BT Trains - Seattle

[rpierce000]

####### Moderator note ########

 

Saddly Bob Peirce passed away In 2012 and BT trains is no longer in business.

 

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This topic is for anyone and everyone who wishes to communicate with BT Trains.

 

Our emails are bob@bttrains.com and sales@bttrains.com and are monitored most of the time.

 

Our phone numbers are 360-638-1377 or 1-800-407-9556. Please only call between 9AM and 9PM, we have children we have to get to school and put to bed. The phone does ring ONLY in the house, not in the warehouse, so if you do not get an answer, please leave a message and we will get back to you ASAP.

 

We are physically located on the northern tip of the Kitsap Peninsula, across Puget Sound from Seattle in a little town called Kingston. It is actually in unicorporated Kitsap County, but everyone calls it a town. (Except developers, they call it a developing city) We do NOT have a brick and mortar storefront, we have a web presence at www.bttrains.com. We also put a selection of our items up on eBay to draw people to the web site, but the site prices are lower, we do not have to collect eBay fees.

 

You can also send rpierce000 (That is the Bob here and the B of BT Trains) a private message here on the board.

 

If you reply to this topic, that is the LEAST likely way to be heard, so BT Trains STRONGLY suggests you use one of the above methods instead.

 

If you wish to discuss some topic that you fell will be of use to other JNS members, please start another topic. I will jump in if I feel I can offer something useful. If you want to draw me in, send me a PM.

 

Thank you for buying from BT Trains and we look forward to seeing you as we finish our first year in business. Our birthday is 3/1/2012, there will be some special deals that day.

 

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BT Trains will be getting its first major shipment of materials in late June. To celebrate this we are going to run a contest.

 

The rules are simple:

 

Submit an advertising banner, 728 by 90 pixels, containing at LEAST BT Trains name and URL, www.bttrains.com. Send your submission to bob@bttrains.com with the subject: BANNER CONTEST. We will evaluate the banners as to how well we think they will draw customers, artistic merit, etc. Animation, sound and anything else that you can think of to go into a banner are fair game. By submitting the banner you grant BT Trains the right to use it, even if you are not picked as a winner.

 

First Prize: a $50 gift certificate at www.bttrains.com

Second Prize: a $25 gift certificate at www.bttrains.com

Third Prize: at $10 gift certificate at www.bttrains.com

 

All participants will receive a $1 coupon for each submission deemed usable for advertising.

 

THE DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS IS JUNE 30th, 2011 at midnight, pacific time (BT Trains is in the Seattle area). We will announce winners no LATER than July 8th, 2011. If you have won you will be contacted by email with your prize. Winners will also be announced in this thread.

 

Good luck to all, we look forward to your submissions.

Edited May 19, 2016 by cteno4

[rpierce000]

Our June shipment has arrived!

 

We now have over 200 pieces of Tomix Track, 70+ GreenMax kits and several new trains in stock. Please take a look!

 

www.bttrains.com

 

In order to entice you to try us we are, for JNS forum members ONLY, posting this code: OY010Y4GX. This will provide free shipping on orders over $50 on Japanese items. This will be any item listed under Japanese Prototypes on the menu in the upper left.

 

We look forward to seeing you there. If you need further information please contact us at info@bttrains.com

[The_Ghan]

Bob,

 

I just had a glance at your website and wished that you were down here in Sydney.  Top job mate.  If I was State-side I'd be buying from you.  I think your prices are pretty competitive, especially when shipping is taken into account.

 

I wish you all the best and hope the Tomix line really works for you.

 

Cheers

 

The_Ghan

[Krackel Hopper]

hey hey,

 

Just placed my order - getting the mini & supermini track I need for the project party next month.

 

Most of the track I need anyway.. looks like stuff is already selling out.

[David]

JNS forum members covers a lot of countries...surely there must be some restriction on the free shipping offer? Continental US only? 50 US states and Canada?

[rpierce000]

Thank you Krackle! Your items shipped today. I would appreciate a review here when you get them.

 

Yes, the free shipping is to the USA only, I should have made that clearer.  Apologies. I will take $10 off of overseas shipping orders. Please email me for that, do not use the coupon.

[KenS]

I just received an order for some Tomix Fine Track from BTTrains, so I'll make a few comments.  This is my second order from them, although the first was done before the new website was really operational, so this is my first chance to comment on the whole process.  Overall, I'm pretty happy with the store and the results.  But it wouldn't be a fair review if I didn't lay all the cards on the table and let you judge for yourself.

 

For the record, I'll note that I have no vested interest in BTTs business, I'm merely a satisfied customer.

 

I needed some Tomix Fine Track for my Urban Tram module, and ordered the parts they had in stock from BTT.  I placed a second Fine Track order with Hobby Search for a number of items not in stock at BTT.  The two orders were roughly similar in size (HS was probably a bit larger actually).

