Allied Model Trains was a longtime model-railroad store that became one of Culver City’s best-known specialty retailers. Founded in 1946 in West Los Angeles, the business sold model trains, track, scenery, railroad books and collectibles and developed a national reputation among hobbyists. In 1989, owner Allen Drucker moved the store to a custom-built 12,600-square-foot building on Sepulveda Boulevard designed as a scaled-down replica of Los Angeles Union Station, complete with arched windows, tile work and a bell tower. The elaborate store featured large operating layouts and extensive displays and was frequently described as one of the largest model-train shops in the country.

Drucker had purchased the business in 1975 and expanded it during the height of the model-railroad hobby. After more than three decades as owner, he sold the business in 2007 and leased the Union Station–style building to Samy’s Camera; Allied moved into a smaller Art Deco–style storefront nearby. The store continued under new ownership until July 7, 2015, when it closed after 69 years in business and its owners announced that the company had become insolvent. The former flagship building survived, later becoming known as The Braddock after being converted to creative office space while retaining its distinctive Mission Revival and Art Deco exterior.

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