|
|
Post by champagnetrail on Mar 18, 2024 12:41:34 GMT -8
Until/unless we know all the details of Blaine's accident, his recovery, and how he has his business organized, I think Blaine should get the benefit of the doubt.
Once again, I'm reminded of how empathy always seems to be in such short supply...
-pat
|
|
|
|
Post by prr 4467 on Mar 18, 2024 12:42:15 GMT -8
Why are we so freaking cynical and jaded? This is awful to read, and my heart goes out to Blaine and his family.
Blaine has always behaved honestly with me in the past.
Why do we expect the very worst in people? I'm sure his family would love to get the income stream flowing again too.
|
|
|
|
Post by ambluco on Mar 18, 2024 13:04:12 GMT -8
They don't need access to all that. They need the access account for his webpage so they can update the home page with the news (which is down anyway). Or Facebook. Okay let me have access to all your bank accounts, credit accounts, business accounts with all the passwords and your mother's maiden name. |
|
|
|
Post by ambluco on Mar 18, 2024 13:22:43 GMT -8
It's not cynical to want official notice that a company or person is out of commission temporarily or permanently. A good example of cynical is all government officials are crooks. Or the hobby is dead. We aren't saying all small manufacturers are horrible. Jaded means bored. We are definitely not bored here. No one is disbelieving Blaine's situation. It's just the over 8 months part of no communication, and 8 months is just the thread start. If you refer back to November 2023, Kalmbach says he was dealing with a family matter and the website is back up and running. Now it's down. Someone had to have access get the website going in November and take it down in March. That same person could have emailed any number of hobby people. We also don't know when the accident was. Last year but they got the site back running or last week and now the site is down? Why are we so freaking cynical and jaded? This is awful to read, and my heart goes out to Blaine and his family. Blaine has always behaved honestly with me in the past. Why do we expect the very worst in people? I'm sure his family would love to get the income stream flowing again too. |
|
|
|
Post by GP40P-2 on Mar 18, 2024 14:56:25 GMT -8
|
|
|
|
Post by hudsonyard on Mar 18, 2024 15:02:32 GMT -8
If they really did end up unclaimed freight, they will bounce around one of the warehouses for a company that buys damaged/unclaimed freight who likely have no idea what the hell they are, they go up onto some racking and get forgotten about. I temped in a unclaimed/demurrage warehouse, we got in a little bit of everything, usually stuff that got turned away from minneapolis-st paul airport, ever seen 4500 cases of airplane sized butterfinger BB's snack bags? Anything that couldn't be brokered out right away ended up in storage, I remember seeing an entire floor display and stock of summer patio furniture, with BOL tags on them from 1999.
|
|
|
|
Post by sauconyard on Mar 18, 2024 15:15:36 GMT -8
Until/unless we know all the details of Blaine's accident, his recovery, and how he has his business organized, I think Blaine should get the benefit of the doubt. Once again, I'm reminded of how empathy always seems to be in such short supply... -pat For the sake of humanity, Blaine owes none of us an explanation. If his health is in jeopardy, that's the most important aspect of life. Arrowhead is just a company that makes nice HO scale trains (cue the jokes about the boxes). But in the end, this is about human health and way more than stupid model trains. |
|
|
|
Post by Donnell Wells on Mar 18, 2024 16:23:11 GMT -8
What an absolute load of crap. The man has a wife and other family members who can convey things to customers. A well timed excuse at best, a full out lie at worst. The load of crap is your heartless reply! I know it can get cynical at times in here, but your response is just plain evil. I don't see how you enjoy this hobby with all of the stress it causes you. But I will say this, you need to change your attitude here, or find somewhere else to spew your nastiness! Sincerely, Donnell |
|
|
|
Post by richardthomasatal on Mar 18, 2024 17:04:28 GMT -8
What an absolute load of crap. The man has a wife and other family members who can convey things to customers. A well timed excuse at best, a full out lie at worst. The load of crap is your heartless reply! I know it can get cynical at times in here, but your response is just plain evil. I don't see how you enjoy this hobby with all of the stress it causes you. But I will say this, you need to change your attitude here, or find somewhere else to spew your nastiness! Sincerely, Donnell Once again, you single me out when many people are saying the same thing in just a different manner. I don't want to hear your intolerance for nastiness when you let Al Mayo reign supreme here for a decade on and off. Act fair Donnell not buddy buddy with some and angered towards others because I've called you on your crap before. |
|
|
|
Post by peoriaman on Mar 18, 2024 17:33:57 GMT -8
I'm reminded of the Seinfeld episode when Jerry's friend Gary didn't tell George that he had cancer. Jerry mocked him: "How dare he not tell you about his life-threatening illness! His business is your business! If not now, when?"
