Station Family Hobbies contains a wide variety of modeling supplies, including plastic modeling kits of military aircraft, ships and vehicles, military figurines, collectible cars and radio-controlled racecars.

The bulk of the store's inventory, however, is geared toward those who are interested in model railroading. Shoppers can find everything needed to construct a model railroad display, including background scenery, train tracks, power supplies, sound systems, lights and trains of all sizes. Those who don't wish to construct a display from scratch can opt to purchase a model train kit.

"I got into train modeling when I was a kid," said Levine. "About 20 years ago, I got back into it. I don't know why, but I just love it."

Levine turned his love of model railroading into a business in 1994 when he opened Mainline Model Supply in Chesterfield Village. During the first four years the store was open, Levine worked two jobs. He installed residential siding during the day and worked at the store on evenings and weekends.

By 1998, however, the hectic pace caught up with him. After some soul searching, he decided to devote all of his time and attention to his store.

"I put siding on houses for 20 years so I could support my family," he said. "Owning and running my own store has always been a dream for me."

Levine decided to close Mainline Model Supply in 2000 and open a larger store on Battlefield Road. To help finance the expansion, he took on a business partner, and in August of that year, Battlefield Station Family Hobbies opened for business.

Sales were strong and business was good, said Levine. Then disaster struck. On Nov. 2, 2000, a devastating fire swept through Battlefield Station Family Hobbies. Most of the store's inventory was lost, and the building was destroyed.

"I had heard horror stories about dealing with insurance companies, but we weren't one of them," said Levine. "I give our agent Ron Williams at Ollis and Co. a lot of credit for that. He sold us the right policy to begin with."

Undeterred, Levine began looking for a new building, and eventually he found one. Securing a new location was just the beginning, however. He still had to replenish his inventory, and numerous model railroad displays had to be constructed.

Fortunately, several customers stepped in and helped. Some helped paint the inside of the store to give it a train station motif. Others volunteered to construct several elaborate indoor and outdoor model railroad displays. One customer, Larry Bangle, even painted a wall mural. Levine's streak of bad luck wasn't over, however.

"We reopened on Sept. 15 four days after Sept. 11," he said. "The timing wasn't ideal."

Business, however, soon returned to its normal pace, and word spread quickly that Battlefield Station Family Hobbies had reopened. Before long, many of the store's customers returned.

Meanwhile, Levine began placing ads in information packets distributed by the Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce in an effort to entice visitors and tourists to come to the store.

"Springfield isn't big enough to justify a full-line hobby store of this size, so it has to be more than just a store," he said.

"I want people to look at Battlefield Station Family Hobbies as more than just a shopping venue. I want them to look at it as an entertainment venue as well, sort of like Bass Pro Shops."

Recently, Battlefield Station Family Hobbies began selling radio-controlled race cars, and the store holds racing competitions. The store also holds classes to teach people how to construct model railroad displays.

Another area of the store is geared toward children with a wide variety of modeling kits.

According to Levine, some people come to Battlefield Station Family Hobbies just to look around and see what's new. On average, the store operates 10 model railroad displays. These displays, which feature trains of all shapes and sizes, capture the imaginations of young and old alike.

"A lot of families will just come here and hang out," said Levine. "I've structured the store so there's something for everyone."

Battlefield Station Family Hobbies only reopened 11 months ago, but Levine is already looking toward the future. Recently, he bought out his business partner and became the store's sole owner. He also is making plans to launch an informational Web site, which will help promote Battlefield Station Family Hobbies as a visitor and tourist destination.