 

The first downside is that BTT just doesn't have the stock that HS does. I needed a couple of oddball things, plus some S140 and S280 Fine Track that wasn't in stock (BTT had the 10-pack of S280, but I didn't need that much). So this meant I had to make two separate orders, and it might ultimately have been advantageous to make a single larger order with HS (the incremental add on shipping may be smaller, although EMS shipping costs tend to rise rapidly, so that's not a given).

 

The two websites are also similarly easy to use. I think I like HS slightly better (more items per screen), but both provide feedback on "in stock" on the list view (BTT by removing the order button). BTT lacks a quantity on the list view (it's shown on the detail view), but so does HS (MBKlein however shows quantity on the list view, which I really like).  However when I tried to place an order for 2 of something they only had one of, it did give me a useful error and let me correct it.  Overall a very similar and easy experience, and a plus to BTT for a much smoother integration with Paypal and not having to wait 2-3 days to make the payment.

 

I compared HSs prices (in dollars) to the prices on BTT prior to actually placing the orders.  In general because HS discounts to 89.3% of the list price (don't ask me why it's not simply 90 percent) there is a net 11.89% higher cost from BTTrains.  HS also awards points which equate to a future discount at 2.93% of the purchase price.  That's a net 15.7% higher cost for BTTrains before shipping, not counting the Paypal tax on foreign currency (their difference from the standard exchange rate, which I neglected to figure out when making the HS payment). So that probably amounts to around $12 higher cost for BTT on a $100 order.

 

My shipping for BTT would have been $15 except for it being waived due to use of the discount code from earlier in this thread. Shipping for the HS order was 3200 yen, or about $39.72 for EMS shipping. My BTT order totaled around $150, so I probably paid about $18 more than HS up front. Meaning I would have been slightly ahead even had I paid for shipping, and I was net in the black by about $21 as it was. Even if the HS shipping was higher than the exact same order would have been, I'd probably break even paying for shipping.

 

BTT shipped insured, signature-required, USPS priority in a corrugated cardboard box, with items individually wrapped in bubble wrap with some packing peanuts to fill out the spaces.  Very similar to HSs usual shipping, which uses crumpled paper instead of peanuts but is otherwise similar (and EMS is delivered by the USPS with signature required).  If there's one complaint to make, it's that HS generally uses a larger box with more padding (paper), which provides some benefit against damage that penetrates the cardboard box (which happens surprisingly often).  However the two are close in level of protection, so that's something of a nit.

 

HS also takes about 6-7 days from order to arrival (including the delay for packing and payment).  I placed my BTT order Sunday and had the package delivered today (Wednesday).

 

BTW, I placed an MBKlein order Sunday night too (it's a busy week here).  It shipped a day later than BTT, and also shipped USPS priority, but it was slightly smaller (postage was $6.25).  It hasn't yet arrived but will probably show up tomorrow.

 

So, for things they have in stock BTT is competitive with HS, and probably even a bit ahead, at least if you use EMS as I do (it's going to vary by individual order, of course). And it's much faster (something I value as I'm impatient), and even faster than MBKlein (which is on the same coast as me, not the other side of the country).  I'll certainly be using them again.

[The_Ghan]

Hey KenS,

 

HS is charging me Y4500 to ship the Kato 0-2000 Series Shinkansen complete 16 cars 10-453 and 10-454.  For the 10 car E5, which comes in three separate boxes, they only charged me Y4000. That's shipping to Sydney.  The last time they charged me Y4500 for shipping was for Y65,000 worth of Tomix track.  Shipping costs are escalating.  Might improve confidence to buy locally.

 

Just a thought ...

 

Cheers

 

The_Ghan

[cteno4]

I also ordered a few greenmax buildings from BT Trains last week using the free shipping order. I found a particular green max high rise set (the 46-8 odd part set) that has been OOS most places most of the time for a long while here. pretty much the same experience as Ken. also i have no business relationship with them except interacting with bob here on the list.

 

$17.50 at bt, $15.60 at HS (but not in stock for a long time). shipping from hs would be about $12 sal, it was $15 priority at bttrains  (but free with the coupon offered below). so it would have been a tad more expensive to order thru bt trains, but the priority mail shipment made it all the way cross country in 4 days. order went out in 1-2 days after ordering, so much faster than 2 week sal wait if i was the impatient type.

 

so bt is a tad more expensive than hs (or other japanese sources), it does afford closer to ems shipping time, insurance, tracking/security for almost SAL prices. while it may be hard for them to ever reach hs breadth of inventory, but for the quick needs for the more advanced modelers its nice to have this option now. i see this to be really good for the newbies who really want a us source for the main stay products to get started and expand and not get ripped off!

 

so im happy we now have another local supplier to pass on to folks wanting a us based japanese train source that has reasonable prices!

