I recently purchased a new IHC 2-10-2 locomotive. The parts bag contained ladders to be installed on the back of the tender however there were two right side ladders and no left side. Additionally the plastic pilot truck was twisted such that only one wheel contacts the track. When I called IHC to request the missing ladder and a new truck I got a major run around. They did not believe that the plastic truck could have a problem. So they want me to ship the locomotive back to them. I must also write to request the missing ladder. All this for some small parts that could easily be sent to me. I don’t know that is worth the expense to send it back.
This has to be the most disappointing customer service I have experienced. Walthers, Atlas, BLI, etc. have been wonderful when there is a problem. Any others with a similar experience?
Now you know why their junk is so much cheaper then anyone else s products. If that we’re an Athearn product the parts would be shipped to you as soon as you got off the phone. I once had a warranty issue with and IHC and they would not pick up the postage which was half the price of what it cost in the first place. Took it to the next Greenberg show and the guy gave me my money back no questions asked.
Whoa…I wouldn’t call IHC engines junk. They may not be fancy, but they are dependable and solid engines that many posters here feel fortunate to have.
If IHC is giving you grief, ask the seller to intervene or to take it back. You should have some satisfaction.
Additionally, is it possible the axles are not seated properly in their receptacles?
Can the wheels be removed, the plastic heated and then weighted to press the truck back into true? I mention this draconian step only because you seem to be unwilling to do anything else about the matter that IHC finds acceptable.
It’s a sad matter of fact, it is often cheaper for a manufacturer to out right replace the entire said item then work on repairing it, or carrying spare parts (all inventory of which is taxable and at American technician wages)
So if they ask you to send in the loco, if it’s not a real quick fix, chances are they will replace the entire thing for you.
I know of several companies that seem to operate this way.
Now as to IHC, they may not be the most detailed, or historically accurate, but they are VERY reliable runners.
IHC is not even close to being equal to a Paragon2 with sound and DCC, because none of the IHC products are DCC and sound equipped. The steam engines I have all say “Mehano. Made in Slovenia” on the bottom. They have can motors and run very smoothly, but are not in the same league as a model costing three times more. I purchased their 2-10-2 and put a SoundTraxx Tsunami into it and it pulls very well because it is cast metal. I think this is the best engine IHC has ever sold.
There were reports earlier this year that Mahano had filed for bankruptcy, so I don’t know if they still make products for IHC.
“Whoa…I wouldn’t call IHC engines junk. They may not be fancy, but they are dependable and solid engines that many posters here feel fortunate to have.”
Calling them junk is being nice to them, their steam engines are kid stuff at best and their diesels well I had a GP38 from them I got as a gift from one of the kids, tried to run it the first time out of the box and noticed one set of wheels weren’t even on the rail, the Plastic frame was warped. I didn’t have the heart to tell him that it was a piece of junk he wasted his hard earned paper route money on. So I eventually swapped it out for a Proto that looked exactly the same but wasn’t. My wife has a saying “Crap is Crap” and thats what you get from IHC
The IHC locos were manufactured by Mehano. Their trains were of the supermarket-bargain kind, cheaply designed, but robustly built. Not so long ago, Mehano has closed down its European production by way of bankruptcy and moved it to China. What happens when cheap design meets cheap manufacturing with no QC at all, everyone can figure out for himself.
I’m sorry the original poster had a problem. I have 2 IHC Consolidations and a 4-8-2 that are smooth and solid runners - whisper quiet. Yes, the detail is cast on - some day I hope to use these as rebuild projects - put on new detail parts. When I bought them a 10 to 15 years ago they were very reasonably priced. Back then IHC locos had one great selling point - a nice running steam loco could actually afford!