October Model Railroader

It's a 14-page "Workbench Guide". Articles are:

--The Foundation of a Modeler's Toolbox,

--What You Need to Know About Adhesives,

--Learning the Art of Soldering,

--Changing the Scale of Drawings,

--How to Use a Scale Rule,

--Step-By-Step Diesel Locomotive Tune-Up, and,

--Tools for Scratchbuilding in Brass. Has a few not-bad sidebars, too. Picked it up at the LHS and it was in a sealed plastic bag, just like how the nice folks at Maximum PC do it. (No CD, though!)

By the way, what's a "Borders"? Is it the American equivalent of our Canadian "Chapters"? (Big-box bookstore)

Garth in Ottawa.

Jim, Its called the "Work Bench Guide". It has sections on basic tools, adhesives, soldering, engine tune up, working with brass, scale conversions and using a scale ruler. Mostly it's information for someone new to the hobby but has some very useful charts and information. Its a nicely done informative little book. Bruce

Is it exactly, or nearly, the same as the one they sent out last year?

On Sun, 14 Sep 2003 22:53:48 -0400, "Garth Allen"

Borders is a big nationwide bookstore chain in America. We also have Barnes & Nobles as another big bookstore chain.

Good Morning All,

Bruce said "Its a nicely done informative little book." I had a chance to see the insert and agree that it was done well. The thing that bothers me......as a subscriber to the magazine......I do not get the insert as MR is now mailed without being sealed in a bag. I realize this may seem petty to some, but last year, decals were included in the mag and again....not for those of us who subscribe. In the case of this and last years inserts, being something I would enjoy having....I guess I will cancel my subscription and just pick the mag at my local train store.

Bob

I picked up a copy last week at Caboose Hobbies in Denver, and it did not include the insert. Howcome?

Bob Boudreau Canada

-- The Gratiot Valley Railroad Club bi-annual train show and sale November 2, 2003, at the Macomb Community College Sports and Expo Center. Macomb County Michigan. Please visit our Web Site at:

Bob, someone took your decals. Mine were stapled into the binding of the magazine.

Bob - Are you talking about the decals for the Turtle Creek boxcar? These were included in every copy of the magazine, subscriber or LHS. If you are referring to a different set of decals, I never even heard about any such being included in LHS copies over the past year. Clue me in.

CNJ999

I referred to the Turtle Creek decals.

=>I referred to the Turtle Creek decals.

They were bound in, so if they were missing from your copy, either someone took them out, or there was a production glitch.

The September issue has not arrived here yet, maybe a week on Friday or this coming Friday if lucky

Alan in beautiful Golden Bay, Western Oz, South 32.25.42, East 115.45.44 GMT+8 VK6 YAB ICQ 6581610 to reply, change oz to au in address

Same with me. In my case, my biggest gripe is not having the plastic bag. The mailmen in our area still walk from house to house carrying an armfull of mail, and several times in the past 2 years I have gotten a soggy, wrinkled mag that was difficult to read and falling apart.

Walt

I like getting those extras too, but I was a subscriber when the decals were included, and I got a set of them in my copy. I think every copy was supposed to have them, as it even mentioned it on the cover.

Railfan wrote in news:6Ch9b.10567 $ snipped-for-privacy@ursa-nb00s0.nbnet.nb.ca:

Drive by Gloat!

Haven't been there for about 7 years. Sigh.

The store removed it so that you wouldn't use it to order your own subscription. They make a profit on each magazine and also on the other merchandise you buy when you're there. If you have your own subscription that's one less magazine they sell each month and one more excuse for you not to come to the store.

This isn't a guess, by the way, I've actually seen the store owner at my own local shop do the same thing.

RWBooneSr.

This is odd because I get my magazines delivered to me in Canada in a plastic cover - all the inserts have been there as advertised.

The plastic bag also contains a sheet insert with my address printed on it - it's not printed on the magazine. I'm not sure what the process is for delivering it, but I think they cart the whole lot over the border to Canada, and somebody packages them so.

If they can afford to do this for Canada (ok, maybe I do pay for it) (and what about overseas?), couldn't they do this for everyone? Yes getting a thumbed through magazine with missing inserts would frost me too. (I just noticed my computer trade magazines from the US come the same way - shipped with Canadian postage. But the Canadian magazines arrive with the address printed on the cover, no plastic bag covering. There's a trend here!).

- Joe

Up until a couple of years ago they came in a plastic bag down here in the US, too. Then the bag quietly disappeared and the mailing label was stuck directly on the magazine cover. Of course, considering what you guys up in Canada pay for the mag, you deserve better service.

Before that comment starts a flame war, I know all about VAT and exchange rates. The Canadians still pay more than we do just because they live over a line on a map.

Walt

Just call the Model Railroader toll free customer service number found in the magazine and they'll send you out a new magazine usually in a bag or a paper envelope.

For Railroad Model Craftsman which doesn't have a toll free line because Hal Carstens is a cheapskate I just email Bill Schaumburg and ask for a new one.

I usually get it within a few days. A public email addy for expensive editorial staff always trumps a cheap customer service employee and a toll free line for getting the job done. ;-)

Eric

Walt wrote:

"In my case, my biggest gripe is not having the plastic bag. The mailmen in our area still walk from house to house carrying an armfull of mail, and several times in the past 2 years I have gotten a soggy, wrinkled mag that was difficult to read and falling apart."