Hub Hobby Shop

Hub Hobby Shop Plastic Model kits of Tanks, Planes, Cars, and Ships-Model Rockets-HO Scale trains, Tools. Paint "We started to add hobby supplies.

Specialties:

Plastic Model kits of Model Tanks, Planes, Cars, and Ships

HO and N Scale Model Trains and Scenery Material

Books on Military Subjects

Pinewood Derby Supplies - - - Model Rockets
Modeling Tools, Paints, and Glues - - Basswood, balsa, chipboard, plastics sheets, shapes, & strips



History:

Hub Hobby Shop started in a plain commercial block of South Broad Avenue in New Orleans bet

ween Washington and Pumping Station #1. (It is called Pumping Station #1 because it was the first pumping station in the city having been installed in approximately 1896. It was built there because it is the lowest part of the city at minus six feet). The hobby shop’s name comes from its Broadmoor location - near the center of the city's proverbial saucer. Looking at a map, the streets radiate outward like spokes in a wheel. "We bought the business in 1951, when it was a radio-repair shop and sold small appliances," once remarked Jerry Kelly, co-founder of the Hub. Very soon, they began to eclipse the radio and appliance repair business, so we got out of that quickly." The stock comprises a virtual candy-box of Lilliputian train accessories, plastic models of airplanes, cars and ships, and a host of oddities. Elaborate model planes hang from the ceiling. Racks of paint and books on military aircraft line the wall. Diminutive shrubs and trees are also available for architecture students, model railroaders and school projects. August, 2005 brought Hurricane Katrina and seven feet of water to the Hub. The roof was completely gone, which allowed Hurricane Rita to dump six inches of rain in through the top three weeks later. In the spring of 2006, the shop re-opened in its present location on Airline Drive in Metairie about five miles from its old location.

Some airplanes . . . some Gundams
08/15/2026

Some airplanes . . . some Gundams

Tales of Broad St: the pilotThe first customer that I remember helping (?) was Mr. McClarence. He was a model railroader...
08/12/2026

Tales of Broad St: the pilot

The first customer that I remember helping (?) was Mr. McClarence. He was a model railroader and an elderly gent – he must have been at least 40!
He asked me for a pilot.

Although I was a brand-new employee, I did have a good memory and could recall where things were. I remember seeing some pilots, so I grabbed a quarter scale Williams Brothers pilot.

He stared at it and looked quizzically at me. I said if this wasn’t the one he wanted, I could get a different one.

He said he wanted the pilot that went on the front of the steam locomotive. I always thought that pilots worked the controls from inside a cab, so I asked my co-worker, the legendary - although he wasn’t legendary at the time – Andy Sperandeo.

Andy snickered as only Andy could and he opened the Kemtron drawer, magically withdrawing a steam locomotive pilot.

Helldiver:Shane Trosclair built this 1/48 Revell-Monogram Pro Modeler SB2C-4 Helldiver. Its markings are from VB-85 flyi...
08/10/2026

Helldiver:

Shane Trosclair built this 1/48 Revell-Monogram Pro Modeler SB2C-4 Helldiver. Its markings are from VB-85 flying off of the USS Shangri-La CV-38. It was involved in the Tokyo raids in February 1945. He used Tamiya AS-8 Navy Blue to paint it.

Some trains today . . . . . .
08/07/2026

Some trains today . . . . . .

Some gundams. . . . . pre-built airplanes . . . . some airplanes you glue together . . . some scenery . . . .
07/31/2026

Some gundams. . . . . pre-built airplanes . . . . some airplanes you glue together . . . some scenery . . . .

DraMi:For those who haven’t heard, here’s part of the Dragon-Zimi press release:“Dragon Models Ltd. and Zimi Model Techn...
07/29/2026

DraMi:

For those who haven’t heard, here’s part of the Dragon-Zimi press release:

“Dragon Models Ltd. and Zimi Model Technology Co., Ltd. are pleased to announce that Zimi Model has acquired selected scale model kit mould assets from Dragon Models Ltd.”

In celebration (?) of this, we’ve red-tagged the Dragon kits in these photos at 25% off.

Tales of Broad Street: Camouflage PaintIt is fairly common for customers to ask for help in selecting paint for their mo...
07/28/2026

Tales of Broad Street: Camouflage Paint

It is fairly common for customers to ask for help in selecting paint for their models. One such request came from a modeler looking for tropical camouflage for a Spitfire. I selected the colors and put them on the counter.

He looked at them and said that’s not what he was looking for. He added that he wanted the type of paint where all of the colors were in one bottle so that the correct camo scheme would appear as he brushed it on.

The photo accompanying this post is of a model made by Jack Hollander, who used individual bottles of paint instead of the yet-to-be invented 3-in-1 camo paint.

Of his model Jack says:
“The colors that I used on this 1/32 Hasegawa Bf 109 G6 are Testors Model Masters RLM74, 75, and 76. I had to lighten the shade of the Grau Violet.

The Bare Metal Foil that I used on the landing struts looks like they’ve been chromed. One of the more challenging things on this kit was putting the ‘swirl’ decal on the nose. Micro-Sol helped in the process. The chevron indicates that the plane belongs to a squadron commander.”

Chinese Junk:Jake Groby built this Chinese Junk. Of it, he says:“Another piece of ‘JUNK’ saved from the mud of Katrina. ...
07/25/2026

Chinese Junk:

Jake Groby built this Chinese Junk. Of it, he says:

“Another piece of ‘JUNK’ saved from the mud of Katrina. This model lived in a plastic box for the past 20+ years. I picked up the kit back in ’89 I think from Toys-R-US in the Lake Forest Plaza (way back time Machine).

The Instructions were toast, but all the parts survived the ages. Painting the sail bamboo reeds was a bit time consuming, but the weathering of the model and sails blended together nicely. The paint used was all Enamels from my Katrina Stash. The Bamboo was painted using Floquil Water Base Spanish Yellow so the paint would not bleed into the Floquil enamel Boxcar Red. I replaced all the out of scale blocks with wooden blocks closer to the proper scale as well.

I learned several things about Chinese Ship Building, such as they never adopted belaying methods for securing lines nor did they tack the sails, like square rigged ship. Chinese junks tacked by steering the boat directly through the wind; the sail's semi-rigid, battened structure automatically swung to the new side without the need for sailors to physically pull it across, adjust lines, or worry about dangerous, uncontrolled jibs.

This is the first time I’ve built a Junk Rig, rather simple.”

Man-Bat:Bart Molay just finished this 1:8 resin Man-Bat, who was a Batman villain.Reliable sources say that “Man-Bat (Dr...
07/24/2026

Man-Bat:

Bart Molay just finished this 1:8 resin Man-Bat, who was a Batman villain.

Reliable sources say that “Man-Bat (Dr. Robert Kirkland "Kirk" Langstrom) is a character appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. Introduced in Detective Comics #400 (June 1970) as an enemy of the superhero Batman, the character belongs to the collective of adversaries that make up his rogues’ gallery. Originally portrayed as a supervillain, later incarnations show the Man-Bat as a sympathetic villain or antihero.

Frankenstein meets the Gundams . . .
07/24/2026

Frankenstein meets the Gundams . . .

Address

3829 Airline Drive
Metairie, LA
70001

Opening Hours

Monday 9:30am - 5:15pm
Tuesday 9:30am - 5:15pm
Thursday 9:30am - 5:15pm
Friday 9:30am - 5:15pm
Saturday 9:30am - 5:15pm

Telephone

+15048286868

Website

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