NEWS AND UPDATES
11/10/18

TrainFest News

The news from Trainfest in Milwaukee is good on one hand and bad on another. While attendance was good at the show and people where buying product from vendors, there was not much good news from what we can tell on the manufacturing side of the hobby. So that means delays with product announcements and product deliveries to customers like BRH and yourself will likely continue with no immediate relief in site.

For BRH, this is not a good thing since I need to keep the lights on and pay the rent. To do that I need product to sell you, our customers. Unfortunately, this is not occurring and I have a long list of advance reservations and back orders still pending that will not be arriving anytime soon.

Manufacturers are so far behind in delivering product it is beyond laughable at this point. Three cases in point. We are now receiving Christmas 2017 items from Lionel! I guess the 2018 Christmas items will not arrive this year, Walthers 2019 Reference Book still has just arrived Friday 11/15 and was 45 days late and finally the Walthers Trainline  starter train sets have been out of stock for a long time and have missed the September arrival date by almost 60 days.

These are just a few of the products we can not get to sell to you.

So, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, as I have been saying for 8 years now. If you see listed on line or in the store as available, it would be best to buy it. Place the advance reservation or back order so you will be in line to get what you need in the future.

Thanksgiving Retail Store and Phone Hours

As always, I continue to process your orders during holiday and vacation times.
However, the retail store is closed during these periods so shipping does not occur. 

During the Thanksgiving weekend customers have not visited the BRH retail store in the past on Black Friday and the Saturday after that so we opt to close the retail store to concentrate on all of the internet orders that come in that weekend.  This is a very very busy internet order weekend.

Here is the Thanksgiving Holiday Weekend Retail Store Schedule:

Wednesday 11/21  10am to 2pm
Thursday (Thanksgiving) 11/22 CLOSED
Friday 11/23 CLOSED
Saturday 11/24 CLOSED
Sunday 11/25 CLOSED
Monday 11/26 CLOSED

BRH online is open 24/7/365!

Digitrax Closed?

I have not heard from Digitrax since Zana does  not return my calls, respond to emails or certified mail.  Due the Hurricane Michael over a month ago it seems that they have closed since it has been 30 days since their last email update on October 15th:

"We are so thankful that our team survived Hurricane Michael and for the support of our amazing community and first responders. It has been a humbling experience for all of us. Unfortunately, due to the severity of the destruction caused by the storm, our main building has sustained substantial damages."

No other information has been forthcoming.

Blue Ridge Hobbies November Sales MTD

Over the years I have been complaining about the lack of product to sell. Out of 122,000 products about 84,000 are currently listed as advance reservation or back order leaving only about 38,000 items to sell to you everyday. Our best year of sales was in 2010 when we had around 90,000 items each day to sell.

So, needless to say, without product to sell, it is very hard to turn a profit. Don't get me wrong, but the profit is down by half. In fact by 48% compared to 2010 for the same point in the year. The lowest sales year to date November  was 2013  when sales where down 76% from 2010.

So, at this point we are on the upswing with MTD sales from 2015 vs 2018 up 49% and 2017 vs 2018 up 13%.
So, the signs are good. But not good enough at this time.

From InterMountain Railway

With the reduction and ultimate discontinuing of our product flow from our sole supplier, 2018 has been a very difficult year for InterMountain. But things are looking up! We have established relationships with four new suppliers and 2019 looks much brighter. We have received our first pre-production samples, which were shown at TrainFest, and there are many more items coming soon. We expect our first production within the next few weeks with much more to come. Working with multiple suppliers we expect to have a more consistent flow of products during the 2019 and for years to come.

Walthers Trainline HO Train Sets In Stock At The Retail Store Tuesday!

The best holiday gift of all is a train set under the tree! Perfect for generating sales during the holiday season,
WalthersTrainline Ready-For-Fun train sets are on the way now. These sets are of good quality and are a sure-fire
gift. Sets areavailable decorated for Santa Fe, Canadian Pacific and CSX. There are compatible with add-on cars, track. Order today while supplies last!

TO ORDER


Upcoming Preorder Deadlines

November 30: Intermountain Preorders
November 30: Walthers Preorders
December 7: Bowser Preorders

New Broadway Limited HO GE AC6000s Announced and Selling Fast!

We're now accepting pre orders for the latest paint schemes on the GE AC6000s. Equipped with modeler-
favorite Paragon3 sound and DCC, plus a built-in smoke unit, these feature-packed diesels will be big sellers this holiday season. New schemes include a CP, UP, CSX, GE Demonstrator and a fantasy SP Daylight scheme. They're expected next month, so order now and get them at a great BRH price!

TO ORDER

Chooch Flexible Steel Cribbing is Newest Addition to Flexible Scenery Sheet Line

Chooch flexible wall sheets come in a wide variety of textures modelers in N, HO and O Scales can use to add retaining walls to less-than-straight areas on your layout. Hand cast in super-detailed flexible vinyl, they're easy to install. Each wall comes with a peel and stick permanent adhesive which adheres to almost any clean surface. Thin vinyl material is easy to cut with a No. 11 blade or scissors. Walls come painted in a base wash of color
and can be further enhanced using Chooch weathering paints or other hobby acrylic colors. The latest arrival in the flexible wall lineup is Steel Cribbing for use as sea walls or along waterways.

TO ORDER

New Fox Valley Models Milwaukee Road HO & N Transfer Cabooses

Based on transfer cabooses built atop the frames of retired steam locomotive tenders the Fox Valley Models Milwaukee Road Transfer Caboose is a favorite with HO and N modelers. New paint scheme variations and road numbers are now available. dealers. These cars typically sell out fast - don't miss out on these!

