NEWS AND UPDATES

04/11/21

BRH Store Renovation Sale Dates

In  just over two weeks it happens and it is a big deal!



BRH needs to sale all items located inside the retail store to make it easier to do the remodel and repaint of the store after 10 years at the current location.
All items in the retail store will need to be sold to make this possible.

The last time we did this was in 2012 when we moved from the 5,000sf location across the street to the 2,400sf location which is now a 1,200sf location.
So, this type of sale is nothing new for BRH

All items are new and warrantied and include Track, Locomotives. Rollingstock, Buildings, Accessories, Scenery, Paints, Tools, Trainsets, How To Books and much more. Quantities are limited and are first come first served.

Most items are in HO scale but there are some O scale and N scale items remaining.

All items will be sold at our actual cost at the time we purchased them.

CASH Sales Only! Credit Card Sales will require a 5% Fee.

Make plans to come to the store for this once in a lifetime sale!

New Walthers Code 83 Track

More New Walthers Code 83 arriving daily to fill the advance reservations / back orders are arriving this week to be shipped once it is all checked in  and sorted to fill you orders.

Peco On Its Way!

From what we understand a lot of the United Kingdoms Covid restrictions have been lifted. This means that Peco can get back to work which means, as of this update, Peco items are in transit. Please be patient as we await the arrival of these items.

Inbound Shipping Changes!

After a year of delays with Fedex inbound shipments to BRH taking from 5 to 10 days to arrive once they where shipped, we have made a drastic change.
Effective this past Monday all inbound shipments from the Milwaukee warehouse are now being shipped via UPS. This inbound shipments this week where arriving in about 4 days but very late in the day.

Up until Covid, BRH was receiving inbound shipments within 3 business days in the morning so that orders up ship usually on the 3rd or 4th day after shipment from the Milwaukee Warehouse. This occurred for 16 years.

So now, for example, orders placed from Friday 6am until Monday 6am are ordered Monday at 6am if we do not have the item(s) in stock at the retail store from one of the warehouses. These items now arrive on Thursday by 4pm and ship on Friday by 11am in most cases. So what used to take 3 days now takes 5 days to ship to you.

Part of the delay issue is overall high volume within the warehouses and shipping systems around the world.

The Milwaukee warehouse has been experiencing staffing shortages since the 1st of the year which has added an additional day to the picking and shipping to BRH. With all these delays we are doing our best to get orders shipped to you all as fast as possible. The Wednesday order shipped in one day but the Thursday order did not ship until Friday. Some signs of hope there.

In addition, in stead of inbound deliveries going to the retail store 5 days a week for 15 years, last Spring we moved all inbound deliveries to the office location and now get deliveries 7 days a week which has helped.

Again, BRH is doing its very best to expedite the shipping of your orders.

Testors Price Increase

Testors is having a price increase effective 4/15/21. All items are going up, most around 6%-7%. If you want to beat the price increase place an order now.  We are told this is the complete list of items Testors on the product search effect 9pm on Tuesday will be the on going list as of that update. All others not on the product search page are discontinued. Some items will be discontinued at a later date. As Testors sells out will not be produced again. The product search will have replacement numbers added as they are supplied to BRH. Once that stock is gone, the replacement number will need to be ordered instead.

CLICK HERE TO ORDER TESTORS ITEMS

Upcoming Order Deadlines

Don't miss out on preorders due this week:
April 12: Rapido Preorders
April 14: Atlas Preorders

Order deadlines approaching soon:
April 30: Micro-Trains Preorders
May 7: Bowser Preorders
May 31: Intermountain Preorders
May 31: Walthers Preorders

Plenty of Variety: Accurail HO Car Kits

Accurail freight car kits are perfect for customers looking for quick, affordable ways to build your car fleets. Offered in dozens of body styles, they appeal to modelers of all popular eras. Easy-to-build plastic car kits are perfect for first-time builders like those who just got into the hobby and for those
transitioning from train set to their first layout. Intermediate and advanced modelers see them as super detailing and weathering projects. New arrivals include the 2200-series ACF 2-Bay Covered Hoppers in undecorated and data-only versions. They're selling fast - order now for best selection.

