Like everyone else, I've been learning to adjust to USPS delays and lengthy shipment times, even for Priority Mail, but this is the first time I have seen this kind of notification in USPS tracking:
"A train derailment has delayed delivery. We're adjusting plans to deliver your package as quickly as possible. New Stanton, PA"
Trains are delaying my trains!
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Suspect convenient alibying. Think the current Post Master General disposing of 100's of modern sorting machines has a lot more to do with the delays.
I have like five projects on hold due to USPS delays. some days over due, some weeks over due. From all the delays from last Christmas. Just nuts.
Almost all the parts, supplies, etc. that I have ordered this year have shown up within 5 days regardless of being 1st class or Priority. I do have one order via media mail (almost always slow........) that appears to be lost in Baltimore. But, lost in Baltimore seems to be normal now.
In Dec, things were bad; I rarely buy anything in Dec expecting the worse; I stop selling late in Nov. It's just not worth the pain of going to the PO that month.
@JBuettner posted:Like everyone else, I've been learning to adjust to USPS delays and lengthy shipment times, even for Priority Mail, but this is the first time I have seen this kind of notification in USPS tracking:
"A train derailment has delayed delivery. We're adjusting plans to deliver your package as quickly as possible. New Stanton, PA"
Trains are delaying my trains!
I had one of those late last year, but in Arizona. Was a first for me. Just took a week to get some paint from Arizona, "first class", no train wrecks. I've gotten it before, same dealer, same shipping, in 2 days.
Something to add, for those who this could apply to. I sold a Lionel F3 truck on eBay. I shipped it the next day priority mail small flat rate box. Tracking on eBay showed USPS had possession, and the package moved from my local PO to a sorting center. There it sat for three weeks! USPS wouldn’t let me file a lost claim, because they claimed it was just delayed, not lost. The buyer filed a claim with eBay, and eBay refunded his money from me. Meanwhile the part did arrive almost a month late. I’m not sure what could’ve been done differently other than not use USPS, but in this instance eBay’s buyer protections can really help stiff a seller.
@mark s posted:Suspect convenient alibying. Think the current Post Master General disposing of 100's of modern sorting machines has a lot more to do with the delays.
And I thought anything which purposely delays the mail is a Federal offense!
They got tired of using COVID as an excuse....now they use RAIN.SNOW.SLEET ETC.and anything else they can think of.....the times,they are a changing....
@Sam Jumper posted:Something to add, for those who this could apply to. I sold a Lionel F3 truck on eBay. I shipped it the next day priority mail small flat rate box. Tracking on eBay showed USPS had possession, and the package moved from my local PO to a sorting center. There it sat for three weeks! USPS wouldn’t let me file a lost claim, because they claimed it was just delayed, not lost. The buyer filed a claim with eBay, and eBay refunded his money from me. Meanwhile the part did arrive almost a month late. I’m not sure what could’ve been done differently other than not use USPS, but in this instance eBay’s buyer protections can really help stiff a seller.
If you now have prove it was delivered ebay should be able to make you whole if the buyer doesn't.
@joe krasko posted:They got tired of using COVID as an excuse....now they use RAIN.SNOW.SLEET ETC.and anything else they can think of.....the times,they are a changing....
Right!!!! My monthly medication for Asthma, from my local VA Hospital, was picked up by USPS (parcel select) on February 16 (because February 15 was a national holiday), even though the VA Pharmacy had it "ready for pick-up" on Friday, February 12. I live about 20 miles from Hines VA, in the western suburbs of the Chicago area. When the package didn't show by February 19, I called the VA and got the USPS tracking number; low and behold it was in Pittsburg, PA!!!!!! I started calling USPS, and eventually discovered that, yesterday (Feb.23) the package was in the LaGrange, IL Post office, i.e. NOT the Western Springs Post Office where we live! Since it is only 2 miles, I drove over to the LaGrange Post Office with my tracking information, and explained to the nice man behind the counter what has been transpiring. He said he would look in the back for one of those "puffy white plastic bags, with meds in them". Took about 15 min. and sure enough he found it, and explained that it was a really good thing that I drove over to his post office, as the package was obviously in the incorrect location, and would subsequently be "forwarded" to the Fox Valley Distribution Center. I said, "Well since it has already been to Pittsburg, PA, nothing surprises me anymore.". He got a good laugh at THAT, and just rolled his eyes.
