Midwestern Modelworks will be at the Indy show

One would think he might use the MMW website to disseminate information.

ECI

Awesome

@EastCoastIron posted:

One would think he might use the MMW website to disseminate information.

ECI

...particularly since some might be able to get there,

I'm curious to see what he will have.   Painted models will be nice!

@R Nelson posted:

I'm curious to see what he will have.   Painted models will be nice!

Yes, but wouldn't it be nicer to have FINISHED models for those customers that paid in advance,,,,,,,,,,,,a VERY long time ago?

Since he is presumably sitting on a lot of peoples dollars it would be nice if he were more communicative with his customers and the obvious way of providing updates is via his website. However talented he may be and however grand or grandiose perhaps his ambitions, he could brush up on his customer relations skills. he seems to have one or two apologists here but there is no excuse for taking deposits and then not communicating. Harsh but true.

@Jon Marcus posted:

Since he is presumably sitting on a lot of peoples dollars it would be nice if he were more communicative with his customers and the obvious way of providing updates is via his website. However talented he may be and however grand or grandiose perhaps his ambitions, he could brush up on his customer relations skills. he seems to have one or two apologists here but there is no excuse for taking deposits and then not communicating. Harsh but true.

I was thinking of another O scale builder and wondering if folks have to pass on their deposit information to their heirs in the event the project ever gets finished.  

@Rule292 posted:

I was thinking of another O scale builder and wondering if folks have to pass on their deposit information to their heirs in the event the project ever gets finished.  

That might elicit the question, which of the projects has the longest duration so far, and who has a track record bringing in models?

I'm sure it's all good intentions, but don't forget the old line: The road to Hades is paved with good intentions.

It's always been my opinion, if you plan to gamble on a model, (and it is most certainly a gamble) one better be able to absorb the loss should something go amiss. That in NO WAY implies any shady business, but a lot can happen between here and the Orient. Ships sink, planes fall out of the sky, political upheaval, pandemics! "Lions and Tigers and Bears, OH my!" I sincerely wish all you folks with money invested  the best. I do not derive joy from others misfortune!

East Coast Iron

@Rule292 posted:

I was thinking of another O scale builder and wondering if folks have to pass on their deposit information to their heirs in the event the project ever gets finished.  

Don't know if they have to but they might be wise to include the info in their wills,

@EastCoastIron posted:

That might elicit the question, which of the projects has the longest duration so far, and who has a track record bringing in models?

I'm sure it's all good intentions, but don't forget the old line: The road to Hades is paved with good intentions.

It's always been my opinion, if you plan to gamble on a model, (and it is most certainly a gamble) one better be able to absorb the loss should something go amiss. That in NO WAY implies any shady business, but a lot can happen between here and the Orient. Ships sink, planes fall out of the sky, political upheaval, pandemics! "Lions and Tigers and Bears, OH my!" I sincerely wish all you folks with money invested  the best. I do not derive joy from others misfortune!

East Coast Iron

Nicely written East Coast Iron,

I worked the brass department at the original Caboose Hobbies for several years and learned many stories about various projects that were awesome results and some royal blunders. Yes things have gone shady as you wrote in the hobby and one such incident that particularly stands out was I think “Mile High Brass Trains” or something such and such and those Kumata California Zephyr cars in HO back in the 1980s. This has NOTHING to do with THIS thread I know. From what I was told the importer business person that was doing these models took payments for these models based on speculation of arrival; he never filled the orders and took the money. Prison time I was told the eventual result, so many years ago now the stuff of mythos but nonetheless it’s really happened.

That is crazy huh!

@Erik C Lindgren posted:

Nicely written East Coast Iron,

I worked the brass department at the original Caboose Hobbies for several years and learned many stories about various projects that were awesome results and some royal blunders. Yes things have gone shady as you wrote in the hobby and one such incident that particularly stands out was I think “Mile High Brass Trains” or something such and such and those Kumata California Zephyr cars in HO back in the 1980s. This has NOTHING to do with THIS thread I know. From what I was told the importer business person that was doing these models took payments for these models based on speculation of arrival; he never filled the orders and took the money. Prison time I was told the eventual result, so many years ago now the stuff of mythos but nonetheless it’s really happened.

That is crazy huh!

You could say a similar thing with Bill Benson and Right-of-Way Industries.

If anyone has heard if Erik is actually going to show up it would be nice to know ; here we are a few days before the show and the web-site still hasn't been updated ( contrary to someone saying he was going to more than a month ago )  and you'd think he'd want to let people know he planned to attend . Waiting with baited breath on this one .

I have been informed that Erik will be at the show with progress on some of his projects. Painted models will be in hand today and shown at the show. Many will be surprised. If you aren't then you didn't have patience during the China flew or didn't order the project.

George DiSanti - Home of the Tar Heels

^ I'm not delusional - this has nothing to do with covid . Too many projects announced / deposits taken ( mine as well ) and nothing delivered .

If you are not patient especialy with a world wide pandemic that halted travel to other countries to check on projects and you say it did not have anything to do with Covid , then what rock have you been hiding under?

I have a model reserved but I'm probably going to tap out. When it comes time to fork over another grand I'm going to be highly suspect about how long the next phase will take before a final payment is requested.

If memory serves me correctly, this model (SD40-2) was first mentioned as far back as 2012. In 2017 the project was officially open to reservations. I placed mine in 2019 and here we are 2 years later and the SD45's have yet to be delivered.

So far all I see is lots of talk and nothing to show for it save for a few painted and unpainted models. I sure hope Erik has some breaking news to report and a more defined timetable otherwise I'm going to cancel my reservation and see if there is any recourse to recoup my $950 deposit.

Let's see, Catnap - you have 2 years later since you reserved your model, and the factories across the globe have been shut down/closed and air travel is restricted all due to Covid which is now going on over 1 1/2 years. That means you have only  been waiting about 6 months.  Could you do any better? I don't like the wait either, but at least have some patience. The models have already been started and we all will have a better idea when the Covid restrictions loosen up.

George DiSanti - Home of the Tar Heels!

I wish Erik nothing but the best . I've had money tied up with him for 6 or 7 years . I was so intrigued with what he was proposing that I ordered engines that have I zero interest in - I was only hoping that somewhere down the road he'd produce early generation engines that are of interest to me .  I think the premise of what he wanted to achieve taking diesel detail and running properties to a new level are really exciting . I think the  main issue however is continuously moving the bar on detail levels and then introducing new models before getting something done . Over the years we've had lengthy phone conversations which I always enjoyed . I told him several times he would do best by getting the original SD project finished / delivered before getting bogged down in other projects . Over the years when I asked when deliveries would begin it would be '' by next March or by next fall '' so it gets harder to imagine this actually coming to fruition . At a bare minimum he could have updated his web-site 2 years ago with some plausible explanation of where things stand . I don't think there was anything nefarious going on - just  a case of not focusing on one thing at a time . I've talked to a number of guys who have deposits who are worried about where this goes so I really hope some firm plan is laid out when Erik speaks with customers this weekend .

Surely, someone has a report?