Does Anyone know what happened to Cedco Publishing?

[samfp1943]

erikem

 

 

KJGMiller

This is indeed VERY confusing. I was quite good friends with Chuck - in fact he lived with us for several months in Oakland. I knew his father, too - and neither of them were Hungarian! His father, and Chuck, spoke of their Danish heritage.

 

 

 

The spelling of Ditlefsen is indeed Danish, though some Norwegians also use the "sen" versus the more common "son". FWIW, Swedes typically have used 'sson".

I remember reading the the early posts back in 2005 and taking a bit of time to check out the CEDCO website.

 

 

KJGMiller: Posted [in part] the folowing statement:

       "...This is indeed VERY confusing..."  

 

And in the TRAINS Newswire of this date, The following story
"Founder of CEDCo calendar company found dead in Thailand"

By Wayne Laepple | October 13, 2016

 

FTA:"...BANGKOK, Thailand — The body of Charles E. Ditlefsen, whose CEDCo Publishing Co. calendars featured a variety of railroad subjects, was found dismembered in a freezer in Thailand. He disappeared in 2008.

Ditlefsen, who was born in Hungary, was a transportation planner in Marin County, Calif. News reports from Thailand say Ditlefsen may have been killed by a passport fraud ring, which used his documents to embezzle funds from his bank accounts.

He started CEDCo in the 1970s, producing high-quality color calendars. Initially, the calendars featured railroad scenes, but he later expanded his offerings to include autos, aircraft, film stars, and ships. By 2003, CEDCo had grown into a $20 million business. The company suddenly closed without explanation in 2005.

In 1995, he wrote and published "Those Magnificent Trains," a collection of photographs and text. Many of the photos in the book had been previously published in his calendars..."

 

As KJG Miller said "...This is indeed VERY confusing..."  [ A statement to reside in the annals of understatement! ]  and then he said "...Ditlefsen, who was born in Hungary..."  

 

  I did not know Mr. Dittlefsen, I am familiar with CEDCO's railroad callendars; just count me as just a curious, interested party... In the current 'Crazy Season' of strange decades old political shenanigans... endless 'murder porn' filling the dead times on the television.       It would be nice to have some rational, and non conflicting statements to put this man's life and time in some order.  

        Mr. Miller, If I remember correctly, said Mr. Dittlefsen was about 6'9 (?).  It would take a pretty large freezer to store a body of that diamension in it... Just seems like a tale that needs some ends tied up...

 

 

[erikem]

KJGMiller

This is indeed VERY confusing. I was quite good friends with Chuck - in fact he lived with us for several months in Oakland. I knew his father, too - and neither of them were Hungarian! His father, and Chuck, spoke of their Danish heritage.

The spelling of Ditlefsen is indeed Danish, though some Norwegians also use the "sen" versus the more common "son". FWIW, Swedes typically have used 'sson".

I remember reading the the early posts back in 2005 and taking a bit of time to check out the CEDCO website.

[KJGMiller]

DS5D

Well 10 years later, I just read of a disturbing development.

http://news.nationalpost.com/news/world/mystery-man-in-bangkok-freezer-identified-as-u-s-railway-executive-but-death-still-shrouded-in-mystery

 

trainnut57

Does anybody, especially in the San Rafael area, know what happend to Cedco Publishing? I ordered several RR calendars from them last month as I have since 1989, I have not yet received them and cannot contact them either by phone (two 800 numbers-neither one is valid) nor have they answered several e-mail inquiries. Are they out of business?

 

 

 

 

[quote user="DS5D"]

Well 10 years later, I just read of a disturbing development.

http://news.nationalpost.com/news/world/mystery-man-in-bangkok-freezer-identified-as-u-s-railway-executive-but-death-still-shrouded-in-mystery

 

trainnut57

Does anybody, especially in the San Rafael area, know what happend to Cedco Publishing? I ordered several RR calendars from them last month as I have since 1989, I have not yet received them and cannot contact them either by phone (two 800 numbers-neither one is valid) nor have they answered several e-mail inquiries. Are they out of business?

 

 

 

 

This is indeed VERY confusing. I was quite good friends with Chuck - in fact he lived with us for several months in Oakland. I knew his father, too - and neither of them were Hungarian! His father, and Chuck, spoke of their Danish heritage.

Furthermore, Chuck was at least 6'2" or more, probably more like 6'4". No way was he 178.5 cm, which is about 5'9". He also would have been at least mid-50s, agewise, as he was around my age.

And though I admittedly lost touch with Chuck a few years before CEDCO closed, I don't believe he was ever a railroad official in southern California. He did work at Amtrak for a bit, but that was clerical, and was in the Bay Area.

Last time I remember speaking with Chuck, he said he had gotten married, and in fact had two children.

So, what happened here? Was that his body? Was his identity stolen, and whoever stole it was the victim? And if that is the case, where is Chuck?

[tree68]

NorthWest

I'm really curious about the whole story here.

I suspect you're not the only one, and I'm not just talking about the folks here on the forum...

[NorthWest]

K. P. Harrier

It may be strange that this thread was mentioned by that news reporter, but I personally don’t read anything into it. The reporter probably did an Internet word search and found this thread, and being unfamiliar with Kalmbach, that find caught his fancy.

I just found it funny that after years of referencing articles in threads that an article referenced a thread. And then the thread referenced the article.

I'm really curious about the whole story here.

