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  • #1

    Don't waste your money!

    I saw the advertisement on the NMRA website for this real comprehensive book on Porter engings. The glowing description gave me the indication there would be many photos and "drawings" of Porter Locomotives so I bought it.

    Well it came today and what a disappointment. Yes there are a lot of photos but they are packed too many to a page. The drawing don't total much more than two pages and aren't of the locomotive construction. What the bood does consist of is page after page of locomotive statistics. I feel ripped off on this and just want to pass the word. Now I can see why NMRA couldn't sell them and reduced the price $40 to $25.

    Walt
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  • #2
    Walt, thanks for the warning! [:-drool] It's pretty bad when you can't even trust the NMRA!!!![:-headache][:-irked]

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    • #3
      Tyson, The book is more than 50% tables of where the locomotives where sent, sizes, bores, etc. No working diagrams of any. Just a few drawings on couplers, bumbers and crimping a smoke stack.

      Pages 15 to 88 have a loco picture at the top and three quarters of the page is statisics on it. from page 89 to 301 is almost total statistics in chart format. No dimensional drawings at all nor any blueprints.

      I was looking for working drawings of the original Porter called a "Dinkie" but only one little photo of three of them at Penn Station in NY.

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      • #4
        Rusty have you tried a web search? I'm in the process of trying to build a working Climax in n-scale and like you I needed some photos, etc. A web search turned up plenty of stuff.

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        • #5
          Rusty;

          Have you contacted the NMRA and informed them the book is only marginally as advertised, and asked for a return authorization, and your money back ? :erm:

          If so, how did they answer ?

          If they answered negatively or not at all, why not post this up on the other dozen or so popular forums?[:-devil]

          regards / Mike

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          • #6
            Tyson, yes I did a web search in a number of different ways. Unfortunately this book came up as a best bet! [:-censored]

            Mike, I just opened the package last night when I got back home. I'm still fuming over it and don't want to write to them just yet. I want to calm down and make sure I zing them real good when I do write them.

            The photos in the book are all manufacture photos for the most part. That is, they are the photos Porter took of each engine before it was shipped out. There are about a dozen other photos of various shots around the plant and a few small ones, very few, of the locomotives in action. There are over 200 pages with no photos at all.[:-cry][:-grumpy]

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            • #7
              Walt have you tried http://www.rr-fallenflags.org ? I scrolled down to the alphabet part clicked on P then on Porter, got all sorts of photos and drawings.

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              • #8
                Thanks Tyson but that's almost the exact material in the book. Same photos and I looked around but didn't find any drawings. I'll look some more later.

                Walt

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                • #9
                  Hi Walt

                  I could be way off base here for I had never heard of a Porter. I thought it was someone who carried your bags into the hotel for you.

                  However it the May/June 1978 issue of the Gazette that Mike referred me to for a waterfront scene there is an article about building a model of the Mercer Gold Mine Railroad Two-Foot Gauge Porter.

                  The entire locomotive looks to be about 12 real feet long. There are scale drawings for all 4 views and pictures of the real locomotive.

                  I know it is not the Dinky but would something like this be of any help to you?
                  <img src="http://www.railroad-line.com/forum/data/bbags/20076794158_b3b.jpg" alt="" /><br /><br>John Bagley<br /><br>Modeling the Alaska Railroad in HO in Wildwood Georgia.

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                  • #10
                    John, Porter build all sizes and kinds of locomotives. In fact they built more specialized industrial locomotives than any other manufacture. They ranged in size from the, almost playland size used in banna platations, to large road locomotives. They built coal and oil fired, fireless and compressed air locomotives. They were used around chemical plants, steel plants and in mines underground.

                    Go to the link given above in Tyson's posting and you'll see all kind of pictures.

                    Walt

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                    • #11
                      Walt, the NG&SL Gazette have run plans of small Porters, Davenports & Baldwins in a number of small gauges over the years. What size (weight) and wheel arrangement are you looking for? I'll have a look through my collection for some if you like[^]
                      Russ

                      Moss Lake Lumber Co.

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                      • #12
                        If you are looking for bargains on exceptional rail histories. Put: "Indiana University Press Sale", in GOOGLE (or similar comprehensive search engine) and go to railroad listings where significant books are being sold for nominal amounts.

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                        • #13
                          quote:

                          Originally posted by Mike R

                          Rusty;

                          Have you contacted the NMRA and informed them the book is only marginally as advertised, and asked for a return authorization, and your money back ? :erm:

                          If so, how did they answer ?

                          If they answered negatively or not at all, why not post this up on the other dozen or so popular forums?[:-devil]

                          regards / Mike

                          Mike, I had Emailed NMRA earlier asking if the book had been shipped and a fellow (no name given) relied asking if I got it. Well by then I was really ticked about it so I wrote back and told him "yes I got it but I'm not happy with it and want to return it. please give me the return info." That was three days ago and I haven't heard from them sence. Figures. I guess I have to call.

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                          • #14
                            Just to update everyone on this and to keep the records straight, NMRA did Email me today and offered to take the book back and refund the cost of the book plus mailing expenses BOTH ways.

                            So they are good guys afterall!

                            Walt

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