Intermountain Diesel

[carlso]

I posted the image as reference. It is an IM SD-40-T that I have had several years. For some reason , don't remember why, I have pulled the cradle and motor, drive shafts and contact strips out and use as a dummy unit. I want to put all back together so I can run DCC with 2 other merger scheme units I have. I am not a fan of IM and will not contact them (see their comments about parts) on their web site.

Some time ago I read that they used Atlas trucks, motors, etc. Does anyone know that for a fact ?

Thanks,
Carl

[Mark5]

The trucks are Atlas for sure.

[rgengineoiler]

You mean Intermountain SD40T-2 tunnel motor .  I have three in D&RGW paint.  I do have decoders in them but no sound.  I had one slip in my hand once and it went crashing to the concrete floor.  It bent the front of the shell and body inside the shell.  I did call Intermountain and explained what happened and they sent me a new shell and inside body.  I explained I would pay for them but they never charged me.  It took about two weeks before I received the parts.  Mine with the decoders in them (TCS) run ok but the shells keep slipping off or popping up.  I know Scale Trains is coming out with the SD40T-2 soon in HO so I have been hoping that an N Scale version will be in Scale Trains planes in the near future.   Doug     

[daniel_leavitt2000]

Carl, did you have a bad experience with IM? They have phenomenal customer service. I would give them another chance. They have sent me tons of parts over the years and rarely charge. If they do, it's very reasonable.

If you are totally against contacting IM, you can canibalize an Atlas SD50/60/60M. They share nearly everything and I believe univarsals, motor, cradle, worms, and trucks are the same. You may need to adapt the contract springs, but that's not major surgery.

[ednadolski]

They have phenomenal customer service.

That's definitely my experience too.

Ed

[jagged ben]

What Daniel said.

At one point I bought a bunch of the truck towers from Atlas because they have the tendency to break.

[Bill H]

That's definitely my experience too.
Ed

That's exactly my experience as well, never, ever, had any problem with Intermountain service or spare parts.
Kind regards,
Bill

[glakedylan]

I purchased the PRR Gevo Unit some years back.
I got it before the fixing of PENNSYLVANIA lettering location
When they offered the corrected shells
they sent me two (2) and I asked if they had any extra
incorrect shells, and they sent me another one of those, also.
Never charged me a penny.
Very professional and easy to deal with.


Sincerely
G

[ChristianJDavis1]

I purchased the PRR Gevo Unit some years back.
I got it before the fixing of PENNSYLVANIA lettering location
When they offered the corrected shells
they sent me two (2) and I asked if they had any extra
incorrect shells, and they sent me another one of those, also.
Never charged me a penny.
Very professional and easy to deal with.


Sincerely
G

I believe you are thinking of Fox Valley, but they likewise have excellent customer service. I have gotten parts from both companies free of charge, even if I was not the original owner of the model. All it took was an email and I would be alerted that a package was on it's way to me.

[glakedylan]

I believe you are thinking of Fox Valley, but they likewise have excellent customer service. I have gotten parts from both companies free of charge, even if I was not the original owner of the model. All it took was an email and I would be alerted that a package was on it's way to me.

wow! i suppose i am clearly confused. an oxymoron it would seem. you are probably correct. i do not have those items accessible
and my memory does err more often in these 6th decade of life.


sorry for the incorrect info ... but, yes, Fox Valley is great in CS ... thanks Christian for clearing that up.


sincerely
G

[mu26aeh]

I've only had one experience with IM customer service.  I bought a SD40-2 that was missing a windshield wiper and a ditch light housing.  They sent me, free of charge, a complete shell that had glue streaked all over it, and already missing a couple detail parts.  I removed the parts I needed, still have the shell in my parts box.  Probably going to weather it up and put it on a flat car as a wrecked unit being shipped back to shops.

[wmcbride]

I, too, have had excellent service from IM. They have sent parts due to damage I caused (like dropping an engine) and never charged me a cent.

I replace the stock wheels on the IM tunnel motors with Kato low-profile wheels. I think the part number is 932090. Look better and better pick-up (well, I think so...)

[Vince P]

Requested to buy replacement parts for my N FP7 years ago still haven't received a reply from IM.

Kinda disappointing to spend good money on a unit and you can't even get replacement parts.

Next fp7 will be Kato as i won't waste the funds on another IM.

[daniel_leavitt2000]

Requested to buy replacement parts for my N FP7 years ago still haven't received a reply from IM.

Kinda disappointing to spend good money on a unit and you can't even get replacement parts.

Next fp7 will be Kato as i won't waste the funds on another IM.

Call them.

[thomasjmdavis]

Let me say this is not meant to criticize either Daniel Leavitt (who is proposing a likely solution to the problem some people are having) or Intermountain- I love their products, have dozens of their freight cars, and at least 9 F/FP/FT units.  I think I am a pretty good customer. ! figure that 1 warranty issue over the course of 25 years and 100 products is pretty good. The customer service people I have dealt with have been very helpful.  This is not a people problem, it is a process problem....

"Call them" (whether in regards to Intermountain or any of several manufacturers) is a frequent response to the sorts of issues noted by several i[ abpve.

HOWEVER- one of the first rules of good customer service is to give the customer the correct instruction on how to contact customer service-

On the Intermountain customer service "parts" page, what it says is: "To submit a parts request please click the Parts Request button below or send an e-mail to: intermountain@intermountain-railway.com and provide the following information:"

If you press the "Parts Request button" it just autoloads your email program.

Why provide these specific instructions, and frustrate the customer, if the REAL instructions are "call"?

Good communication is the first step in good customer service.