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What is happening with Micro Engineering?

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  • Member since
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  • From: Bradford, Ontario
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What is happening with Micro Engineering?
Posted by hon30critter on Sunday, November 8, 2020 8:51 PM

Hi gang,

I have been trying to find the Micro Engineering Home website but I am drawing blanks. I can find a couple of pages listing some products but there is no Home page connection.

FWIW, I am trying to find a piece of HO scale Code 83 bridge flex track #11-101. Almost everyone seems to be out of stock. I did find a couple of suppliers who say they have it in stock, but their shipping prices to Canada are not worth the money.

Anyone know what's happening with ME?

Dave

I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!

  • Member since
    January 2009
  • From: Bakersfield, CA 93308
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Posted by RR_Mel on Sunday, November 8, 2020 9:09 PM

Dave

Their site is working. Not very good but working.

Home Page

http://microengineering.com/index.htm


Click on Flex Track, bottom of the page has the bridge track listed.

 http://microengineering.com/products_ft.htm


 

Mel


 
My Model Railroad   
http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/
 
Bakersfield, California
 
I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.

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Posted by ATLANTIC CENTRAL on Sunday, November 8, 2020 9:27 PM

Flash player is going away, ME needs to fix their web site.

Sheldon

    

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Posted by hon30critter on Sunday, November 8, 2020 9:44 PM

RR_Mel
Their site is working. Not very good but working.

Hi Mel,

I have been able to get those two pages but I can't do anything with them, i.e. try to place an order.

I hope they are not on their way out! I hope Sheldon is right when he suggests that it is just out of date website software.

I have said to myself several times that if I ever win the big lottery prize I would spend my money buying up all the model train companies that are going out of business due to retirements or whatever. Unfortunately, I'm not sure that the odds of success would be in my favour. As others have said, "if you want to make a small fortune, start with a big one".Smile, Wink & GrinLaughLaughLaugh

Cheers!!

Dave

I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!

  • Member since
    January 2017
  • From: Southern Florida Gulf Coast
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Posted by SeeYou190 on Sunday, November 8, 2020 10:10 PM

hon30critter
I am trying to find a piece of HO scale Code 83 bridge flex track #11-101

I also need code 83 ME bridge flex track. None of my usual suppliers have any.

-Kevin

Living the dream.

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Posted by trainnut1250 on Sunday, November 8, 2020 11:44 PM

Dave,

 

Their website has always been awful....I wouldn't make too much of it

 

Guy

see stuff at: the Willoughby Line Site

  • Member since
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  • From: Bradford, Ontario
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Posted by hon30critter on Sunday, November 8, 2020 11:56 PM

trainnut1250
Their website has always been awful....I wouldn't make too much of it

Hi Guy,

Yes, I remember not being too impressed with it in the past, but now it seems to be barely functioning. Oh well, I guess we will all just have to be patient while they sort things out. Hopefully they will do that soon.

Dave

I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!

  • Member since
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  • From: Reading, PA
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Posted by rrinker on Monday, November 9, 2020 9:15 PM

 ME is like a lot of small manufactuers - they "batch build". So once they finish a run of one product, they will do another. Probably haven't done any of the bridge track for a while, maybe due to runs ome again. Depends on what's popular - if they are selling a lot of the ladder track system they may be making that.

 The web site has always been a bit how ya doin'. Clearly they are not spending money on a top notch web designer, more likely they are just doing it themselves. Consiodering how long they've been around, plus they advertise in all the major hobby pubnlications, probably no need for anything fancier or expensive.

 Yes, Flash is supposed to be completely going away - but so many games on Facebook and other platforms still use it, so unless they have their updated versions almost ready to go and just don't want to release it until the last minute, a lot of things are going to break very soon.

                                 --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 trwroute on Monday, November 9, 2020 10:11 PM

On my last layout, I used Central Valley bridge tie strips.  I cut out a section of Micro Engineering code 70 flex and glued the CV tie strip in place.  Worked and looked excellent!

Chuck - Modeling in HO scale and anything narrow gauge

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Posted by Mark R. on Monday, November 9, 2020 11:00 PM

I just checked their site and everything is functioning fine for me. (?)  I DID have to activate Flash player in the top header on their home page. Once I did that, I was able to pull up the order sheet and all the other pages no problem.