CLICK HERE TO ORDER ACCURAIL CAR KITS

Brekina HO New Product Announcements Include New Kenworth Semi Tractors

Perfect for 1970s and later layouts and collections, a new Kenworth K100 Aerodyne Sleeper-Cab Semi Tractor has been
announced by Brekina. Loaded with detail and plenty of chrome, the new model will come in a variety of color schemes typical of
the era. Other new models include a variety of internationally recognized autos, trucks and service vehicles. The new Kenworth
tractor is open for preorders - so order right now to avoid missing out.

CLICK HERE TO ORDER BREKINA VEHICLES

04/04/21
HAPPY EASTER!

Inbound Deliveries

BRH orders every day (except Saturday and Sunday) from our wholesalers and manufacturers and should be receiving deliveries and getting outbound Fedex packages picked up at the same time. As of today, BRH has only received one shipment from Fedex this week. It was a very small shipment from order placed at the Milwaukee warehouse on 03/25 scheduled to arrive on 03/28 and finally arrived on 03/31 six days later (Fedex Tracking Number 935236833926 so you can see for your self). The Milwaukee warehouse is still having staffing problems and is taking an additional day to process orders. BRH transmits orders around 6am Monday - Friday and up until Covid, used to be completed and I would have a tracking number 11 hours later! This meant the order would ship to you in 3 days. As of this update, it seems I am lucky if I get the tracking info the following day by 5pm! With the Fedex inbound delays it is now taking 6 to 10 days to receive the inbound shipments. It is hard to complete your orders and ship to you when this occurs.

Also, the lack of product is a huge issue as well.  Prices are up across the board and you have to think 6 to 8 months ahead for any project.

Personally I have a landscaping project that we contracted for in early January. It started in February but it now stalled because Pave Stone can not supply the retaining wall cap stones for 8 to 12 more weeks. They claim they can not get the die color from China. I have seen in the news about the supply chain issues for appliance, lumber and electronics just to name a few items.

So shipping and availability issues are not only a model railroading issue.

March Sales

Sales where down for March 2021 but I was on vacation for 10 days and with the delays in inbound shipments being received as well as last years Covid sales surge it was expected. 2020 vs 2021 sales where down 16.6% but first quarter comparison show 2021 up 2%. February vs March comparisons show new customers down 4%, returning customers up 170%, receipt totals up 19% and items per receipt up 8%.

Another Policy Clarification

Shipments requiring signatures are now updated on the store policy page.

Some orders and shipments will required the signature of the credit card holder used. There is a pass through fee from the USPS and Fedex for this requirement. Items that will require signature on shipment include but are not limited to:

First Time Customer Orders
Limited Run Items
Low Inventory Items such as but not limited to locomotives, rolling stock, structures and vehicles.
Discontinued When Sold Out Items
High Dollar Shipments (for example, Fedex shipments over $500, automatically require a signature per Fedex policy)

I just wanted to make sure that everyone is aware of this policy which has been in effect for 17 years.

What's Wrong With People? Week Four

Well, it was another rough week for the less than .1% of people that do not read the wealth of information we provide before, during and after the ordering process then complain when I have to enforce the BRH policies. However, I have spoken to some of you, the other 99.9%,  directly and I think there is still hope. Most of you agree with me that there is an issue with the whiners and rule breakers.

Case in point with Google reviews from Mr. Carter who had no problem with the policies since 2017 and only complained when the policy worked against him. The same holds true with Mr. McCartney who thought complaining about BRH shipping his in store pickup being shipped to him per store policy. After some 39 days when store policy states we can ship it at the customers cost for not showing up to pick up after 8 days, so we did ship it! After all BRH has to pay for the merchandise with the wholesaler. Also, Mr. McCartney in the past picked up in the retail store with a couple of days of our initial contact advising him the order was available for pickup. With no pickup time arranged and no communication from him we shipped.

So, because of Mr. McCartney and others that do not pickup their online orders, we are not longer offering in store pickup. Something we have done for 17 years. It has become too much of a hassle!

What has helped this week was talking with customers that appreciate what BRH does and how BRH approaches the business. I appreciate it.

