Quality control

[Leo_Ames]

Several months ago, I recieved a issue of Classic Trains that was missing pages, had pages out of order, and even a few duplicate pages. I believe it was the winter issue. I made a thread about it, and customer service took care of me quickly (Great customer service btw).

 http://cs.trains.com/trccs/forums/p/140780/1567414.aspx#1567414

Was saddenned to get to the latest issue of Classic Trains last night and see that it's missing pages, with the Big Boy story missing its end as well as the story that follows it missing its first few pages.

 What's happened? It can't be an isolated incident if I've recieved two straight issues that are like this. I've never had any problems before, been a long time reader of Trains since the early 1990s and have a extensive collection of back issues from the decades preceding that, and I've never noticed this until very recently.

 I'm not sure if Kalmbach changed its equipment or the company they outsource printing to, but whatever has changed, its been for the worse. I'd hate to not subscribe since I think this magazine is the best thing to come out of this company since the 1990s (Trains, while I still enjoy it, seems to have changed for the worst for what I enjoy to read). I look forward to each issue and wish it would go to a monthly format. But not being able to be correctly manufactured is unacceptable to me.

[steveiow]

Never had any problems with Classic Trains but MR-the middle page departs the staples regular.

By the way ,I live in England

Steve

[selector]

Something is definitely wrong for you to experience what you have.  The loosening centre pages in Model Railroader Magazine is well known, and the source of quite a bit of frustration amongst the readership.  The editor, Neil Besougloff, has posted to a thread titled about the problem in the General Discussion forum under Model Railroader and explained that they had press problems.  It must be the same with this run.

I have yet to open my issue of Classic Trains.  I just received it yesterday and will take a look this weekend.

In any event, sorry for the less than perfect issue that you received.  I have confidence that a simple email or phone call to Customer Service (under "Contact Us" at the bottom of this page) will have a replacement on its way to you very shortly...hopefully without the same problem.

-Crandell

[henry6]

Since none of us can do anything about it, I must ask if you have notified Kalmbach's Customer Service?  It's just a click away!

[Leo_Ames]

Not yet, but I will and I'm sure I'll get fast response in getting a replacement out, just like last time. My complaints don't concern the quality of the content or their excellent customer support.

The purpose of this thread though is to hopefully throw some light on this issue, and have whatever the problem is investigated to prevent it from happening again (Unless I really did just get two duds in a row, but the chances of that seem so slim that I suspect a decent percentage of issues must be going out defective).

Or I just have extremely bad luck...

[henry6]

And so I finally get to opening my Spring 2009 issue of Classic Trains and find a whole truck missing, too!  Pages 27 through 38 and 63 through 74!  I just sent note to customer service.

[selector]

I have left a note for Bergie in the moderators' forum as well.  I would expect he will pass on to those concerned that the forum readers have begun to express their dismay and disappointment in increasing numbers.  We should hopefully get a response next week once the Editor decides what should be done. 

 I have since opened my own copy and find all the pages there. 

-Crandell