|
|
|
|
Post by unittrain on Mar 18, 2024 18:00:03 GMT -8
Hope Blain will be ok, prayers for him and his family.
|
|
|
|
Post by Mr. Trainiac on Mar 18, 2024 18:11:55 GMT -8
Blaine's personal health is one thing. Blaine is a great guy who has created some pretty awesome models with Arrowhead and Exactrail, but the status of Arrowhead is another thing. If the car crash is actually what occured, I hope he gets well, but there is no avoiding the fact that his business took money from a lot of people and failed to deliver a product. Blaine doesn't need to reveal his health issues or injuries personally, but the Arrowhead business does need to respond. It's possible to simultaneously have empathy for his condition while also being annoyed at the lack of response from the brand, so being angry on this thread is not the same thing as hating Blaine or his family.
Literally today, a post was made about the death of Bob Harpe. This occured less than 24 hours after the man died. Word moves around the hobby quickly, and it's pretty easy to disseminate news if one really wants to. We got news about the passing of John Green and the closure of Bethlehem Car Works and it didn't take 8 months.
The argument about nobody having access to Blaine's accounts is also moot. A friend or relative could have easily posted something on their own social media or left a comment on the most recent Arrowhead facebook post for others to read. Nobody needs his bank account or computer login to update his customers.
|
|
|
|
Post by Donnell Wells on Mar 18, 2024 18:22:50 GMT -8
Once again, you single me out when many people are saying the same thing in just a different manner. I don't want to hear your intolerance for nastiness when you let Al Mayo reign supreme here for a decade on and off. Act fair Donnell not buddy buddy with some and angered towards others because I've called you on your crap before. Richard, you singled yourself out. You could have said nothing, but you had go all out. Second, you don’t what went on with Al, and the fact that he no longer participates here should tell you something. It sounds like you want to take his place, but you’ll end up in the same place. I don’t think I’m asking too much from anyone in this forum in asking for civil discussions. Yet some in here just like to push the limit. I have tolerated a lot of disruptive behavior in this forum over the years, and you my friend, are the squeaky wheel right now, so you get the grease. If that is “crap” to you, well, then so be it. I don’t really care how you feel about it, I care about how you behave. I you don’t like it, figure a way to deal with it because it has no place here. (Oh, and notice I did not delete your comment, for the record)You can “call me out” all you want, but at the end of the day you were still wrong in your response, and you should have handled it differently. Donnell |
|
|
|
Post by NS4122 on Mar 18, 2024 18:29:58 GMT -8
Something is very wrong here. How could Arrowhead be taking orders for product and be expecting a shipment in June 2023 when the business was dissolved by the state in February 2023?
|
|
|
|
Post by SOMECALLMETIM on Mar 18, 2024 18:39:51 GMT -8
If you look at the history on that page it shows the same thing happening on 8 February 2021. It might be he just didn't pay his license taxes or something similar. Something is very wrong here. How could Arrowhead be taking orders for product and be expecting a shipment in June 2023 when the business was dissolved by the state in February 2023? |
|
|
|
Post by csxt8400 on Mar 18, 2024 18:59:09 GMT -8
It seems obvious there was monetary and factory problems. Which I can understand as it costs a lot for tooling and all that, and his initial run of hoppers were sitting for a very long time with steep discounts. Who knows how much money was tied up in things that werent able to be recouped in a timely manner.
I wish him well but this whole thing has seemed odd since mid summer to me. Would love to be proven wrong.
|
|
|
|
Post by Baikal on Mar 18, 2024 19:05:17 GMT -8
If you look at the history on that page it shows the same thing happening on 8 February 2021. It might be he just didn't pay his license taxes or something similar. Something is very wrong here. How could Arrowhead be taking orders for product and be expecting a shipment in June 2023 when the business was dissolved by the state in February 2023?
Another dissolution in 2021, then re-instatement. Five tax delinquencies in six years. Unless they are in a coma, a business owner owes their customers and potential customers some sort of communication, however brief. Communication prevents speculation, including online worst-case scenario-ing and general bad PR. It's common courtesy and good business practice.
I don't know Blaine's medical condition. If he is in a coma, condolences, get well soon.