Also, regarding our 9 pages of store policies (according to Mr. Carter in his bad review), I have checked many many model railroading websites and all be a couple do not have any clear and concise policies. So then if you run into a problem with the others, they can just make something up to cover what ever issue you are having. That is not a good thing for you the customer. BRH is up front about how we do business.

Bowser Arrivals

BRH has received a large amount of rolling stock this weekend that we have to sort through and send out to our customers. Unfortunately not a locomotive in sight. Sorry!

Upcoming Order Deadlines

Order deadlines approaching soon:
April 6: Broadway Limited Preorders
April 7: Bluford Shops Preorders
April 12: Rapido Preorders
April 14: Atlas Preorders

03/28/21

Back From Vacation

As of Tuesday 03/23 I have returned from vacation and all items  received from the wholesalers and manufacturers have been shipped with more product on the way!

Also below is 3 weeks worth of information in this update.

BRH Database

Regardless what some other online hobby stores say, BRH has the largest model railroad database in the world with
138.538 products in the database with some of the lowest prices around.

Shipping Delays Continue

There have been no significant changes in the in bound shipping to Blue Ridge Hobbies. Delays continue at the Milwaukee warehouse despite our status as a top dealer with them. Prior to Covid and this past holiday season we could order at 6am and the order would ship the same day to us. Currently most orders now are taking up to 24 hours to ship. Part of this is higher volumes but it seems the bulk of the problem is staffing.

Also, Fedex is still having issues as well.

So, what used to take 3 to 4 days to ship to you is now taking 7 to 10 days and there is no consistency in the shipping either.

Sorry for the delays but they are beyond our control.

What's Wrong With People? Week Three

It seems some people do not read the information we provide which is no surprise.

While I was on vacation a person gave BRH a one star rating on Google came to the retail and the posted a review "Won't answer the phone says they are open but went by there yesterday at 3 and they where closed no note on the door". As it states on the window next to the door visitation appointments are required and our website stated we where on vacation. So how could I answer the phone?

As with most of the reviews from people that do not check the BRH website for actual hours and information and only check the Google information which they do not read in full. Because they do not read all the information on the Google info either which states:

BRH Announces Store Renovation Sale Dates

A couple of weeks ago I announced that I would be renovating the BRH retail store. This past Wednesday I announced the dates for the Renovation Sale.

 

BRH needs to sale all items located in side the retail store to make it easier to do the remodel and repaint the store after 10 years at the current location.
All items in the retail store will need to be sold to make this possible.

New and warrantied items include Track, Locomotives. Rollingstock, Buildings, Accessories, Scenery, Paints, Tools, Trainsets, How To Books and more.

Most items are in HO scale but there are some O scale and N scale items remaining.

All items will be sold at our actual cost at the time we purchased them.

CASH Sales Only! Credit Card Sales will require a 5% Fee.

Make plans to come to the store for this once in a lifetime sale!

A BRH Policy Reminder

In 17 years of business this is the first time this has occurred. This week we had an issue with a  customer trying to return a locomotive that he did not like after he opened it. He did not understand that the following policy applied, which he agree to at the time of purchase:

"Items sold by Blue Ridge Hobbies™ are warranted by the manufacturers to be as advertised and to be satisfactory to YOU. Any item you find to be unsatisfactory should be returned directly to the manufacturer for credit or refund or replacement. Not returned to Blue Ridge Hobbies™.

There are some exclusions to our return policy including, but not limited to, opened software, discontinued items, and some manufacturers that require their items to be returned directly to them."

All of the BRH policies have been developed over time due to customer abuse. In the case of a locomotive that was returned with a burned out motor which should have been returned to the manufacturer for replacement if it was under warranty. In this case it seems that customer from years ago bought the same loco new to replace the damaged one and returned the damaged one to BRH for refund. Also, at Christmas a person bought a trainset that was covered under warranty. This customer claims he tried to contact the manufacturer but it seems they did not. After Christmas we finally received the train set back. It seemed that the set he returned was damaged and did not work but look like it have been used. Again, a customer with a broken item trying to replace with a new one.  Thus the policy above was developed to avoid the chance BRH would be taken advantage off again.

Most of you are honest but again, the less than 1% cause all the grief!