What even happened to"neither rain nor sleet nor snow!!!!!!!!!!!"
@Richard Cuozzo posted:What even happened to"neither rain nor sleet nor snow!!!!!!!!!!!"
Long gone! We didn't receive our mail for more than 5 days, not including the President's Day National Holiday, because of the SNOW. Quite a different work ethic in our country anymore.
Having grown up in a small town and then moved back to it over 35 years ago, everyone seems to know or lives next to someone who works at our local post office. In speaking with the postmaster I was informed there were three main reasons for the delays we all seem to be experiencing: "In the last half of 2020 the newly appointed Post Master General made three decisions: Remove high speed sorting equipment from many locations; Reduce employee overtime; Handle all incoming mail on a "First In - Last Out " basis, meaning anything that was not processed the day it was received went into a pile to be processed later on a time available basis working from the top of the pile (Last In) down opposed to working from the bottom of the pile up (First In). In the USPS record keeping methods this method kept their delivery numbers up!" 
On 2/12 I ordered a small item from Burlington, WI (small town between Chicago & Milwaukee) to be shipped to my home about 45 NW of Albany, NY. Yesterday it left Spokane, WA. where it had been resting for 8 days. Tracking info here.
Funnily enough, we got mail on President's Day.
I am still awaiting a package shipped 11/6/20. At this rate, it might be in time for NEXT Christmas.
PITIFULL! :-(
Our experience here around the holidays was horrible...presents shipped to a family member went back and forth, back and forth for a month. Recently, for us, USPS service has been as good as ever. Just received a small shipment sent Monday by Priority Mail from the other side of the country. I was expecting arrival tomorrow according to the tracking info and it showed up today
Dejoy and the Board need to be fired immediately.
@Hot Water posted:Right!!!! My monthly medication for Asthma, from my local VA Hospital, was picked up by USPS (parcel select) on February 16 (because February 15 was a national holiday), even though the VA Pharmacy had it "ready for pick-up" on Friday, February 12. I live about 20 miles from Hines VA, in the western suburbs of the Chicago area. When the package didn't show by February 19, I called the VA and got the USPS tracking number; low and behold it was in Pittsburg, PA!!!!!! I started calling USPS, and eventually discovered that, yesterday (Feb.23) the package was in the LaGrange, IL Post office, i.e. NOT the Western Springs Post Office where we live! Since it is only 2 miles, I drove over to the LaGrange Post Office with my tracking information, and explained to the nice man behind the counter what has been transpiring. He said he would look in the back for one of those "puffy white plastic bags, with meds in them". Took about 15 min. and sure enough he found it, and explained that it was a really good thing that I drove over to his post office, as the package was obviously in the incorrect location, and would subsequently be "forwarded" to the Fox Valley Distribution Center. I said, "Well since it has already been to Pittsburg, PA, nothing surprises me anymore.". He got a good laugh at THAT, and just rolled his eyes.
Sorry to hear about meds....about the only thing that does come on time are my VA meds....
@modeltrainsparts posted:In speaking with the postmaster I was informed there were three main reasons for the delays we all seem to be experiencing: In the last half of 2020 the newly appointed Post Master General made three decisions: Remove high speed sorting equipment from many locations; Reduce employee overtime; Handle all incoming mail on a "First In - Last Out " basis, meaning anything that was not processed the day it was received went into a pile to be processed later on a time available basis working from the top of the pile (Last In) down opposed to working from the bottom of the pile up (First In). In the USPS record keeping methods this method kept their delivery numbers up!
Postmaster General DeJoy is testifying before Congress right now. People who don't follow the news and understand what's been happening to the Post Office Department should tune in. The issues have been going on for a long time. One thing DeJoy is proposing is the following, this from the Washington Post:
"Postmaster General Louis DeJoy told a House panel Wednesday that his forthcoming strategic plan for the U.S. Postal Service may include slowing first-class mail and removing a significant amount of mail from air transportation."
There's also a move on to replace some of the members of the Post Office Board of Governors due to issues, and to remove DeJoy, appointed during the last administration, for mis-management.