Occam's razor says when a company has tax problems and the owner/CEO goes silent, it's probably becaue they don't want to talk.
|
|
|
|
Post by nstophat on Mar 19, 2024 3:09:41 GMT -8
Arrowhead came up on the Rio Grande io.groups email list. Jim Eager said he had heard Blain was in a car accident. Another fellow said: "Blaine has asked me to pass on that he was indeed in a head-on collision, which has made things difficult for him, however, he assures me that Arrowhead is not out of business, just slowed down a bit." What an absolute load of crap. The man has a wife and other family members who can convey things to customers. A well timed excuse at best, a full out lie at worst. And how is it that you know the condition of his wife and not know the condition of Blaine himself? Inquiring minds want to know. How are his kid doing as well? |
|
|
|
Post by richardthomasatal on Mar 19, 2024 5:28:47 GMT -8
Once again, you single me out when many people are saying the same thing in just a different manner. I don't want to hear your intolerance for nastiness when you let Al Mayo reign supreme here for a decade on and off. Act fair Donnell not buddy buddy with some and angered towards others because I've called you on your crap before. Richard, you singled yourself out. You could have said nothing, but you had go all out. Second, you don’t what went on with Al, and the fact that he no longer participates here should tell you something. It sounds like you want to take his place, but you’ll end up in the same place. I don’t think I’m asking too much from anyone in this forum in asking for civil discussions. Yet some in here just like to push the limit. I have tolerated a lot of disruptive behavior in this forum over the years, and you my friend, are the squeaky wheel right now, so you get the grease. If that is “crap” to you, well, then so be it. I don’t really care how you feel about it, I care about how you behave. I you don’t like it, figure a way to deal with it because it has no place here. (Oh, and notice I did not delete your comment, for the record)You can “call me out” all you want, but at the end of the day you were still wrong in your response, and you should have handled it differently. Donnell If I am the squeaky wheel, there are lots of wheels on the same truck squeaking that you are ignoring. You let Al have 1,000 passes because you are both black dudes, lets just call it what it is. But you seem to have a vendetta against me for some reason. I don't care. This forum is either open or it isn't, delete all the comments you want but treat things equally. And if you know so much, why have others pointed out that Blaine has not paid his license fees and other issues that point to a bigger problem. If you are in direct contact with his family and they have told you he is incapacitated that's one thing but you are not so you know just as little. At least I didn't post a picture of a guy in a full body cast, you had nothing to say about that did you? You are clearly on a rampage and you can clearly go ---- ------- with your fake outrage and selective targeting b.s. The man is in a coma but conveyed directly to Cody from Model Railroader that he had a family matter a few months ago, lots of others have made the same points on this same thread. It doesn't add up and it's b.s. You can call whatever you want insensitive but you better look at the surrounding posts just as hard, especially when there's some just as bad. Your selective outrage is what makes this forum a laughing stock. People and their sly comments they get by with daily for years is a problem but an occasional slight actual punctual and to the point comment cannot be stomached. Blaine has modelers money sitting with no product and you get on here and defend him after all this time missing from the scene? GTFOH with that BS. People and companies were fleeing this forum long before I arrived. But I am the person you decide to make your stand on. Well the toxicity will continue with or without me. It was already on this very thread before I commented but you ignore that, don't you? Trying to make some sort of example? You need to look a little further than me. |
|
|
|
Post by richardthomasatal on Mar 19, 2024 5:41:12 GMT -8
What an absolute load of crap. The man has a wife and other family members who can convey things to customers. A well timed excuse at best, a full out lie at worst. And how is it that you know the condition of his wife and not know the condition of Blaine himself? Inquiring minds want to know. How are his kid doing as well? He was well enough to talk to Cody Grivno months ago and say he has a family matter. I know he is married but don't know if his wife was in the accident but there are other family members out there that won't all fit in the same accident. So you can drop the smartass tone. You're telling me no one in nearly a year could get a message out? Oh wait, Blaine did to Cody Grivno but everyone is ignoring that. People's money is gone and they don't have product to speak for it but by all means take the side of the guy who has 20 different inidcations showing he is a shady businessman from failure to pay fees to not sending products to selective responses. I bet others are out money also whether it be the factory, dealers or other people in the process. But lets worry about an accident that we don't even know happened. A search of that area shows no such accident reported in the news so it wasn't serious enought to be a news story about. |
|
|
|
Post by richardthomasatal on Mar 19, 2024 5:53:06 GMT -8
Blaine's personal health is one thing. Blaine is a great guy who has created some pretty awesome models with Arrowhead and Exactrail, but the status of Arrowhead is another thing. If the car crash is actually what occured, I hope he gets well, but there is no avoiding the fact that his business took money from a lot of people and failed to deliver a product. Blaine doesn't need to reveal his health issues or injuries personally, but the Arrowhead business does need to respond. It's possible to simultaneously have empathy for his condition while also being annoyed at the lack of response from the brand, so being angry on this thread is not the same thing as hating Blaine or his family. Literally today, a post was made about the death of Bob Harpe. This occured less than 24 hours after the man died. Word moves around the hobby quickly, and it's pretty easy to disseminate news if one really wants to. We got news about the passing of John Green and the closure of Bethlehem Car Works and it didn't take 8 months. The argument about nobody having access to Blaine's accounts is also moot. A friend or relative could have easily posted something on their own social media or left a comment on the most recent Arrowhead facebook post for others to read. Nobody needs his bank account or computer login to update his customers. Just stop it, you're making too much sense for this forum with your facts and correct information. The people making endless excuses for years from now will end up with egg on their face one day but for now keep the common sense and facts to a minimum because this forum is not used to it. |
|
|
|
Post by cpr4200 on Mar 19, 2024 7:16:41 GMT -8
|
|
|
|
Post by Baikal on Mar 19, 2024 7:59:11 GMT -8
Did the signing event take place? Or was it canceled or no-show?
