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Gern

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Gern
Posted by NVSRR on Wednesday, February 19, 2020 10:19 AM

I do appologize if i missed the story,  but what is the Gern company?  Seams to be everywhere here

 

 

shane

A pessimist sees a dark tunnel

An optimist sees the light at the end of the tunnel

A realist sees a frieght train

An engineer sees three idiots standing on the tracks stairing blankly in space

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Posted by mbinsewi on Wednesday, February 19, 2020 10:28 AM

It is a popular industry.  I'll leave the complete Gern story to it's founder, and creator,  the esteemed Dr. Wayne.

Mike.

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Posted by Tinplate Toddler on Wednesday, February 19, 2020 10:44 AM

If I am not wrong, GERN is the NASDAQ code for the Geron Corporation, a late-stage clinical biopharmaceutical company.

Happy times!

Ulrich (aka The Tin Man)

"You´re never too old for a happy childhood!"

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Posted by doctorwayne on Wednesday, February 19, 2020 10:50 AM

Shane, GERN (always all caps, as it's an acronym, created after the fact, for Gibson's Extraordinary Remedial Naturalized)...plus Flux, which is the basis for all GERN products. 
Here's one of the older adds...


It's a bit of a goofy product dating from the mid-'50s when my brother and I played table hockey.  We each had several teams, with all players assigned names.  We also kept scoring and goaltending records, held play-offs, etc., etc.

One of his star players was named Cookie Gibson (later known as Charles "Cookie" Gibson, who, according to my younger and more inventive brother, was a "flux magnate".
As we grew-up (sorta) the table hockey was forgotten.  However, when I began to build my current layout, I decided that a GERN factory of some sort would be a good traffic generator, and it's certainly lived up to that requirement...

He responded with ads for various GERN products, and continues to crank them out as they come to his fertile (or perhaps fertilised) mind.  There are currently over fifty GERN modellers/modelers world-wide, and I send out the new ads to them as my brother creates them.

Wayne

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Posted by doctorwayne on Wednesday, February 19, 2020 11:15 AM

Tinplate Toddler
If I am not wrong, GERN is the NASDAQ code for the Geron Corporation, a late-stage clinical biopharmaceutical company.

Yes, Mr. Gibson is having a lawsuit prepared to address that situation, and another for the Gilman Paper Company, re: freight car reporting marks.

Mr. Gibson has extremely deep pockets (his assets, in comparison to those of his close friend, Mr. Bezos, would relegate the latter to the poorhouse).

Wayne

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Posted by mbinsewi on Wednesday, February 19, 2020 12:56 PM

 I can't wait for this documantary to be covered on Frontline.

Last night they had 2 hrs. each on Mr. Bezos and Mark Zuckerburg.

Mike.

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Posted by York1 on Wednesday, February 19, 2020 1:00 PM

I'm a little surprised we haven't seen some protests in Washington, DC, against GERN, as it is a part of big pharma.

Where's Jane Fonda been on this topic?

York1 John       

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Posted by SeeYou190 on Wednesday, February 19, 2020 1:06 PM

I do not know if Wayne counted me as one of the GERN modelers, but my GERN fleet is growing.

.

.

-Kevin

.

Living the dream.

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Posted by mbinsewi on Wednesday, February 19, 2020 1:14 PM

SeeYou190
I do not know if Wayne counted me as one of the GERN modelers, but my GERN fleet is growing.

Hmmmm..we haven't talked about GERN modelers yet, but I assume you have received orders and the proper documentation to be building hoppers for GERN?

There IS another layout in here that has a large GERN facilities, I just tried to find, with no luck, as of yet!.  

I don't consider myself a "whistle blower", but I'm sure Dr. Wayne is unaware of this, and I only hope that Mr. Gibson has given authority for this expansion.

I will keep looking.  I posted in his thread a few days ago, shocked that he had a GERN facility.

Mike.

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Posted by chutton01 on Wednesday, February 19, 2020 1:42 PM

Well, I guess this GERN ARG is no more harmful than trading those model railroad layout passes that used to be popular up till the '70s or so...

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Posted by mbinsewi on Wednesday, February 19, 2020 2:27 PM

I found the thread, scroll all most to the bottom until you get to my post, open up the picture link in the post above mine.

http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/11/p/280761/3214911.aspx#top

Dr. Wayne, I'm only trying to help, and make you aware of this unprecidented expansion.

Mike.

 

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Posted by doctorwayne on Wednesday, February 19, 2020 5:00 PM

No problem, Mike, as he is on the list of GERNies.