By the way, if you have to put a by your statement, you may have missed all the news (and there was a lot of it) about at least some of the reasons all this may have happened, and the timing, late last fall.
The Post Office is in the Constitution. Screwing with the USPS violates the intention of the Constitution and Ben Franklin, who put it in.
Breezinup, Thanks for your remarks. The only reason for was referring to the counting method, nothing else. I have not missed all the news and reasons, but do NOT want this post to become political but remain focused on the difficulties some of us are having shipping and receiving trains and train parts. I've edited my post to add quotation marks around what my local postmaster said.
My Postmaster told me the lack of flights causes delays due in part to no space. I send a package from Maine to Oregon three days Maine to Boston a week! No rhyme nor reason to the delays and the pricing is getting absurd.
Gunny
I had a priority mail pkg that was mailed January 3 and finally arrived Feb. 17. At least it arrived in perfect condition.
Dave
A big problem the US Postal Service has had since it's inception 50 years ago (replacing the old US Postal Service) is that it's basically banned from earning a profit - if some aspect of mail delivery is profitable, they have to leave it to private companies to do. They kinda get the leftovers.
I'm not excusing USPS in general for delays - recently a check I sent to the dealer I buy from near Pittsburgh took nine or 10 days to arrive, from Brooklyn. There were no weather issues at the time. I just mailed another one this week. We'll see. I seem to get better delivery times when I drop it off at/outside the post office, instead of at a neighborhood collection box.
To this one - there was a Norfolk Southern derailment in Newport, Pa., northwest of Harrisburg earlier this week. Intermodal. Delays were expected in shipping along that route.
David
We really did receive some Christmas cards in the first week of February. Our mailman said it may have been caused by two mail/baggage cars derailing coming into my staging yard. It took awhile to extricate them which I am sure was a good enough excuse for Mr. Dejoy..
The reality is that we have claims correspondence which some folks still mail that can take 3 to 4 weeks to travel 1200 miles. On our end we use FedEx for all client's important HIPPA or financial papers.
In our world this is a system problem, our experience with carriers and counter clerks is very satisfactory.
Ship it all UPS or FEDEX. Later for usps.
@modeltrainsparts posted:Breezinup, Thanks for your remarks. The only reason for
Thank you for your post.
Texas mail slow. No power in post offices. During ice storm.
I'm still waiting for some parts to repair a damaged item I purchased. It was damaged by the postal service when it was sent to me and now the same people are holding up the parts to repair what they damaged. Go figure. The parts were shipped November 25th. Still waiting, waiting, waiting .............
@Richard Cuozzo posted:Ship it all UPS or FEDEX. Later for usps.
Well, the latest package I received was a UPS delivery I picked up on Monday. It was 10 days late. I'll give them a few days leeway for weather, but it was delayed before the weather hit, and was further delayed for 4 days after everything cleared out.
A FedEx package I received, also from the West Coast and mailed about the same time, was delivered 3 days earlier, so it seems UPS just dropped the ball.
I haven't had any problems at all with USPS Priority Mail packages (the way I always ship, and usually receive) being delivered timely, although I didn't send/receive any during the storm. Home mail got backed up several days here (TX) with the storm.
@Tom Tee posted:We really did receive some Christmas cards in the first week of February. Our mailman said it may have been caused by two mail/baggage cars derailing coming into my staging yard. It took awhile to extricate them which I am sure was a good enough excuse for Mr. Dejoy..
Except,,,,,,,,,,,,,I'm pretty sure that the U.S railroads lost the contract to transport mail back in the early 1960s! To my knowledge, the U.S. Mail has NOT traveled by train in, what,,,,,,,,,60 years?
The reality is that we have claims correspondence which some folks still mail that can take 3 to 4 weeks to travel 1200 miles. On our end we use FedEx for all client's important HIPPA or financial papers.
In our world this is a system problem, our experience with carriers and counter clerks is very satisfactory.
I was under the impression that bagged mail/parcel still travels by rail in some areas. Sorting en route is long gone, of course.
@palallin posted:I was under the impression that bagged mail/parcel still travels by rail in some areas.
