3rd Rail Timken and NP A-1 Sneak Peek

Hi sdmann • As always 3rd Rail manufactures top quality locomotives with the best details. The photos tell the story from Sunset Models

Congratulations on your new locomotives.

Cheers from Michigan 

Scott. Really nice looking. As you have done a fair number of Northern's recently, how about one more, the Milwaukee Road S-2 ?

WOW!!  Scott...those are absolutely beautiful!!  They look like they have some of the most detail ever produced!

 

Alan

Timken /RDC Update: January 30th, 2015

 

Where are the Timkens?  Right here. We are holding our Timken and RDC models at the factory awaiting the Finish Set Aluminum car production, to go into 1 container. We were hoping to bypass the Christmas mess at the Ports, but it seems nothing has progressed as far as negotiations with the Longshoremen and Ports. Our Container ship is scheduled to arrive in Long Beach about February 28. From there, it may take an additional 3 weeks to get our container. We will advise. Attached are pictures from our factory. Finished Timken/RDCs all boxed up. Lots of Finish Set work, B&O P7 Streamline Boilers, El Capitan Bodies awaiting the window Punch tool. Lots of activity here. Returning home Feb 3rd.

 

Enjoy the pictures:

Thanks a lot for the 'inside look' Scott - really amazing!

 

 

Wonderful update.  Thanks, Scott.

Thanks Scott, Always interesting to see how our toys are made.

Neat. Is the 2nd to the last photo SP color or your NP's?

Simply Beautiful Scott. Too bad they will not polish the rails on the Interstate Railroad being much too long. Perhaps a smaller one with the same level of detail and finish will come along one day.

Mickey

What can be said except for amazing! 

I sometimes wonder who assembles these wonderful models and what do they think about them, etc.

What we are doing to get these to you faster.

 

The West Coast Ports are nearly shut down. Since our containers come by ship to LA first, then to Oakland, we are expecting to wait 2-3 weeks at each stop until our container is off loaded and then placed on a trailer / truck to deliver to our warehouse.

 

We are going to offload the Timken/ RDC / Finish Set container in LA, and spend an additional $2500 to get it trucked from LA to San Ramon. This will save 3-4 weeks of possible delay at the port of Oakland. Shame on them.

 

So we expect this container to arrive March 15 - 25th.

 

Thanks for your patience.

Great stuff Scott!  It just keeps getting better.

Scott,

 

Is there no heat in these factories?  Most of the workers look like they are wearing winter jackets and long sleeved sweat shirts. 

It was all I could do not to mention that.

 

Beautiful models, especially when folks are assembling them by hand with winter coats on.  These people get no recognition, yet they're the ones that create our "toys".

 

I'm sure Scott has no control over the working conditions of the factory.

Those Finish Sets look nice. 

 

I need to stop looking at this stuff.  That's how I ended up with the GM ToT!

The Timken / Finish Sets and RDC cars are finally loaded in their container and on their way to the Port of Qingdao.

 

I just heard last night on the news that all the US West Coast Ports are stopping work for 5 days, due to the ongoing longshoreman negotiations. When is it going to end?

 

We are taking the initiative to have our container offloaded in LA, avoiding 1/2 of the delay (one port stop, instead of two), and trucking the container up from LA to San Ramon at an additional cost of $2500, doubling our freight costs. At least they are amortized across the 3 projects. Let me remind you all.... Don't get in the importing business.

 

 

 

 

THANKS SCOTT!

Those passenger car builders are awesome. Tell them how much I love the work!

They look like Coach Yard quality!

I just heard that Hajin (sp), I believe, has gotten so fed-up with the Union labor issues in Portland, OR that they are closing down their operations there, and solely using the Port of Seattle, Wash.  Thus, any shipments destined for the Portland, OR area, will come by train or truck. Supposed loss of more than 300 jobs at the Port of Portland.

The Timken / Finish Sets and RDC cars are finally loaded in their container and on their way to the Port of Qingdao.

 

I just heard last night on the news that all the US West Coast Ports are stopping work for 5 days, due to the ongoing longshoreman negotiations. When is it going to end?

 

We are taking the initiative to have our container offloaded in LA, avoiding 1/2 of the delay (one port stop, instead of two), and trucking the container up from LA to San Ramon at an additional cost of $2500, doubling our freight costs. At least they are amortized across the 3 projects. Let me remind you all.... Don't get in the importing business.

 

Regarding working conditions at our model train facility. If I felt the conditions in the factory were unhealthy or unreasonable, I would ask to have it changed. Although it is not my company, I do support their entire train factory with my productions. When it's winter time and it's -5 to -10 C outside, it is a cozy 15 - 20 C (55 - 65) inside. I never saw anyone that was uncomfortable or I would have done something about it. I was never so uncomfortable where I couldn't stay there all day.

My warehouse in San Ramon gets colder than the inside of the factory. I tell my staff, wear a coat when you go out there. Don't get a chill.

 

I have seen really poor conditions at some factories in China. You could see frost bitten fingers working on products, and no difference between inside and outside temperature. This factory is not the case, there are large heaters / air conditioners placed in and around the assembly area.

 

If you are used to a modern / sealed office building in the US, you might be shocked at how most people in the world have to work. But I don't see unhappy faces in our factory. If I did, I would demand something be changed.

 

 

Scott your company makes top shelf trains. You have to do what you can to survive and make money in a competitive market place. I am sure you would like to have your products made here in the USA.  What would be the cost difference added to your product cost?

Just my opinion but, I don't believe any of us could afford the products that Scott has been providing for decades, if they were manufactured here in the U.S.. My guess would be at least a 200% cost increase!