Wayne

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Posted by mbinsewi on Wednesday, February 19, 2020 5:23 PM

OK, Thank God, I thought maybe Rich had instigated a hostile tackover in an attempt to gain control of Bertrams.

Mike.  

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Posted by zstripe on Wednesday, February 19, 2020 5:38 PM

mbinsewi

OK, Thank God, I thought maybe Rich had instigated a hostile tackover in an attempt to gain control of Bertrams.

Mike.  

 

You gotta' watch those Lawyer's.............especially, who they golf with.......LOL,LOL. Zip it!

Take Care! Smile, Wink & Grin

Frankie

 

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Posted by azrail on Wednesday, February 19, 2020 5:56 PM

At least it isn't spelled "Gurn"

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Posted by richhotrain on Wednesday, February 19, 2020 6:24 PM

mbinsewi

OK, Thank God, I thought maybe Rich had instigated a hostile tackover in an attempt to gain control of Bertrams.

Mike.   

Mike, pay Frank no attention. He has competed with me for years to gain control of John Bertram & Sons, located in Dundas, Ontario, Canada. When John Bertram died on April 4, 1906, a license was bequeathed to Doctor Wayne's family to display a replica of the family business on Wayne's layout, but ultimate title to the replica was to be passed to me. Wayne has done everything in his power to deny me access, but I will prevail.

Rich

Alton Junction

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Posted by NVSRR on Wednesday, February 19, 2020 9:40 PM

It doesn't have a modern day counter part does it?

 

my first thought when i read the ad was late 1800's snake oil company. 

A pessimist sees a dark tunnel

An optimist sees the light at the end of the tunnel

A realist sees a frieght train

An engineer sees three idiots standing on the tracks stairing blankly in space

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Posted by "JaBear" on Thursday, February 20, 2020 1:15 AM

NVSRR
It doesn't have a modern day counter part does it?

GERN is still a current multinational conglomerate, no doubt with a fleet of modern cars.
I model 1950s GERN, the reporting numbers having been allocated by DrWayne.
 
after2 by Bear, on Flickr
IMG_0499 by Bear, on Flickr
 
Gidday Frank, good to see you’re still amongst us.
 
…and I promise not to mention Fiji War bonds…Whistling
 
Cheers, the Bear.Smile

"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."

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Posted by SeeYou190 on Thursday, February 20, 2020 2:21 AM

the reporting numbers having been allocated by DrWayne.

.

I need to get with Wayne and get reporting numbers for my two covered hoppers so they can be finished.

.

-Kevin

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Posted by rrinker on Thursday, February 20, 2020 7:45 AM

 AH, something to do with those foobie covered hoppers I have lettered for Reading with 50's dates. Totally wrong car that they had none of in the 1950's. I can strip the lettering and make them GERN cars.

 Just wondering - which model train company did GERN take over in the 70's when all the big conglomerates were being formed? Like General Mills and Lionel, or Consolidated Foods and Tyco. Heck, I watched a video of 70's commercials on YouTube and there was ITT selling BREAD!

                                  --Randy


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

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Posted by richhotrain on Thursday, February 20, 2020 8:29 AM

rrinker

Heck, I watched a video of 70's commercials on YouTube and there was ITT selling BREAD! 

Ahh, where would we be without conglomerates.

Rich

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Posted by NVSRR on Thursday, February 20, 2020 9:50 PM

Does Gern have any plant switchers?

A pessimist sees a dark tunnel

An optimist sees the light at the end of the tunnel

A realist sees a frieght train

An engineer sees three idiots standing on the tracks stairing blankly in space

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Posted by doctorwayne on Friday, February 21, 2020 8:14 AM

NVSRR

Does Gern have any plant switchers?

I'd thought about using this Tyco/Mantua switcher, but it was never a good runner...

The home road usually has a locomotive on-hand for in-plant switching...

...and often leases locomotives from interchange partners like the CNR...

...as GERN Industries is the road's largest shipper by-far.

GERN modellers are free to model GERN in a manner which suits their layout best, but hopefully keeping the whimsical nature of the concept in mind, too.
A friend in Texas, has, as far as I know, the largest GERN factory around and also the largest single roster of GERN cars, too, at 31 with GILX reporting marks and another 6 leased covered hoppers in flux service.

My model of the GERN instsallation represents about 1/3 of the supposed facility, and is only a bit over 6' long, while the flux mine, unseen and unmodelled, is under Lake Erie, extending out several miles - based on the salt mine at Goderich, Ontario.

Of course, if you don't have enough room for a GERN factory, simply have it located "elsewhere".