How? There are no more "baggage cars", outside of Amtrak which carries checked baggage for train passengers. Freight railroads no longer have "baggage" or "mail" cars. The "Eagle Express" lines, is the USPS system of moving mail, i.e. over the highway TRUCKS.
Sorting en route is long gone, of course.
I had a package from WA state delivered in 3 days to me in eastern PA, yet one from Baltimore, MD took 5 weeks. Another from Ohio took 4 weeks. All USPS.
I had a Priority Mail parcel take about 3 weeks to get here from Wisconsin, with the average being about a week. I took advantage of CVS free prescription delivery and the store is about a mile from here and it took 4 days to arrive because our efficient USPS shipped it to my via Sarasota which is about 60 miles from here lol. I have to give credit to my carrier she always rings the door bell when she leaves a parcel even tho my door bell camera notifies us and if the car sin't here she hides it behind the trash bin in the carport. And I never had any delivery problems with her in the last 2 years she was delivering my mail.
One word of advise when dropping off parcels at the Post Office, UPS, Fed Ex etc, always insist the scan it in for you. It isn't covered by the insurance until it's scanned. I had a parcel vanish at a Fed Ex Office a few years ago that I was told I can just leave it on the counter.
@Richard Cuozzo posted:Ship it all UPS or FEDEX. Later for usps.
I know folks like to pile on USPS and think that FedEx and UPS are the answer to everything, but they're not.
I have a FedEx package that left Sparks, NV on Friday, February 12th and I still haven't received here in South Florida. Tracking said that it was scheduled to be delivered by Friday the 19th, then it changed to 20th, then the 21st, and so forth. It sat in Concord, NC from last Saturday to yesterday, and is now in Orlando. Current delivery is projected as tomorrow, but we will see. Reasons provided by FedEx on their website was the weather and COVID-19.
@palallin posted:I was under the impression that bagged mail/parcel still travels by rail in some areas. Sorting en route is long gone, of course.
@Hot Water posted:How? There are no more "baggage cars", outside of Amtrak which carries checked baggage for train passengers. Freight railroads no longer have "baggage" or "mail" cars. The "Eagle Express" lines, is the USPS system of moving mail, i.e. over the highway TRUCKS.
I'm pretty sure that the U.S railroads lost the contract to transport mail back in the early 1960s! To my knowledge, the U.S. Mail has NOT traveled by train in, what,,,,,,,,,60 years?
44 years, to be exact, since the mail last traveled by train.
"With competition from highway and airlines, the decline had started to set in, and by 1967, the Post Office eliminated many routes, as railroads, which carried the RPO cars in their passenger trains, dropped them because of low ridership and mounting financial losses.
By 1977, the "New York & Washington" route, with a daily northbound and southbound mail-only train — no passengers were carried — were the last such trains operating in the country.
The final run for the trains was scheduled for June 30, 1977, with the New York train, No. 4, departing Washington's Union Station at 10 p.m. — which stopped at Baltimore around 11 p.m. — while its sister left New York's Pennsylvania Station at 11:40 p.m.
Emotional mail clerks on both trains stood by open doors waiting to salute their comrades for the last time, as they passed at 1:02 a.m. at Frankford Junction, north of Philadelphia, in a hail of mournful locomotive whistles.
Train No. 4 arrived in the bowels of Pennsylvania Station on time at 2:50 a.m., with its counterpart ending its run at Union Station a little after 3 a.m.
The necessity and romance of such trains had now passed into the nation's history."
I live in western Pa. and the mail in December & January was very slow, but now seems to be back to a new normal.
My son lives 2 hours from me in W.V. Normally it takes two or three days for regular mail to reach either of us. I got a birthday card from him this month 8 days after my birthday. He usually sends me a card two days before so I get it on time, so I thought this card took 11 days by USPS, but then I looked at the date he sent it... He was a week late by his own admission. So USPS was off the hook (& so is my 46-year-old son because, with all the great cards he has given me over the years, this is probably the greatest son to father word perfect card I ever got. It has a special place).
D.
I was in Union Tower in Baltimore watching the last run of #4. One of our little group was down on the platform and handed up a bunch of SASEs to get the postmark; a last day cover. Note that the block operator was one of us.
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