Page 8 - July August 1998

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had? Also Mr.Beare was asked by a newcomer to the hobby for a few pointers as to what one needed to know about. He typed out an fairly extensive list, headed “Welcome! A few notes to help you on your way to Wallyland!” Certain items on the list might ring some bells with the rest of us, for example...
Essential Items:
Lots of spare cash, lots of spare time, understanding wife/girlfriend/fami- ly/ psychiatrist! Small tool kit (not from Halfords or B&Q). Small desk, workroom, own room, padded cell; lots of beer and lager for friends to drink.
Compulsory Items:
Anorak, gormless look, spots, blunt pencils, duffle bag, curly sandwiches, notebook, desert boots, train badges, dribble stains...
Mr. Beare’s list relates to the hobby generally, not specifically to the North American section, so rest assured the more inflammatory remarks do not apply to us... ...oh, I don’t know though!
Further to above...
Pat Janes says Athearn has a complete parts/price list on the WWW, - 16 pages of it. Whether this makes parts any easier to get...?
Derek Milby...
...phoned just as we closed for press to thank very warmly everyone who attended the Ulverston meet, the lay- out bringers, the traders and all the helpers who made the meeting so successful. WE hope to present a meet write-up in the next issue.
Trains Sans Rails...
Brendan Gash reports a most unusu- al use for two CN M420W diesels, as written up in CMR magazine. Suburbs of Montreal were left with no electricity after a major ice storm in January 1998. To provide emer- gency power, CN ran a couple of units to nearby trackage, lifted them off with a crane, and allowed the locos to be driven under their own power down the local high streets, which at the time were frozen rock solid at about -20°C.
The diesels were given an occasional course-correcting nudge by the crane, until they respectively arrived in situ. One travelled about 650 ft. to City Hall, the other only made it about 160 ft. The grooves cut into the street asphalt by the flanges were consid- ered a small price to pay for the emer- gency electrical power provided by the locos.
tem and pay before the due date. That way you will save a lot of unnecessary work for “everyone in the loop”. These processes may even- tually change with the new Exceutive Director now in
place, and the new computer work- ing. But members should not expect problems to disappear immediately. In theory however we can reasonably anticipate the new system releasing more working time for the head office staff, allowing them to provide speed- ier responses to a dwindling number of problems.
Membership cards:
Though Chattanooga has been a little “hit-or-miss” recently in National membership card delivery, our British Region membership officers have worked very hard to ensure Region members have the new, plastic-cov- ered card, giving a smarter appear- ance and minimal wear-and-tear when carried in your wallet.
With over 700 members it is now entirely reasonable that BR members should be required to produce their cards, proving paid-up Region and National memberships, at the entrance to meetings. This is normal procedure in many organisations, and the Officers and Officials of the Region cannot otherwise be expected to know exactly who is a member in good standing, both Nationally and Regionally.
(This item relates to the comments in the last Roundhouse issue, concern- ing the unreasonably hostile attitude of some members, upon being asked to show their cards to “door staff” for entry to the Rainhill meet in April. See also Rainhill Meet Report.)
Mr. L. A. Beare
...writes to mention an apparent low- ering of standards at Messrs. Athearn, in that although the models have improved considerably in recent years, there is now a much higher incidence of missing parts such as, in his recent CSX caboose, missing cou- pler box covers, and previously all kinds of missing screws, stanchions, airhorns etc. This problem is com- pounded by Athearn’s unwillingness to supply spares to overseas buyers, often making it difficult to rectify the deficit.
Mr. Beare wishes to air this point through these pages, and wonders if any other members have noticed this as a particular, and growing, problem with Athearn in recent times? Also has anyone had occasion to commu- nicate with the firm about this and, if so, what kind of response have you
Steve Park writes regarding membership cards and dues re- newals:
National Dues Renewals:
The Staff at Headquarters Office do not process membership applica- tions/ renewals on a daily basis. Work is “batched” according to type, and in the case of membership updating this takes place near the end of the month. When renewing Nationally then, please consider the following as an example to help you achieve con- tinuous membership. “Exp. 6/98” means your membership expires on 1st day of June 1998, so your last day of membership benefit is May 31st 1998. With a two month hiatus, this means you should still receive a “Bulletin” dated for July.
Chattanooga must receive your pay- ment at least 6 working days before the month end, so that cheques, IMO’s and credit card transactions have been cleared, and the funds banked by NMRA before the end of the current month. Because week- ends and holidays can intervene, the suggestion is that your documents arrive ten days before month-end.
If you fail in this 31-5-98 deadline, then your membership lapses and (1) your application will then go into the system one month later ( in this example June) the mailing label will not be printed for your August Bulletin, so you will not receive one. Your Bulletin will restart with the September issue.
(2) In the meantime, your details will only be held in a “re-rail” file. So, if you had thought that “Exp.6/98” meant the end of June, and you miss that because you had not met the 10 day requirement with your funds, then you will only re-enter the system in July, and the next Bulletin maga- zine you receive will be October’s issue. You will then have missed two magazines.
Remember that the Bulletin printing and dispatch doesn’t take place from our Chattanooga address, but from a contractor we employ elsewhere in the USA, and we are only one small part of his workload.
The message is clear - know the sys-
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