Intermountain Responds

[NSEGeorge]

There has been a lot of discussion about Intermountain, and their shipping schedule. Since we have a LOT of Special Runs that have been delayed for a very long time, we were concerned so we called Frank and asked.

His response is interesting, and reveals that things are getting back on track, although there are still challenges. Please read the letter here:

https://www.nscaleenthusiast.com/NSE_Pages/NSE_Frank.htm


George

[Scottl]

Thanks for sharing.  I hope they get back on track so we can get their models again.

[ryan_wilkerson]

"Metal operating couplers" in N scale?

[jargonlet]

Maybe things are looking up over there at intermountain. A friend of mine emailed them about some ho sd40 parts recently. While I was on the phone with him last night, he said that he had received a response that day. I felt it was a rather quick response as I had emailed about parts in the past with no response. After I got off the phone I emailed about some n scale ft parts. I received a response today about the parts. Although they are backed up due to the guy I spoke with being out of the office for a couple of weeks, the parts have been ordered and are on the way.

[EspeeGoldenState]

Read the email on my phone, was confused at where the response was as there was no link in the email. Heck didn't even realize that clicking on the SD45-2 artwork would take you to that page either until I relooked at the email on the computer.

Didn't think about going to the NSE homepage when an email was sent out without linking to it itself I just figured it was in cryptic and going to have to wait for the next magazine.

Chris

[NSEGeorge]

The reason I posted the link is that the email blast went out incomplete.  My fault for not communication with our staff.

Wanted everyone to get the information as soon as possible. Frank was pretty upbeat about things getting back on track. Having no inventory to sell when AFFA went under hurt them pretty badly, but they are getting better now.

George

[wazzou]

Buyer beware...

[MK]

Not trying to be a Debbie or Karen but this statement doesn't match what's posted on their website about not repairing any out of warranty products whatsoever (the assumption is even if you pay for the repairs).

But maybe putting one and one together, they have extremely few parts and are saving them for in-warranty repairs.

[SecretWeapon]

I won't buy Intermountain. I've been burned by their engines in the past. MK, my 1st wife was a karen. I can honestly say I get what you were trying to say!

[thomasjmdavis]

I am willing to cut them slack on repairs and parts for older models.  This was always a risk when, as consumers, we purchased products manufactured by large Asian corporations, marketed by US design and marketing firms (they ceased to be actual manufacturers when they closed their US production facilities).  My conclusion is simply that the tooling for critical parts of older locomotives (or for that matter, cars) no longer exists- or if it does, is in the hands of a Chinese company that has committed production to a competitor of IMRC, and is unwilling to do the run of parts.  This has frequently happened over the years (parts for old Rivarossi or Roco locos and cars, marketed in the US by many companies over the years, are no longer readily available, either, and for the same sorts of reasons- and some of the tooling probably rusting away in a former Mehano warehouse in the former Yugoslavia).  Quite frankly, in my early years in N scale, nobody would have expected to be able to send a 15 year old loco in to have the company install a new motor or replace the gears. (decoders would come later)

I've been pretty happy with my Intermountain products- and certainly for many years they were the "go to" company for those of us modeling 1940s to 60s with numerous boxcar and reefer variations (and all those ATSF cars).  Customer service has been very hit or miss- my supposition based on my own interactions is that if they can help, they respond.  If they are just going to say "no" (based on availability or policy or whatever), I don't hear back.  But in the one case of something that might have been a "warranty" issue (paint separation on an older loco) they responded and offered to fix (in the end, did it myself rather than ship it).  My few other requests have been for parts to either fix cars I damaged, or spares to complete kits (I have never mastered applying their grab irons and similar tiny bits), or kitbashing (they haven't supported the latter for some years now).

So, if they get back to making boxcars and other stuff for my 50s era collection, I may buy some more.  If they get the pre-order time down from 10 years to 10 months, I might even order something.

An idea for them that could actually prove both popular and profitable- and endear them to us folks who like to build and detail models (as opposed to buying them "off the shelf") would be to do a run of sprues of parts for the thousands of pre-existing kits.  I can't prove this scientifically, but having done a lot of these over the last 30 years, the plastic is drying out on older kits, and those tiny bits are getting brittle- hard to cut them from the sprues in one piece, much less attached. Plus there are a lot of modelers who like to mix and match ends, doors and such to better match particular prototypes. Providing the parts sprues, even if it doesn't make them a lot of money (but should make some profit), would help rebuild goodwill with their customer base.

[Englewood]

I'd like to see Intermountain get back to normal. Along with Fox Valley and the other manufacturers that have hit a rough patch. And if IM starts manufacturing engines again, then good! The more choices we have, the merrier!

[Chris333]

Just watched this Scale Trains video and at the end they say how the first parts were filmed like 2 years ago. That is how long it took till the models were in their hands. So just imagine any part of a 2 year process getting screwed up. 

[signalmaintainer]

"Metal operating couplers" in N scale?

NOW that would be something to look forward to.

[peteski]

NOW that would be something to look forward to.

Look forward to? Why would (die-cast) metal be better than slippery plastic (Delrin)? It is lot like we routinely break the plastic knuckles pulling 100 car trains.  The roughness of the metal would make coupling harder.  MTL even recommends not painting the couplers for smoothest coupling.  Some things that companies come up with  (in the name of being different) just don't make sense.

Yes I also believe that Sargent (properly scaled) couplers in H0 are metal, but in larger scale models (where the rolling stock weights more, and usually doesn't roll as easily) the less smooth coupling might not make much difference.

[Tad_T]

I wonder if they will really make the N scale GP10’s now.