In Store Pickups No Longer Available

Again, when we try to do the right thing by allowing in store pickups, customers do not come to pickup their merchandise.

Recently there have been many many customers that do not contact us regarding setting up a pick date and time for their order. This is just another item that has become unmanageable with constantly sending email reminders and calls about picking up their order(s). Then after 30 days of waiting, per store policy, we ship the order, they have the nerve to say they did not authorize the shipping cost. Oops! Yes they did when the agreed to the store policy which states: "All orders must be picked up within 7 days from receipt at Blue Ridge Hobbies™ and your phone and/or email notification.
    After 7 days the merchandise will be charged to your credit card and shipped to you at your cost if not picked up by the 8th day."

So, again to avoid conflict with this, store pickups are no longer available.

Atlas O Buys Some MTH O

Atlas Model Railroad Company Inc. has purchased a selection of the tooling for M.T.H. Electric Trains’ Premier O scale locomotive and rolling stock lines, as well as some of M.T.H.’s RailKing accessories.

According to a release from Atlas, the acquired car-manufacturing molds include the 4-Bay Hopper, Coalporter Hopper, PS2CD High Side Hopper, 40′ PS1 Box Car, 55′ All Door Box Car, 2-Bay Centerflow Hopper, 3-Bay Centerflow Hopper , Steel Caboose , 50′ High Cube Box Car , PS2 2-Bay Hopper, 20,000 Gallon Tank Car, 50′ Airslide Hopper, Russell Plow, 8000 Gallon Tank Car, Funnel Flow Tank Car, Modern Tank Car, Crane, Crane Tender, 100 Ton Hot Metal Car, Rapid Discharge Hopper, 75′ Depressed Flat Car, Scale Test Car, 2-Bay Offset Hopper, Operating Coal and Log Dump Car, Premiere 70′ Heavyweight Passenger Cars, Premiere 70′ Streamline Passenger Cars and Amfleet Cars.

Locomotive molds include the E6A/B and E8A/B, 44 Tonner, Amtrak P42 Genesis, Dash 9, SD45, F40, U30C, SD70M-2 with SD70Ace, GP38-2, SD70ACe, SD70MAC, GP40, S2, SD40-2, GP30, ES44AC and ES44DC, and GEVO ES44. Atlas is also getting from the RailKing Line: Water Column, 22 figure sets, Operating Traffic Light, Motorcycle Pack, Pedestrian Crosswalk, Floodlight Tower, Sanding Tower, Road signs, Telephone Poles, and the Operating Modern Crossing Signal.

The hillside, N.J.-based company has also acquired a license for the MTH Proto-Sound 3 Sound & Control Electronics Boards, which adds realistic sounds to locomotives and also allows control via DCS (Digital Command System). Part of the license will give Atlas the option to sell DCS components as well.

Jarrett Haedrich, COO of Atlas, said, “We will be working closely with the existing supplier to ensure that the models are produced and delivered in a timely fashion.” The release added the company will announce March 24 the first model to be produced.

The Atlas deal is the latest in the wrap-up for M.T.H., headquartered in Columbia, Md.

In June 2020, president Mike Wolf announced he was retiring and M.T.H. would be closing in May of this year. Its electronics department will live on as a separate entity, continuing to manufacture and provide support for DCS hardware and Wi-Fi app.

Upcoming Order Deadlines

March 31: Trainworx Preorders
April 1: Bachmann Preorders
April 1: Broadway Limited Preorders

Order deadlines approaching soon:
April 6: Broadway Limited Preorders
April 7: Bluford Shops Preorders
April 12: Rapido Preorders
April 14: Atlas Preorders

Broadway Limited Delivers HO N&W Steam Favorite

The N&W Class A 2-6-6-4 from Broadway Limited is based on a true modeler and railfan favorite. Used to haul coal and fast freights
on the hilly Norfolk and Western mainlines, these huge machines operated into the late 1950s, and #1218, one of three surviving
in museum care, handled excursions into the modern era. These detailed models feature full Paragon3 sound and DCC for realistic
sound and motor control complete with back EMF for smooth slow speeds. The Paragon3 sound system works with all Broadway Limited
Rolling Thunder(TM) advanced subwoofer systems. Other features include a heavy die cast metal and brass body and chassis;
smooth-running drive, and directional warm white LED lighting. The N&W Class A 2-6-6-4 can be operated on all DCC systems as
well as on standard DC railroads (with limited sound functionality). These locos are fast sellers with some
roadnumbers already sold out. Order now for best selection!