|
|
|
|
Post by gevohogger on Mar 19, 2024 8:05:16 GMT -8
Just stop it, you're making too much sense for this forum with your facts and correct information. The people making endless excuses for years from now will end up with egg on their face one day but for now keep the common sense and facts to a minimum because this forum is not used to it. As they say, there are many different ways to participate in the hobby. You certainly picked one of the stranger ones. It must be lonely being angry at everyone else all the time. |
|
|
|
Post by prr 4467 on Mar 19, 2024 8:09:23 GMT -8
Since some here want "just that facts" let me respectfully remind of the following:
MORE than 2/3 of model train businesses fail. That is the simple fact. It is a brutal business to stay in, during the best of times, partly due to the inventory costs and the irregular cash flows that tend to occur--and the taxation of inventory twice a year in states like Indiana (which always hampered Overland Models during the best of times and which directly resulted in their February and August sales).
|
|
|
|
Post by richardthomasatal on Mar 19, 2024 8:19:40 GMT -8
Since some here want "just that facts" let me respectfully remind of the following: MORE than 2/3 of model train businesses fail. That is the simple fact. It is a brutal business to stay in, during the best of times, partly due to the inventory costs and the irregular cash flows that tend to occur--and the taxation of inventory twice a year in states like Indiana (which always hampered Overland Models during the best of times and which directly resulted in their February and August sales). No one is questioning that, business is tough. I know this firsthand as I own a business that is on the large end of small business sizes. Blaine was always about keeping up apperances and it appears he does not want to admit defeat and just say listen I'm having trouble here. My outrage stems from the many people I know who are out money and the gas lighting going on to cover for what appears to be a failed business and the modelers that are quick to defend such a long and unexcused absence while modelers and others in our community are out money. |
|
|
|
Post by edwardsutorik on Mar 19, 2024 8:20:33 GMT -8
And then there are people who are very good at the creative/engineering side, but are not so good at business running.
Ed
|
|
|
|
Post by prr 4467 on Mar 19, 2024 8:25:10 GMT -8
Well, in my case every time I ordered I got the product promptly within a couple weeks, and when there was an issue I got my money back promptly. Not sure at what point things changed for anyone else. I personally don't pay for things that aren't physically in stock at the manufacturer/importer. That by itself prevents most issues.
|
|
|
|
Post by ernestbaron on Mar 19, 2024 10:36:10 GMT -8
Here's what was relayed to me awhile ago.
The car crash was in the first quarter of 2023.
By the second quarter of 2023 Blaine was "shopping around" some cars he had designed, but not announced yet. Rapido bought at least one of those projects, buying them as "ready to go packages".
Eventually, Rapido "hired" Blaine as an independent contactor to work on those projects and assist other regular Project Managers with anything they may have needed. Blaine cited recovering from the car crash as well as working alone at home were getting to him, So the ability to interact with people on a quasi-daily basis was appealing to him and why he accepted the offer to join the team at Rapido.
By October/November 2023 the relationship Rapido had with Blaine had been severed. After that, Rapido Project Managers took over the project(s) they had acquired from Blaine.
I don't know what Blaine has been up to since then.
|
|
|
|
Post by richardthomasatal on Mar 19, 2024 11:34:52 GMT -8
Here's what was relayed to me awhile ago. The car crash was in the first quarter of 2023. By the second quarter of 2023 Blaine was "shopping around" some cars he had designed, but not announced yet. Rapido bought at least one of those projects, buying them as "ready to go packages". Eventually, Rapido "hired" Blaine as an independent contactor to work on those projects and assist other regular Project Managers with anything they may have needed. Blaine cited recovering from the car crash as well as working alone at home were getting to him, So the ability to interact with people on a quasi-daily basis was appealing to him and why he accepted the offer to join the team at Rapido. By October/November 2023 the relationship Rapido had with Blaine had been severed. After that, Rapido Project Managers took over the project(s) they had acquired from Blaine. I don't know what Blaine has been up to since then. Well, well, well. The beginning of the egg on certain faces started earlier than I thought it would. Thanks for that information. So it appears Blaine was more than able to answer requests for info or refund those missing money or products in the community and did not do so. |
|
