Model Train Journal

https://www.reddit.com/r/modeltrains/co ... _products/

Apparently, and this site "claims" their website states this, "functional" can mean they looked at the unit and believed it would run fine.
Would be hilarious if not so sad.

I do laugh (out loud) at the apparently phony testimonials on their individual evilbait listings.

I have bought quite a few items from Trainz. Most back when they started and prices were not in the Stratosphere. They do have a liberal return policy. I have only had to return one item that was not what I ordered. A few arrived in less than as advertised condition but were easily fixed and the price was well below average. Interactions with some staff I will keep to myself. Most are friendly and courteous though.

Pete

My biggest problem with Trainz, and this is only in the last couple of years, is damage incurred while in shipment, or possibly when it's being packed prior to shipment. A response of "Okay, just send it back to us" is poorly received when it's an item you really wanted.

They are definitely hit or miss, I've noticed lately, they tend to through a high buy it now price one and then after a few cycles they drop it and so on. There is a partial All Nation 4-4-2 that is now down to $42 lol. But it is missing all the valve gear and has a hulk of an IMP tender with it. but still if they get down low enough it will sell. That said, after going to a few shows lately, you can get much better deals on similarly incomplete or project level stuff at shows than on the bay....Although I did get lucky in snagging an aluminum shell Alco DL109 for $50 a while back so still have to waste some time keeping an eye out lmao.

Their site search tool seems flawed; sometimes tough to find something you might be interested in without scrolling through all of it. Haven't tried lately; maybe they've reworked it (or the keywords I'm using are flawed, but I don't think so).

TrainZ has grown to hire a lot of non-train people who are clueless to what they list on ebay. Case in point. A common as dirt Lionel Geep repainted to resemble the sought after postwar Milwaukee orange cab geep variation. Even though it's noted to be a repaint in the description, it' gets listed as "scarce" and TCA "excellent" condition. Truely, if they knew anything about the TCA, they would know the TCA has grading standards for restored headed by "R" not "C'. They misrepresent postwar in this manner quite often. The fact that the TCA hasn't taken steps to ban Griggs and his clown brigade from the association tells me a lot about TCA's integrity.