Wayne

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Posted by chutton01 on Friday, February 21, 2020 9:18 AM

doctorwayne
Of course, if you don't have enough room for a GERN factory, simply have it located "elsewhere".


Well, since its clear to me that eventually all members of this forum will succumb to the advancing juggernaut that is GERN, I have decided to proactively take measures ("Can't beat 'em? Join 'em!"):
My (not quite finished) free-mo PDT modules are set in the late 2010s, and in this timeline GERN follows the same path as in Dr Wayne's timeline, expanding near every fiscal quarter...until the late 1990s when it is acquired by a large, well known corporation...

Enron....

Oops.
After the Enron bankruptcy in 2001, GERN facilities around the land were shuttered in a similar fashion as the (real-world former) Garden State Paper plant in Garfield NJ. 
I will create a late '90s (weathered & torn) billboard sign forelornly stuck in a forgotten location, probably replacing the 'e' in GERN with the tilted Enron 'E'.
What were the late 1990s GERN advertising slogans again, Dr. Wayne?

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Posted by doctorwayne on Friday, February 21, 2020 9:47 AM

chutton01
What were the late 1990s GERN advertising slogans again...

Well, this one has been universal since GERN's creation....

...but depending on the particular product offered, can be something totally different.  Here are a couple examples...

Wayne

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Posted by York1 on Friday, February 21, 2020 10:04 AM

DoctorWayne, thanks for the fun stuff!

York1 John       

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Posted by Attuvian on Friday, February 21, 2020 10:23 AM

chutton01
 ...until the late 1990s when it is acquired by a large, well known corporation...

Enron....

Oops.
After the Enron bankruptcy in 2001, GERN facilities around the land were shuttered in a similar fashion as the (real-world former) Garden State Paper plant in Garfield NJ....

My Friday was greeted by this temporarily unsettling news.  Only then did my wits kick in (they generally are rather delayed in the morning).  GERN certainly must remain as a viable and thriving concern.

I understand that the supposed purchase of GERN by Enron, and its attendant corporate collapse, will be found to have been an elaborate but unsurprising contrivance.  My late Uncle George informed me of this colossal ruse by a letter found in his desk after his untimely passing in 2017 under suspicious circumstances.  The entire enterprise appears to have arisen as a result of the excavation near Hell, Michigan of a sample of what was purported to be an extensive deposit of flux that was superior in all respects that that found under Lake Erie.  A hurried investment scheme was launched that captured hundreds of millions of "lazy" American and Canadian dollars and yielded the shuffling of the ownership of a number of ill-managed and unsuspecting corporations.  That newly-discovered material turned out to be an inferior grade of kevonite that did not phosphoresce under black light.  This largely unknown sham resulted not only in the shuttering of counterfeit GERN facilities, but initially tipped the feds into their Enron investigation.  The rest is, as my Army buddies say, histoire.

Sadly, I have lost Uncle George's letter.  But I have been to Hell on a number of occasions since childhood - and have pictures (somewhere) to prove it.

Wink

John

 

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Posted by doctorwayne on Friday, February 21, 2020 10:41 AM

Thanks for your input, John.

GERN modellers can tailor GERN to their own needs, but I leave the rest to my brother, the creator of the concept (and also holder of the copyright for all GERN advertising material).

Use and enjoy it to suit your own preferences.

Wayne

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Posted by chutton01 on Friday, February 21, 2020 10:56 AM

Attuvian
I understand that the supposed purchase of GERN by Enron, and its attendant corporate collapse, will be found to have been an elaborate but unsurprising contrivance.  My late Uncle George informed me of this colossal ruse by a letter found in his desk after his untimely passing in 2017 under suspicious circumstances.  The entire enterprise appears to have arisen as a result of the excavation near Hell, Michigan of a sample of what was purported to be an extensive deposit of flux that was superior in all respects that that found under Lake Erie.  A hurried investment scheme was launched that captured hundreds of millions of "lazy" American and Canadian dollars and yielded the shuffling of the ownership of a number of ill-managed and unsuspecting corporations.  That newly-discovered material turned out to be an inferior grade of kevonite that did not phosphoresce under black light.  This largely unknown sham resulted not only in the shuttering of counterfeit GERN facilities, but initially tipped the feds into their Enron investigation.  The rest is, as my Army buddies say, histoire.

We Await Silent Tristero's Empire...

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Posted by Attuvian on Friday, February 21, 2020 12:20 PM

chutton01
 

We Await Silent Tristero's Empire... 

Indeed. Pynchon lives!

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