Scot Rye, owner of Hobby Kastle, in the University Mall in Brookings, places a model train kit on a shelf. The new shop carries a selection of models and other supplies to meet the needs of most local hobby enthusiasts.

Planes, trains and automobiles the real thing, but scaled down to fit the hands of the hobbyist and the spaces in which they can fly, roll on track or roar around in race-track fashion.

Those are but a few of the offerings at Hobby Kastle, 1060 22nd Ave. S., University Mall in Brookings, on hand for people of all ages the place to "let your inner child run wild!"

Owner Scot Rye, who is in the process of getting his shop up and running, said, "We're going try to have a little bit of everything for everybody, so that mom , dad and kids can come in. Something for everybody

"Mom can go her way and do scrapbooking and arts and crafts. Dad can go toward the remote controls. And the kids can go for anything that they want to go for."

He added that Kastle will carry "a lot of learning stuff, puzzles, games, trying to carry some of the stuff that normally you don't find. That way you don't have to go to Sioux Falls or Watertown; they'll be able to shop local and spend local and keep the local dollars strong."

Among the many and varied offerings of the shop will be model railroading supplies and equipment: "a lot of the kits, various gauges, everything from large scale all the way down to 'n scale."

For the auto and raceway enthusiast, Rye said there will be "a lot of the little micro-trucks that are coming out; the old race tracks that I used to have when I was a kid, those are becoming popular again. Those have had a lot of interest here in just the past few days." For kit lovers

For those enthusiasts who have their eyes on the skies, the Kastle will carry a large assortment of kites and model airplanes.

Rye added that he'll carry plastic model airplanes , "the kits that you can put together." Add to that the "flyers" "ready to fly versions that come with the remote, " plug and play." They're small enough so that those who want to get some "stick time" can fly them indoors in such larger places as gyms or "fly them around in the living room."

He said that today's models are "durable ; they last; you can buy replacement parts for them."

By way of background, Rye is a native Californian, from the Fresno area; he moved to South Dakota in 2000.

"The state of South Dakota has been very good to me," he said. "I've been in Brookings for about two years now. And Brookings has been even better to me. So I want to be able to repay that to the community and do what I can." Owned video store, arcade

Hobby Kastle is his and his wife Melanie's first venture into the hobby shop business. He explained, "We owned a video store and an arcade out in California."

Their plans for the new business include "starting some hobby clubs and a rental program for some of the cars. So if someone wants to come in and rent one of the cars and they like it, that (rent) goes toward the purchase of a new car."

He is appreciative of the South Dakota Cart Club's being "kind enough when they are out there to let us race (with the models) when they are on break."

Rye said of his Brookings move and hobby shop that people have been "very , very responsive, very welcoming to us."

Scot and Melanie have four children, ranging in age from 11 to 18 years old.

Hobby Kastle is open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The telephone number is (605) 692-TOYS (8697); the Web site is www.hobbykastle .com. And Rye may be reached via e-mail at scot@hobbykastle.com.

John Kubal may be reached at jkubal@brookingsregister .com.