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Catalog
Information
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Ordering by Internet (and using Acrobat Reader)
Ordering by U.S. Mail
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Introduction
The On-Line Catalog
Free Shipping & Options
Foreign Orders
Ordering a Paper Catalog
Trading Profiles
Trading Other Paper
Wants
Miscellaneous
Explanations
Abbreviations
Special Definitions
HOME

 
-ORDERING - via INTERNET

Quick summary of how to order on-line...  1).  Find what you want from the catalog pages listed on the main Index.-2).  Type what you want into an e-mail, or "copy" and "paste" items of interest into an e-mail.  3).  Send the e-mail.  4).  I will reply with the grand total and payment options.  5).  You send payment by check, money order, or PayPal.  ...That's it...

Once you e-mail your request to me, I will reply (usually within 24 hours, sometimes longer) to let you know if said items are still available, will give you a grand total, and will temporarily hold the item(s) until your payment arrives. The minimum you must order for this particular catalog is
no less than $20 for the free shipping to kick it. Orders under $20 will have a minimal shipping charge added, unless you ask for a pricier shipping option.  Check or money order is accepted, payable in my name:  Dave Cramer.  Also see the credit card option below. Wisconsin Residents must add 5.5% Sales Tax.

To maneuver around each page of the catalog (or catalog section), use the scroll bars along the lower right-hand corner of the Acrobat Reader window.  Don't forget that once you move beyond the first page, each new page may take a few moments to load.

Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express are accepted through PayPal.  Once you confirm availability of items by e-mail, all you need to do is click on the link in my e-mail ( or below ), and submit your order amount through this free credit card service provider via the Internet.  All you need to do is provide them with my e-mail address as the recipient of your funds, which is...

trainsite@aol.com

...and your credit card number.

PayPal

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I answer all e-mail as quickly as possible, but if you don't receive a reply within a day, then there's a reason beyond my control, be it family-related, personal leave, vacation, computer problem, heavy order filling period, etc...  Please be patient if this happens, for I will send a reply when possible.  Feel free to try again if you don't hear from me in a few days, in case of an e-mail glitch.

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-ORDERING - via U.S. MAIL
Either browse the catalog on your computer in the above described manner, or print the catalog (or portions of catalog you're interested in) from your printer.  Once you know what you want to order, simply print out and fill out the ORDER FORM (< click on link) if you wish to order by U.S. mail.  Send check or money order to the address provided on the form.  Refunds are made promptly for sold items.  If you want to reserve something in advance, or have any other questions not covered here, send an e-mail.

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-INTRODUCTION
Welcome to the on-line catalog of "Railroad Paper Collectibles"!  If you're new to the site, let me introduce myself...  I'm Dave Cramer, dealer of railroad book and paper artifacts, track charts, and engineering diagrams.  I've provided the railroad community in the US and abroad with a wide variety of book and paper railroadiana since 1991, more on a part-time basis these days due to health issues, but still in business.  I am not affiliated in any way, shape, or form with any railroad companies.

A typical example of items I sell would include employee & passenger timetables, freight schedules, tourist booklets, menus, postcards, magazines, published books, miscellaneous employee book & paper items, and many rare & unusual items.  While I sell those and many others, I specialize in engineering-related books and materials, much more so than other railroad items.  These engineering-related items would include track charts, condensed profiles, interlocking & signal diagram books, blueprints, station maps, locomotive & car diagram books, spotting code booklets, structure plans, track & signal standards, and misc. rail maps.

My primary specialty is in track charts, alignment charts, and condensed profiles.  For those of you unfamiliar with these, here is a brief description:  First of all, the above named items are basically three different names for the same format of map book, usually issued by railroad engineering departments.  Calling them by a single name, "track profiles", these tend to be far more detailed and all - encompassing than your average map, and are far more difficult to obtain than most other forms of railroadiana, since they are not issued as frequently, or made as available as other forms of railroad material.  Most are designed either in book format, or continuous strip ("fan-fold" book) format, with +/- 5-10 miles shown per page, and a railroad division or system highlighted per book.  The average scale would generally be about 1 inch = 1 mile, give or take, depending on the railroad.