[K. P. Harrier]

NorthWest (10-5):

NorthWest

Strange that this thread was mentioned in the article... A bizarre situation all around.

It may be strange that this thread was mentioned by that news reporter, but I personally don’t read anything into it.  The reporter probably did an Internet word search and found this thread, and being unfamiliar with Kalmbach, that find caught his fancy.

I wonder, however, if Mr. Ditlefsen was married at the time, single, or maybe gay.  The fact that his business went to pot without him suggests, at least to me, he wasn’t married.

Best,

K.P.

[cozephyr]

trainnut57

Does anybody, especially in the San Rafael area, know what happend to Cedco Publishing? I ordered several RR calendars from them last month as I have since 1989, I have not yet received them and cannot contact them either by phone (two 800 numbers-neither one is valid) nor have they answered several e-mail inquiries. Are they out of business?

 

http://news.nationalpost.com/news/world/mystery-man-in-bangkok-freezer-identified-as-u-s-railway-executive-but-death-still-shrouded-in-mystery

Killed in Thailand - body kept on ice in freezer.  Unfortunate demise.

[caldreamer]

STOP PAYMENT ON THE SALE AS SOON AS IT SHOWS UP ON YOUR CREDIT CARD.  When he sees that the payment has been stopped, "IF" he is a repubable busiiness man he will contact you.  It is way too easy to get ripped off by credit card fraud these days.

[Bruce Kelly]

Prior details:

http://www.plainsite.org/dockets/wdycsh4b/superior-court-of-california-county-of-san-francisco/charles-e-ditlefsen-inc-v-dnp-america-llc-et-al/

When I last spoke with Charles, he said was in the process of launching a new, limited product line of calendars separately from Cedco, and that he had let go of Cedco (or had it taken from him). That, of course, was some years ago, and since then I had not heard another word about him or his business. Complete shock to find out what ultimately happened.

 

[samfp1943]

BaltACD

Truth can be stranger than fiction.    AMEN TO THAT!    Sounds lie a story for one of those evening television 'Murder Porn' shows...

 

[BaltACD]

Truth can be stranger than fiction.

[NorthWest]

Strange that this thread was mentioned in the article... A bizarre situation all around.

[DS5D]

Well 10 years later, I just read of a disturbing development.

http://news.nationalpost.com/news/world/mystery-man-in-bangkok-freezer-identified-as-u-s-railway-executive-but-death-still-shrouded-in-mystery

trainnut57

Does anybody, especially in the San Rafael area, know what happend to Cedco Publishing? I ordered several RR calendars from them last month as I have since 1989, I have not yet received them and cannot contact them either by phone (two 800 numbers-neither one is valid) nor have they answered several e-mail inquiries. Are they out of business?

 

[richardy]

I just ordered mine from calendars.com. They had them in stock and shipped them today.

[Murphy Siding]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Alaska_HO_Trains

I have notified The Marin County web mistress that supports CEDCO's web site that the company closed their doors by July 27, 2005, laid off fifty employees, ceased paying photographers and disconnected their 800 telephone number. This information can be found at http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA630041.html?display=breaking and http://www.pdn-pix.com/pdn/newswire/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001015830. I also got suspicious when I didn't hear from them after I placed an order in early October and sent three unanswered Emails. Since the 2006 calendars were printed in early 2005 they are in the stores already, having been released to the wholesaler before the closing of the company.

Just curious: Where are you in Alaska? Thanks

[Alaska_HO_Trains]

I have notified The Marin County web mistress that supports CEDCO's web site that the company closed their doors by July 27, 2005, laid off fifty employees, ceased paying photographers and disconnected their 800 telephone number. This information can be found at http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA630041.html?display=breaking and http://www.pdn-pix.com/pdn/newswire/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001015830. I also got suspicious when I didn't hear from them after I placed an order in early October and sent three unanswered Emails. Since the 2006 calendars were printed in early 2005 they are in the stores already, having been released to the wholesaler before the closing of the company.

[mikeyuhas]

From what we've heard, they've entered bankruptcy, although their calendars are available at some retail outlets, such as Barnes & Noble.

A Google search turns up articles like this one.

[richardy]

[#ditto] I talked to my wife, she ordered over a month ago through the website. No calendars and no charge to our CC yet.

She called the 800 number today and it was disconnected.[:(] I really loved the Santa Fe calendar.

[trainnut57]

Yes, I know the website is still up and even takes orders, but it's been over a month since I put my order in, including cc number and nothing. So far my card hasn't been charged, perhaps ndbprr's reply has merit-maybe it's not a rumor. They also don't respond to e-mails.

[ndbprr]

My local hiobby shop in CHicago said they had filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy but until someone can confirm that treat it as rumor.

[tree68]

The website is still up.

[richardy]

I received a catalog a couple of months ago. Circled the ones I want and gave it to my wife. I guess I won't know until Christmas if she received them since my birthday just passed and I did not receive one.

[beaulieu]

I heard that they decided to fight UP over the trademark issue, and it went to court.

[CShaveRR]

Now that you've mentioned it, we've usually been inundated with catalogs from them by this time. So far, nothing!

[espeefoamer]

They are still selling calendars in hobby shops in southern California. I have bought two of them so far.

[trainnut57]

Does anybody, especially in the San Rafael area, know what happend to Cedco Publishing? I ordered several RR calendars from them last month as I have since 1989, I have not yet received them and cannot contact them either by phone (two 800 numbers-neither one is valid) nor have they answered several e-mail inquiries. Are they out of business?