I'm really happy with the items that were delivered. They have a lot of stuff to choose from on the website, and some of it is fairly priced, and they also have sales all the time. So I was able to buy all my stuff here a lot cheaper than anywhere else. The items came packaged well and I was overall pretty happy. I will definitely buy again. Five stars read more

I have done business with Pacific Western Rail for many years and find the employees top notch. The boss (Dan) is easy to deal with and goes out of his way to make sure my order is received and correct. I have ordered and waited for products that arrived in a timely fashion. It is difficult to find a hobby shop in the Vancouver near to where I live (Surrey) so PWR is very convenient for me. Their in stock items are not extensive but I order most of my locos and other railroad items anyway. I would not hesitate to recommend them. Barry Appel read more

I finally saved enough points to get a free item. 2500 required. I had accumulated over 3000. I place my order only to find out that my points are in a different currency. What a joke. This Dan fellow lacks any common sense. Waste of time and a rip off. read more

The advise is simple. If you want to buy from a business who cares about their customers look elsewhere. Order online at a pre order price then 9 months later they charged the regular price when everyone else still charged the lesser price. Called to ask why and was told nothing short of to bad. If you want product that they don't make then save yourself and order it from a reputable dealer. read more

Found this online and saw that their catalog was quite extensive. They had an item I had not seen and wanted. Went to place an order and unlike every other retailer I had to spend an hour going through a "training" to use their website. The guy was pleasant enough and I thought that this was going to lead to a good longterm relationship. Fast forward a month. I made four orders. Two of the items, listed as "available" turn out not to be at all. As to the last one, well, all was good until I got a call from a guy named "Dan" who questioned me because I was a new customer. Despite my "training" and previous orders, he accused me of being a "fraud" because I asked to have the items shipped to my work address. I was pretty floored. I explained that no other retailer had this issue and that I had used my address before. He went on to say that "it's been a problem" with others and didn't apologize. I HIGHLY doubt that someone is going to steal a credit card to buy a $50 train car. This hobby is dying as it is. So no apology from him and a defensive response when I told him that I was really caught off guard by his accusations. Had he Googled my name he would have seen that yes I am a professional in an office building at that address. But Sherlock Holmes here was not that smart or cared enough because obviously a new customer who provided valid payment information is somehow only looking to rip him off in his mind for an item that is FOUR MONTHS OUT. In hundreds of online purchases this was the first guy to interrogate me about being real. Look at their website and you will see that their policies are pretty odd and not at all customer oriented. There are many other posts online about this same kind of odd behavior and service. They may make a few nice cars, but as a retailer they are not even amateur hour. Go elsewhere. Account closed and orders cancelled. read more

Disturbingly bad customer service. I decided to join their "Porter's Club" quite a while ago. They kept bugging me about the need for them to familiarize me with how the Porters club worked online. I finally gave in. The salesman that trained me via phone was nice, but I didn't realize that during the training, I must have accidentally left something on the list of things that I wanted. Several months later, they billed me for the item. When I called them to say that the item ended up on my wish list accidentally, the lady that I talked to acted as if I were a criminal. The item sold out almost immediately, so they only managed to drive me away for a very long time. Fast forward a few years. I recently saw a kit on their website that I really wanted and could not find anywhere else. The kit has been discontinued for years. When I called and asked about the kit, they said that they could get anything from this manufacturer. When I explained that this kit was no longer in production, the salesman repeated that they could get anything from this manufacturer. I tried to explain that the kit was discontinued and wanted to know if it was in stock. The salesman responded by saying "Well maybe I should just kill myself if I can't get your kit". Those were his exact words. All I was asking was if they had it in stock because I knew the manufacturer doesn't produce this kit any longer. It appears that the sales staff might need some training in working with customers. They have heard from me for the last time. Never again. read more

Made a mistake of giving them my phone number. Would not stop with the unsolicited phone calls. Very undesirable sales tactic and service. Thank god for the Mr. Number app. read more

Used to be a valued customer until PWRS got into the custom painted plastic locomotive business. At the time there were no commercially accurate, produced Canadian prototype CN Safety/wide cabbed SD40-2Ws or GP40-2WLs, ON SD40-2s in "as delivered" schemes. Owner Dan Huber though he had a large enough stable of custom painters on hand to make this experiment pay off. Don't know the why or possible epic fails re communication but I do recall initial agreement for 5 locomotives to accurately replicate 4 Canadian prototypes, 1 KCS GP40-2WL was approx. $249.98 each, not including shipping to USA from Canada. Well, prepaid this amount via credit card. Thought I was 1 of first handful advised so would get engines within 18 months or less (norm waiting time for custom paints from trusted, established painters). Well, what a nightmare this became. First lesson: never, ever prepay in full. Over time I eventually got a phone call that $249.98 times 5 already prepaid wasn't going to be enough, that more charges must be prepaid upfront. How much...well, roughly the cost of doing a brass locomotive from scratch rather than working with plastic each ($600-$700 USD back in 2002-2004 was the going rate on brass customization plus details)? Need at least another $250 each. When I balked and asked for a refund I was told, in a nice way over the phone of course, to go F___K myself; not going to happen. The next few minutes of conversation over the phone simulated a shakedown asking for the extra money. Dan then suggested it was either shell out more bucks or lose all the prepaid $$ invested in this supposed project. I was not going to get any $$ back, period. It was then I wound up chasing good money after bad. The other suggestion was to call every 3 months instead of more often re checking on the progress of these customizations. When I did call up more often I was met with either hostility by Dan or outright hang up past initial curt greeting. Second lesson: caller ID, double-edged sword with these people. Service is a word spelled d-e-f-l-e-c-t-i-o-n. If you think it lacking at PWRS, it's because "the other guy/gal" reason. This outfit has zero sense of ownership about personal responsibility when situations go awry. Dan did refer a model custom painter to me and this person did call. Maybe I misunderstood but I thought this guy would be the new stand in custom painter for PWRS. If he was the time that lapsed afterward suggested that every preorder in this project likely made by a Canadian or individual that could make a physical appearance to their primary business got their custom models in a timely fashion. I learned through a salesperson I chatted with periodically (not Dan) checking on the customs progress that I was the lone hold up: first to PO, last to get anything. Three years had elapsed. I eventually did my engines (at $500 each). Was the wait worth it: heck, no and the quality definitely did not match the asking/selling price! One engine never got completed and their new, at the time, business consultant, managed to persuade the store owner to refund $500 back to my CC. One time they sent me someone else's preorder for hopper cars by mistake. I called them about it. They said they would reimburse the shipping charges upon receipt. Ha, that was another $10 gift not returned for being honest. What the other 1-star posters listed is correct to some degree. Do not give out your credit card number. Be uber-vigilant about your orders as these people will double-bill. Don't give out your phone number unless you wish to experience bill collector-type harassment tactics about new model railroad stuff you may have wanted or not. PWRS Store proprietor was once a used car salesman. I'm not going to character assassinate this individual but if you're a US resident I recommend you study up on what consumer rights you have and will the Canadian court system honor your lawsuit or claims should that avenue of redress be required from a non-resident. I have not dealt with these people since the custom engine fiasco 15 years ago. Who knows, they may be a decent hobby store now ?? read more