Going into a little more detail, track profiles illustrate highly-detailed graphic and technical information dealing with railroad main, yard, and side tracks, branch lines, wyes, and interlockings, including details such as rail weight, speeds, grade percentages, degree of curvature, elevations, CTC & ABS territories, signals, stations, mileposts, ballast & tie maintenance, bridge types, road crossing locations, types of crossing protection, roundhouses and other facilities, trackage rights, abandoned lines, line changes, industry tracks, tunnels, detectors, drainage pipes, fiber-optic line locations, special yard schematic drawings, etc...

However (and this is the big "HOWEVER"), the amount, type, clarity, and quality of information, while generally very high, may vary greatly per chart or railroad, especially true for those issued by shortlines and regionals, based on the year of issue, and on the standards each railroad used for creating their profiles.  Most major railroads divided portions of their trackage into separate operating divisions, districts, and regions.  Each profile illustrates one of these territories, highlighting a specific area of trackage, covering a major portion of one or more states.

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-THE ON-LINE CATALOG
The entire railroadiana catalog that some of you receive by US mail is available on-line (via the Index page) in .pdf format, viewable with Abobe "Acrobat Reader".  Most of you should already have "Acrobat Reader" pre-installed on your computer (and you may not even know it).  All you have to do is click on the catalog links provided on the Index, and the catalog will automatically display within your browser window after a brief period of time (see Index page for details), without having to do anything.  If by chance for some reason you don't already have the free Adobe Acrobat Reader software, Go Here to download the latest free "Acrobat Reader".

Once the catalog is open, you should see a "Save" button and "Print" button along the upper left-hand side of the Acrobat Reader window.  Feel free to save the catalog to your hard-drive for browsing while off-line, or print a complete copy of the catalog for the same purpose.

The on-line and paper catalog will be updated every so often, as inventory changes occur.  If you would like to receive notice every time the catalog is updated, CLICK HERE and send a BLANK e-mail to the address that will appear, then follow the directions as prescribed by the FOLLOW-UP E-MAIL you should receive from Yahoo Groups.  If you don't receive the follow-up e-mail immediately after sending the blank e-mail, CHECK YOUR SPAM FOLDER, in case it accidentally ends up in there.  It's as easy as that.  You will then be notified each time the catalog is updated.  Please direct ALL OTHER E-MAIL PERTAINING TO ORDERS to my personal e-mail addresses (or click the mailbox icon at the bottom of page).

E-mail is never sent unsolicited, meaning that I do not participate in sending the dreaded "Spam".  This is a "SUBSCRIBERS ONLY" service!  The catalog update notice is sent to all subscribers who wish to receive the catalog updates.

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-FREE SHIPPING & OPTIONS
Shipping is free for orders over $20.  From the time your payment arrives, expect +/- 1 or 2 weeks for delivery, sometimes less, but usually about a week on average if you live across country from Wisconsin, and sometimes even longer, based on factors like heavy order filling periods for the special sale I am currently having, the holiday season, and where you live.  Delivery may take much longer on foreign orders, depending upon how fast you need it.  I don't take personal leaves or vacations very often, but when I do, the shipping time may also be longer than usual.  All orders are sent via U.S. Mail.  If you would like speedier service, you may request PRIORITY MAIL or EXPRESS MAIL, however you pay extra for shipping in those cases.  How much more depends upon the order weight, and your location (zip code).  Let me know your zip code when asking.  Refunds are mailed promptly for sold items.

All orders are sent with free "Delivery Confirmation" tracking.  Note that there are times when things get bogged-down in the USPS system.  If you ever need to know where your order is (if you live in the US), drop me an e-mail.  If you would like to use another USPS service such as Insurance, just ask, but they will cost you a little extra.

