InterMountain customer service

[SD40-2W]

Hi group,

I would like to share this MRR experience with you.

Many months before Rapido's announcement of their FP9-A release , I
bought an InterMountain unit in a Montréal store and this despite the
numerous critics about errors on the fuel tank and the unit being an
American locomotive painted in a Canadian livery.

Since 2001, I live 100 Miles away from MTL and waited till I got home
to open the IM well packaged box.

So, 100 miles later, what a deception it was. That unit had the side
grills full of glue and both sides were balooning. Furthermore, there
was glue on the shell. Yes, what a deception it was.

I decided to do something to correct the glue problems of this smooth
and powerfull runner. I did like the unit and slowly, with an
adequate sand paper stick, I eliminated the glue on the shell with
fairly good success.

Then I removed the side grills, sanded and repainted them with less
success because of the so small design arrangement of the grills and
the balooning problem. I cannot say I was satisfied.

I then contacted IM Customer Service Manager and told him about my
deception and I wanted to buy another shell.

This is the reply of IM:

"Please accept my apology for the problems with your VIA FP9A
locomotive. I have located a replacement shell and if you will e-mail
me your mailing address I will get it on the way to you. The grills
on the replacement shell are flat and attached to the locomotive,
however because of changes in temperature and humidity it is possible
that they may develop a problem by the time you receive it. Hopefully
it will arrive with out any issues. When you receive the replacement
please let me know if it arrived in good condition or not".

Jerry Harkness, Customer Service Representative.

I did send him my address and continued working on my "glued" unit
and finally made the grills fairly acceptable (I am not in museum
artwork, my CN-VIA roster is made of satisfying good 3-footers).

Well now, using an Athearn F7A unit that I did reworked and adapted
to FP9-A lenght to which I soldered a powerfull Digitrax LED, I have
a very acceptable trio of VIA units that makes me very happy.

I  consider the assistance of Mr.Harkness outstanding.

I am looking forward to receive Rapido's CN unit and this should put
an end to my FP9-A's adventures.

Have a good one you all,

Michel Drouin,
Trois-Rivières, Qc.