TO ORDER

NEWS AND UPDATES
11/10/18

For those of you that where not aware, I was on vacation for 3 weeks for a vacation. Normally we do not take this long a vacation but there was only one opportunity to access one part of the trip on these dates.

We where off to see Mickey Mouse in California, the San Diego Model Railroad Museum (Thanks to BRH customer and SDMRR member Don Rogers for setting up a back stage tour of the museum for us!) and the USS Midway before boarding a two week cruise from San Diego through the Panama Canals new lock system and then back to the USA arriving in Galveston on 11/2.

During this trip the retail store was closed unfortunately since, unlike years past when I took a vacation, there where no volunteers or employees to keep the store open to process orders for shipping and be available for local customers to visit. However, I continued to work all orders sent via the internet so that they where processed and ship to the Fedex terminal here in Greenville and held until I returned to the store to process the orders for shipping on Monday.

There where some technical issues while on board the cruise ship with internet access. There was damage to the satellite  connection as the ship avoid went around the hurricane that was just off the coast near Puerto Vallarta. This did slow the process down a bit as the connection, when available, was slow and cumbersome. However all orders where sent in to be filled.

Unfortunately, with the internet issues on board, I could not update the database of products or respond to emails. So, my apologies for those of you that sent emails.

All orders have been processed and shipped as of this update.

So we are back to our normal shipping schedule until Thanksgiving when it will be off a bit due to delivery schedules with Fedex being closed on Thanksgiving.

New Retail Store and Phone Hours

New Hours through the holiday season

Tuesday 10am to 2pm
Wednesday  10am to 2pm
Thursday  10am to 2pm
Friday  10am to 2pm
Saturday 9am to 12pm

Walthers 2019 Reference Book

For those of you waiting on this item my apologies. Normally we have it by the end of September but there has been an unknown delay. First to 10/10 and then to yesterday. As of this update it did not ship yesterday and was supposed to ship today but as of right now we do not see any Fedex tracking numbers so we do not know if they will arrive next week. We will keep you all informed as we have more info.

Product Availability

Product availability is still an issue with low inventories at the manufacturer and wholesaler level. BRH has brought in as much product as we can fit in the store, however retail store and internet sales have increased as well. So we are selling more and more product. There is a possibility that we could start to see product shortages as we approach the holidays so if you need something, the best thing to do is plan ahead and order today or back order as needed.

Locomotives and rolling stock are selling out at the pre order advance reservation stage, so if you see something you may want, place the advance reservation so I can get you in line for the products you want.

I also understand that at Trainfest this weekend some Chinese manufacturers will be meeting with some model railroad companies to discuss the current lack of product. Unfortunately, even if the decide to increase production levels,  that will still take a least a year to bring that product to the stores!

Current Sales Now Running Online At BRH

Time Change Sale - 3,000 Items On Sale Save Up  To 95% Off MSRP - Sale Ends 11/19/18
TO ORDER


Deal of the Day - All In Stock JTT Scenery on sale until Monday 11/12/18
TO ORDER


Walters Weekly Sale New Items Have Been Added
TO ORDER

Upcoming Preorder Deadlines

November 30: Intermountain Preorders
November 30: Walthers Preorders
December 7: Bowser Preorders

New WalthersProto 55' Evans 4780 Cubic Foot 3-Bay Covered Hoppers Now Shipping

The latest round of WalthersProto 55' Evans 4780 Covered Hoppers will appeal to customers looking for detailed cars to add to your diesel-era grain handling consists. Since the 1960s covered hoppers have been the most common cars for grain loading. You will  love these big cars because they often wear colorful
schemes like those in this release. Available in up to four road numbers per scheme.
These are quick sellers, so don't miss out!

New WalthersMainline HO Boxcars

You will love WalthersMainline HO Scale boxcars and the latest arrivals of 50' FGE Insulated Boxcars and 50' ACF Exterior-Post Boxcar. Several schemes are already sold out and others are moving fast. These cars are great for those of you who want to build their 1970s-and later-car fleets.  They're perfect for use with the
latest Cornerstone modern industrial park structures  Order now before they're gone.

New Horizontal-Mount Switch Machine Joins Walthers Layout Control System

Easy turnout control for HO, N, Z, S, and O Scales is important for building your layout. The new Horizontal-Mount Switch Machine offers a second mounting option - perfect for multi-deck layouts where vertical space is at a premium (such as under the top level), or for situations where bench work supports interfere with vertical turnout motor placement. Like the Vertical-Mount Switch Machine, this product is designed for use on DC and DCC layouts and includes a built-in DCC decoder at a lower price than other decoder-equipped switch machines.
They're in-stock now for ongoing modeling-season projects, so order this staple now!

MRC Stationary Synchro Sound for DCC Provides Layout-Based Sound

Stationary Synchro Sound from Model Rectifier Corp. will bring railroads in any scale to life with realistic layout-based diesel sounds for non-sound DCC decoders. Easy to set up and compatible with nearly every DCC system,
numerous programming features are available including, bells and four types of synchronized diesel prime mover sounds: EMD645E, EMD567, ALCO244 and EMD710. The Stationary Synchro Sound gets an address just like a regular decoder, but the included speaker is mounted under or near the layout instead of in a locomotive.

Order Con-Cor HO & N Christmas Cars Now!

Christmas cars in any scale are popular as gifts and Con-Cor models are no exception. This year two cars are available as HO 40' Plug-Door and N 50' Plug-Door Boxcars. The 2018 Rudolph car  features the red-nosed reindeer as the final car in the Con-Cor series of reindeer cars. The 2018 Santa and Sleigh car is perfect
for use on its own or for hauling behind previous Con-Cor Christmas cars. All feature graphics printed on a white car with red ends and roof, and the cars have appropriate trucks and  magnetic knuckle couplers.

NEWS AND UPDATES
10/10/18