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How do I send my items in
for service?
This is the most commonly asked question we
receive. The paragraphs below will tell you all you need to know to submit
your valuable articles for service and ensure their safe delivery. There
are two points that are more important than anything else you can do.
1. First, supply us with documentation.
We need to know who you are and what you are sending and why. It is hard
to believe, but we receive items for repair weekly, which include no
documentation and we have no idea who they belong to or why they were sent to
us. A phone call is simply not enough. A lot happens in a week's
time and many repairs come in each week. We have
just added a new "Service Form" which should be submitted with every repair sent
to us. You can access this form from navigation buttons on all
pages of our web site.
2. The second important point is to pack your
items with care to protect them in transit. We receive locomotives which
are poorly packed on a regular basis and damage often occurs in transit.
Please review the section on how to pack your item below.
Shipping
Instructions:
Pack your item carefully! Locomotives without fragile detail parts
are best wrapped in clean bubble wrap. The small bubble sheets are the
best for this purpose. Wrap the item tightly and secure with tape or
rubber bands. Locomotives with fragile detail parts should be packed in
the original plastic cradle they came in from the factory. It is important
to install the felt pads (originally used by the factory) wherever the plastic
cradle touches the locomotive. (both ends and roof top) This protects the
paint finish from rubbing damage in transit.
Pack the items in a good sturdy
box that is oversize enough to protect the item should the shipper
drop or crush the box. Pack the box tightly with packing noodles or
crumpled paper all around the item. Ship it to the address on our home page.
Insurance coverage is your choice.
Include a completed copy of our "Service Form" with your shipment.
This has all the information we need to complete your repair. Turn around time varies at
different times of the year. Winter is peak season and it may take three weeks to complete a repair. Summer turn around is much faster.
Special S hipping
Instructions for
Trix and Märklin BIG BOY
Packing the Big Boy properly
for shipment is one of the most important things you can do to ensure it does
not sustain damage in transit to us. We have received several models that
were carelessly packed. Because of this, they sustained damage in transit
that cost extra time and money to repair. The most important things you
can do to protect your locomotive are outlined below.
The most important thing to do
is make sure to use the original brass spacers and the three transport screws to
secure the locomotive to the base. Make sure the screws are absolutely
tight. I suggest paying a visit to your local auto parts store to
purchase a small tube of Permatex "blue lock-tite". This is a thread filler
that prevents screws from vibrating loose. It is not uncommon for the
transport screws to loosen in transit. Use just a tiny drop (trace) of
this on each of the three transport screws when attaching the locomotive to the
wooden base. Make sure to purchase the BLUE not the red. Red
lock-tite requires the joint to be heated to a temperature of 500 degrees before
it can be broken loose. Needless to say, you do not want your Big Boy to
become a permanent display piece and I do not want to have to heat it up
with a torch to get it off the base!
Now that you have the
locomotive securely fastened to it's display base, it is time to pack it.
If you no longer have the original plastic that was wrapped around the
locomotive, find a suitable replacement and place it on the bottom of the wooden
box before the locomotive. Wrap the plastic over the locomotive and close
the box lid carefully. Wrapping plastic around the locomotive prevents
small detail parts from catching on the foam insert and breaking off. If
you have the original box, pack the wooden box in the plastic over wrap and
cardboard cradle before inserting it into the outer box. Pack the
locomotive in a strong box large enough to give at least 3 to 4 inches of
packing material all the way around. Fill this area tightly with
foam noodles, foam padding or wadded newspaper and ship insured by your favorite
method. A little time planning and care will ensure the safe arrival of
your loco for servicing.
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