Tat For Which I've Paid

Came sealed in this hard plastic box, which makes it hard to imagine it could have been damaged in transoceanic shipping. In fact, it was "Manufactured and Assembled Entirely in the U.S.A.", in White City, Oregon, so no one in a factory on the other side of the Pacific can be blamed for dropping it & then slapping it in the box anyway; it was good ol' American ingenuity. Course it was shipped from OR to NJ before returning to the Coast. What a world, where I saved eight dollars by avoiding the manufacturer.

When I took it from the shipping box it rattled, & I thought, "Oooh, detail parts", but the rattle was broken & inadequately or possibly never glued parts. Note also broken piping/hoses on chassis & shell, which weren't locked together, but separated when I took it out to take pix.

Looked like a very rough coupling that partly detached the tackboard & ladder; little too much detail for me.

As is this:

When I called the dealer "Bob" told me they'd been seeing more of this recently. Maybe Kadee can't find good packers or QC people. They certainly can't find anyone to proof there their story.

Anyway, "Bob" advised me all the ones in their warehouse were already promised, so he said he'd call Kadee & see if they had any lying around, & if not I'd get a refund. Have to wait until Tuesday, as "Bob" will be at a train show in Mass. over the wknd. I said I hoped he had a good time & he said, "More work." A man after my own heart.