Alexandria, VA – The distant call of childhood memory is a powerful thing, especially around the magic of the Christmas season. For youngsters, it’s a time to imagine brightly wrapped presents from Santa. Some kids hope for electronics, while others want a bike or scooter. Still others have their eye on more traditional presents, such as a model train set waiting to be assembled and sent chugging down its track.
Frank Kozuch, owner of the Whistle Stop Toy & Hobby in Alexandria, puts it into perspective, saying, “The Whistle Stop sells memories, and trains are a memory under a Christmas tree.”
Kozuch received his first train set from his parents when he was just 18 months old. That first train whistle has echoed down the years and been with him ever since. A lifelong collector of trains, Kozuch grew his collection, traveled around the United States, and attended events for train collectors. By May 2005, Kozuch’s inventory had grown large enough to open a retail store in Old Town Alexandria. He moved his store to Alexandria’s Centre Plaza on Quaker Lane in 2015.
Today, Whistle Stop offers an extensive collection of model trains and accessories. It keeps pace with meeting youngsters’ changing needs, offering model rocket kits, cars, boats, board games, puzzles, LEGO kits, and much more, making the Whistle Stop a hobbyist’s dream. Kozuch is quick to draw a distinction between Whistle Stop and the box stores that dot the retail landscape. Stores such as Target, COSTCO, and Walmart sell toys, not hobbies. It’s in building something that a child has a great opportunity to learn.
Many parents often feel their children are held captive by the Internet and the incredible range of distractions that present themselves. Kozuch sees an advantage in introducing kids to the hobby world. “Hobby stores are about trains, models, cars, and rockets, things you build,” he says. “There’s no substitute for learning and engagement through building a model airplane, rocket, or car.”
Kozuch believes there are tremendous benefits for a young person who becomes a hobbyist. Hobbies are not about rushing and instant gratification. Assembling model rockets, cars, planes, and trains takes time but provides invaluable skills as kids get older. An experienced hobbyist himself, Kozuch is well aware of the challenges a hobby can present and the life-long benefits it provides.
“What do we learn from building models?” asks Kozuch. “We learn you have to follow instructions, and how to assemble things and complete a task—skills kids learn that come in handy later in life.”
For instance, many products, such as rockets and hobby cars, are quite sophisticated and require great care to assemble and safely operate. They’re not meant for 8-year-old children.
The Whistle Stop is a panoply of colors that draw the eye in, daring it to explore every corner of the store. Estes Rocket kits stand next to large, colorful kites, which lead the way to colorful LEGO sets. Boxes of hobby cars wait patiently for someone to take one down and look it over.
Shoppers exploring Whistle Stop’s many offerings who might feel a bit peckish and want a snack can enjoy the only M&M’s dispenser in northern Virginia. “Everyone sells candy for Valentine’s Day, Halloween, and Christmas,” says Kozuch. “But no one sells candy for the Super Bowl. People come in and buy the colors of their team. Everybody goes to a Super Bowl party or hosts one.”
Helping to celebrate the Christmas spirit, Kozuch is proud to be one of the sponsors for the Santa Railway Express. This all-day train ride carries some 200 passengers from King Street Station in Alexandria to Old Town Manassas and back, with a visit by Santa Claus on board to greet kids with special holiday treats. Co-sponsored with Hooray for Books and the Historic Manassas and Virginia Railway Express, the event is always a holiday favorite.
What does the future look like for the Whistle Stop and the families that visit there? “There are two things I want for the store,” Kozuch says. “Obviously, we have to be profitable to be open. But the most important thing is to create an environment that children love and remember. Growing up, we all had a special store, and as we get older, we want to go back and see if it still exists.” Occasionally, that happens at Whistle Stop, and it makes the work all worthwhile.
“I have people from our days in Old Town who come here and say, ‘Do you remember me? I was four years old and I used to buy your trains.’ Now, they’re 20-year-olds.”
To learn more about hobbies and toys, visit www.whistlestophobbies.com/ or call (703-549-44912). Whistle Stop is found at 1719 Centre Plaza, Alexandria, VA, 22302
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