CLICK HERE TO ORDER THE 2-6-6-4

Broadway Limited Introduces New Paragon4 Series Locomotives

Broadway Limited has announced that going forward all of its new HO and N Scale locomotives will be equipped with its new Paragon4
sound and DCC system. The new decoder includes a built-in GoPack! Capacitor pack for reliability on imperfect track, Pro Lighting
Mode, Switcher Mode and more. The first new locomotives to come equipped with Paragon4 electronics are the HO Scale EMD GP20 and
the Santa Fe 4000-Series 2-8-2 Mikado. GP20s, previously announced several years ago, will be available in the same eight
schemes, but the SP unit road numbers have changed to the 7200-series. The Santa Fe 2-8-2s are available in two versions with
multiple road numbers. Order GP20s by April 6th and the Mikados byApril 1st.

CLICK HERE TO ORDER THE EMD GP20

CLICK HERE TO ORDER THE SANTA FE 4000-SERIES 2-8-2 MIKADO

Kato N Scale Amtrak 50th Anniversary P42 Announced, Full-Train Bundles Now In-Stock

Kato has announced three new roadnumbers for its super-popular GE P42 Diesel, including locomotive #46 which was recently decorated
to honor Amtrak's upcoming 50th anniversary. These units will be available in standard DC, DCC and sound/DCC versions for delivery
in August and September 2021. Kato has also released some new bundled complete train-only sets. These sets include a standard
DC diesel, matching cars to make a complete train, and one of the popular "bookcase" storage boxes for secure, dust-free storage.
Three new sets are now in-stock and a commuter train decorated for Virginia Railway Express is available for special order.
Modelers will love these convenient all-in-one complete matching trains, so get them rolling into your store now!

CLICK HERE TO ORDER THE P42's

CLICK HERE TO ORDER THE BUNDLES

Iconic Replicas Announces New HO Scale Bus Models

Perfect for HO Scale layout scenes, newly announced bus models for model railroads and collectors are coming from Iconic
Replicas. Based on a wide variety of models from the 1960s to the most current prototypes, each model features die cast and
injection molded parts, fine decoration and realistic window glazing. Newly announced models include several painted
(white/stainless steel), unlettered models for modelers who wish to letter their own. These detailed models are perfect for a
variety of eras and have proven to be big sellers. Check out the latest and reserve now.

CLICK HERE TO ORDER THE BUSES

Atlas New Product Announcements Include Newly Tooled HO GE U30C

The new Atlas March 2021 All-Scales Monthly Catalog has been  released and inside there are plenty of new products to boost
sales in the coming months. In HO Scale, the big news is the newly tooled HO Scale GE Phase I U30C. Based on the 3,000-
horsepower diesels introduced by General Electric in 1966, the U30C was GE's direct competition to EMD's popular SD40. It was
the best selling of GE's Universal Series diesels. The new Phase I unit complements Atlas' previous Phase II and III U30C diesels.
These new models are available with LokSound and DCC, as well as standard DC Silver Sound Ready(TM) DC models with factory
installed speakers for easy conversion to sound in the future. New Atlas announcements also include plenty of HO, N and O Scale
models. Check them out below and order by April 14th.