Mark.

¡ uʍop ǝpısdn sı ǝɹnʇɐuƃıs ʎɯ 'dlǝɥ

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Posted by hon30critter on Monday, November 9, 2020 11:59 PM

Mark R.
I just checked their site and everything is functioning fine for me. (?)  I DID have to activate Flash player in the top header on their home page.

Hi Mark,

My computer won't let me download Adobe Flash Player. I haven't a clue as to why. I'll just have to wait until ME's bridge track is available. I can use regular flex track until then.

Thanks everyone,

Dave

I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!

  • Member since
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Posted by Metro Red Line on Tuesday, November 10, 2020 12:15 AM

Micro-Engineering makes some great track (I use their flex all over my layout), but their website is still stuck in the year 1994. They are notoriously low-tech.

Hate to say this, but the best way to order from them is to call them up: (636) 349-1112.

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Posted by allscales on Friday, December 11, 2020 8:16 AM

Called Micro Engineering just the other day.  They are way behind on production due to slowdowns and shutdowns during pandemic.  Bridge track is on the current production plan for early 2021. I too have been looking for ME code 83 bridge track.  There is some code 70 stock at TrainLife.com if that would suit your needs.

  • Member since
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  • From: Reading, PA
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Posted by rrinker on Friday, December 11, 2020 8:28 AM

hon30critter

 

 
Mark R.
I just checked their site and everything is functioning fine for me. (?)  I DID have to activate Flash player in the top header on their home page.

 

Hi Mark,

My computer won't let me download Adobe Flash Player. I haven't a clue as to why. I'll just have to wait until ME's bridge track is available. I can use regular flex track until then.

Thanks everyone,

Dave

 

 It's built in to CHrome (and the new Edge, which uses the same basic engine). You may have to change the setting so it prompts to run Flash instead of outright blocks it. On Chrome it's under Settings, Privacy and Secutiry, Site Settings, Flash. Just change the switch to Ask First.

 Google can posture all they want, but given that pretty much all of Facebook Gaming runs on Flash - if they really disable it permanently at the end of the month, they can kiss any chance of holding the browser market goodbye.

Worth noting maybe that they haven't updated the site in 6 years.

                                 --Randy

 


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

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

  • Member since
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Posted by NittanyLion on Friday, December 11, 2020 9:41 AM

I was under the impression that Adobe was retiring Flash and that's why browsers are dropping support. 

My work PC just had an update pushed today that uninstalled Flash because of it. 

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Posted by doctorwayne on Friday, December 11, 2020 10:44 PM

hon30critter
...I am trying to find a piece of HO scale Code 83 bridge flex track #11-101....

How much of it do you need, Dave?

Wayne

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  • From: Bradford, Ontario
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Posted by hon30critter on Saturday, December 12, 2020 1:05 AM

doctorwayne
How much of it do you need, Dave? Wayne

I need 32" (4 x 8") for four short plate girder bridges. That will give me about 1.75" either side of the bridges.

Dave

I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!

  • Member since
    January 2004
  • From: Canada, eh?
  • 13,375 posts
Posted by doctorwayne on Saturday, December 12, 2020 2:06 AM

I have two pieces of ME bridge track at about 7" each, and one piece of Central Valley bridge track at just under 4".  The main difference between the two brands is that the "woodgrain" on the ME stuff is a little more pronounced and also has guide nubs for the inside guard rails.  I have lots of the outside "wooden" guard timbers if you need them, but no code 70 rail for the between-the-track guard rails.

If it's of any use, you're welcome to it.  Send me an e-mail if there's anything else you might need.

Wayne

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: Bradford, Ontario
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Posted by hon30critter on Saturday, December 12, 2020 3:13 AM

Hi Wayne,

Thank you for your very generous offer!

I'm not in any hurry for the bridge track so I think I will just bide my time until ME makes it available again. In the interim I will just use regular flex track.

I've been in a rut for a few weeks. I have to get my butt in gear again!

Cheers!!

Dave

I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!

  • Member since
    July 2020
  • 35 posts
Posted by Ian R. on Saturday, December 12, 2020 10:56 AM
The website apparently hasn't received any TLC since 2014.
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  • From: US
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Posted by JohnWPowell on Saturday, December 12, 2020 7:29 PM

Heard they are currently building a new web site

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