 

cheers

 

jeff

[rpierce000]

I just got a large box of small parts in for Tomix trains. If you have been looking for a coupler, pantograph or motor for a Tomix unit, please ask!  It will take me awhile to get all of these photographed and up on the site, www.bttrains.com, so if you want it ASK! I believe we now have MOST of the couplers, pantographs and motors for Tomix. We bought for breadth not depth so this is a first come, first serve sale.

 

Bob

bob@bttrains.com

[rpierce000]

The disadvantage to the moving bus system has been its lack of expansion. NO MORE! 

 

The 70mm straight track (s-001) comes in packs of six for $13.25 plus shipping from Seattle!

 

Drop me a note, the systems went faster than I could get them. I will be putting them up on the site in a few days, but I try to give you guys some advance notice.

Bob

bob@bttrains.com

[brill27mcb]

This is a great service, Bob!

 

Rich K.

[Bernard]

Thanks, Bob! This is one area in Japanese Model RRing that is sometimes difficult....to find replacement parts!

[cteno4]

bob,

 

thanks this will be a help!

 

jeff

[rpierce000]

I have all four packs, the four car train with track, the two car train extension, extra straight track and the curved and straight pack. The curved pack makes a 180 degree turn plus a straight run equal to the straight pack for only 50% more than the straight pack, that is the better track deal.

 

All of the track is laminated from two pieces of plastic, an inside and an outside. Each pylon holds two tracks in parallel and all of the track packages are for this dual track configuration, exactly like the prototype.

 

I have not heard of any switches or motors at this time.

 

There will be fully assembled and painted versions of the train itself available from GreenMax around Christmas.

 

As usual I am posting the information for JNS members before I put the items up on the site, www.bttrains.com, so that you have first shot at them.  I expect these to disappear like the bus systems did.

 

Email me at bob@bttrains.com if you are interested in more details.

[Hobby Dreamer]

Thanks a lot Bob!

 

I like the idea of fully assembled..  it would be great to have a working monorail but its also a great bit of scenery!! 

 

Rick

[rpierce000]

I cannot imagine that SOMEONE is not going to motorize one of these pretty soon as a kitbash. I would even expect a commercial motorization after the GreenMax release, but that is a guess/hope, I have no inside information.

 

The cars are not very big, about 2/3rds the length of a commuter car.

 

Bob

[keitaro]

the cars match almost with the ginza or the tgw kiha 40000 as an fyi

[rpierce000]

If you have not already signed up for the BT Trains Newsletter, the second edition will be coming out in about a week. When it does it will contain at least two and maybe more VALUABLE COUPONS that will save you some $$$ at www.bttrains.com. So go towww.bttrains.com and register for the newsletter. At www.bttrains.com you will find the registration in the lower left of the home page and many other pages.

 

I hope to tell MailChimp (yes, that is the name of the program we use to send out our newsletters at www.bttrains.com) to send on the 12th, so sign up NOW!

 

If you have any problems at www.bttrains.com please email me at bob@bttrains.com.

 

Thank you,

Bob Pierce

BT Trains

[The_Ghan]

Bob,

 

I like your site.  It's a bummer you're not Sydney based.  I'm subscribing to your newsletter anyway!

 

Cheers

 

The_Ghan

[rpierce000]

As some of you do not subscribe to the BT Trains newsletter, (why is that anyway? I try to make it interesting...) here are the new discount codes for now until 12/31/2011

 

$5 off any order over $75 YBG7D7BJO25Y

 

$10 off any order over $150 M79MQ9SJP1

 

$25 off any order over $300 H5BK889D6JT

 

$100 off any order over $1000 S68EN258HSB

 

And remember there are 1.3 CUBIC METERS of trains coming on the 4th of December. Most of the items will be posted ahead of time.

 

Thank you to all of you who have supported BT Trains in our first year, we would not be here without you!

[David]

There is a newletter?

 

(yes, that is why there are few subscribers. Is it mentioned in some flashy banner thing we've all been programmed to ignore on webpages?)

[Hobby Dreamer]

As some of you do not subscribe to the BT Trains newsletter, (why is that anyway?

 

I subscribed but would not if I did not know you from here... Be good if you had a waiver that our emails won't be sold etc..  For me that is always a concern...

 

Cheers

Rick

[rpierce000]

The newsletter is NOT in some flashy thing, just a two line simple invite on the lower left side.

 

Maybe I need it to be flashier.

 

I will try to add a privacy policy. Does ANYONE reputable sell your emails anymore?

 

Bob

[cteno4]

Does ANYONE reputable sell your emails anymore?

 

Bob

 

Yes you would be surprised! Always good to have a clear and simple privacy statement.  Usually the longer they are the more likely they have some plans for your email address.

 

Jeff