O Scale

CLICK HERE TO ORDER THE 17,360 TANK CARS

CLICK HERE TO ORDER THE 70 TON 3 BAY OPEN HOPPERS

TRAINMAN HO & N SCALE

CLICK HERE TO ORDER PS-2 2 BAY COVERED HOPPER

ATLAS HO & N SCALE

CLICK HERE TO ORDER THE STANDARD- HEIGHT CONTAINERS

CLICK HERE TO ORDER THE RUSSELL SNOW  PLOW

CLICK HERE TO ORDER THE GE DASH 8-40BW

CLICK HERE TO ORDER THE 50' POST WAR DOUBLE DOOR BOX CAR

CLICK HERE TO ORDER THE GUNDERSON MULTI-MAX ENCLOSED AUTO RACK

CLICK HERE TO ORDER THE GE U30C

HO Scale 2-8-0 Consolidations Roll In from Broadway Limited

The 2-8-0 Consolidation from Broadway Limited is based on one of the workhorses of the steam era. As locomotives got larger in the
late 1800s and early 1900s, the 2-8-0 became a popular wheel arrangement and 2-8-0s replaced many of the smaller engines from
the mid 1800s and were known for being able to haul heavy trains. The detailed models feature full Paragon3 sound and DCC for
realistic sound and motor control complete with back EMF for smooth slow speeds. The Paragon3 sound system works with all
Broadway Limited Rolling Thunder(TM) advanced subwoofer systems. Other features include a heavy die cast metal chassis; smooth-
running drive, and directional warm white LED lighting. The 2-8-0 Consolidation can be operated on all DCC systems as well as on
standard DC railroads (with limited sound functionality). Order now for best selection!

CLICK HERE TO ORDER THE 2-8-0 CONSOLIDATION

New WalthersMainline HO Arrivals are Perfect for Steel Service

New workhorse switchers and gondolas are coming for your HO railroads and they're tailor-made for serving the
steel industry. The newly tooled WalthersMainline EMD NW2 is a favorite of railroads that serve the steel industry. Over 1,100
were built between 1939 and 1949, and the WalthersMainline model is based on the Phase V versions built beginning in 1949. This
release wears schemes associated with steel mills and lines serving them. Available with or without ESU(R) sound and DCC,
some road names/road numbers are already sold out - order now for best selection! Those EMD NW2s will be kept busy on 1980s-and-
later railroads shuffling new 53' Railgon Gondolas at steel mills and in yards. Railgon was an outgrowth of TTX's successful
Railbox program, the cars were designed and built to meet the demands of the steel industry. The cars complement Cornerstone
steel series kits and scenes. With four road numbers per scheme, make sure to offer customers multiples. Both the switchers and
gondolas have proven extremely popular and some road names and road numbers are sold out, so order now for best selection.

CLICK HERE TO ORDER THE EMD NW2

CLICK HERE TO ORDER THE RAILGON GONDOLAS

CLICK HERE TO ORDER THE 60' HIGH CUBE PLATE F BOXCAR

WalthersTrack HO Code 83 Turnouts Now In-Stock!

After 2 years the eagerly awaited arrival of newly tooled WalthersTrack Code 83 turnouts and we're thrilled to announce the
wait is over for several versions of them. Turnouts now shipping include #4, #5 and #10, plus bridge track and bundles of rail for
those who lay their own track from scratch. These all-new turnouts feature one-piece point and closure rails and DCC friendly, snap-action switch
points. For modelers, you will be happy to know these new turnouts are drop-in replacements for old Walthers/Shinohara versions and
are fully compatible with all Walthers/Shinohara Code 83 track and the popular Walthers Layout Control System components. Now
that they're available make sure and we have very limited quantities in the retail store to ship.

CLICK HERE TO ORDER THE WALTHERSTRACK

Order NOW! Limited-Run Bachmann HO Amtrak Anniversary ALC-42 Charger

On May 1st Amtrak will celebrate 50 years of serving America. The railroad has announced several 50th Anniversary heritage paint
schemes celebrating the inauguration of service in 1971. Back in 1971, Amtrak needed a diesel dressed in a new image and chose E8
#4316 which became the first Amtrak-painted locomotive for the first day of operations in 1971, and it was the only unit to wear
this scheme. Brand-new Siemens ALC-42 Charger #301, currently under construction and expected to enter service later in 2021,
will wear the one-off celebratory "Day 1" livery. Bachmann will be offering a limited run HO Scale model of this new diesel which
is expected to be extremely popular. The detailed Bachmann model will come with factory-installed TCS WOWSound(R). Bachmann
Charger models have proven extremely popular, so make sure to order this very special locomotive NOW - orders are due by March 30th!

MSRP $469.00
BRH PRE ORDER PRICE $273.99

CLICK HERE TO ORDER THE ALC-42 CHARGER

THANKS FOR THE SUPPORT!