Barring any unusual circumstances (described above), note that most orders are usually filled within A FEW DAYS of payment, but during peak order periods during my special sale, and especially with VERY LARGE orders, it may take ONE WEEK OR SO, AFTER your payment arrives, for me to fill and ship the order.  Orders are not prepared prior to payment, since there have been several instances of people reserving items, and then not paying.

Foreign customers:  please read the column below for special ordering information.

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-FOREIGN ORDERS
The cost of shipping to foreign countries has jumped substantially in recent years.  I do not ship foreign orders as often as I used to, as they are a big hassle, but feel free to ask...  Due to a variance in the amount needed on foreign shipping charges based on weight, it is recommended that you reserve your items of interest first.  An invoice will be mailed to you at that time with the estimated shipping charges figured-in.  Please request either AIR MAIL, or SURFACE shipping (+/-4 to 8 weeks delivery).  Shipping charges for Air Mail may be substantial.  Once you receive the invoice, send payment in U.S. funds via PayPal. 

PayPal is by far the easiest and fastest way for you to pay on foreign orders, and it makes it easy for me to send you an instant refund for any overpayment on shipping.

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-ORDERING A PAPER CATALOG
The "On-line" catalog is free, but as for the printed "paper edition" that arrives in your mailbox via USPS, that is, if you wish to view the catalog in that fashion, that is not free...

A single "paper edition" of the current catalog issue is $3 (US only).  Subscriptions to the catalog are no longer offered.

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-TRADING PROFILES
Trading is no longer accepted for most items, with exception of certain track charts, signal and track diagram  books, freight schedules, and other misc. engineering diagram books which I do not currently have.  Please write, e-mail, or call.  I am very selective these days.

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-TRADING OTHER PAPER
Trading is no longer accepted for most items, with exception of certain track charts, signal and track diagram  books, freight schedules, and other misc. engineering diagram books which I do not currently have.  Please write, e-mail, or call.  I am very selective these days.

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-WANTS
Sorry.  "Wants" lists are no longer accepted.

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-MISCELLANEOUS
Just as an FYI:  This is strictly a Mail Order business, sorry, not a store.  No surprise drop-by visits are allowed.  Meetings can be arranged however for suppliers, and for those I give special permission.  There is a phone number listed below for your convenience, and by all means feel free to call if you wish, but if it's something that can wait, and not really that urgent, please send an e-mail instead.

Are you having trouble viewing the site?  Try the Google Chrome or Firefox browsers.  Click here for troubleshooting.

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-EXPLANATIONS
Here is a typical line you will see for one of the track profiles for sale:


CofGA 1953 MACON Div.......................(Wli,Xlbpc) (GA,AL)..151p...$30.

Here's a break-down of the above line...

CofGA = The name of the railroad in question, in this case meaning CENTRAL OF GEORGIA Railroad.

1953 = The date of issue of the original profile, also indicating the year of the trackage being profiled.  The date the profile was originally drawn may be several years earlier in some cases, but this date would indicate the latest revision.

MACON Div. = Name of the operating division (for CofGA) being profiled.  Older profiles tend to include many now - abandoned lines, and former track arrangements.

(Wli,Xlbpc) = Miscellaneous abbreviations which are explained below.

(GA,AL) = Abbreviations for portions of states included in this operating division.

151p = Number of pages.

$30 = Price, prior to any applicable discounts, if any apply.

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-ABBREVIATIONS
#x:    More than one of same item is available
Bfb:    Bi-fold booklet format
Bklt:    Booklet format
Bpc:    Bound photocopy
Bli:    Blueline ink
Br:    Branch
Cel:    Still in cellophane
Dist:    District
Div:    Division
Ff:    Fan-folded
Fr:    Fair
Gd:    Good
Hcs:    Heavy cover soil
Hcw:    Heavy cover writing
Inc:    Incomplete
Pr:    Poor
Li:    Limited information
Mcd:    Minor cover damage
Mcs:    Minor cover soil
Mcw:    Minor cover writing
Mt:    Mint
Nb:    No binder
Nec:    Near-complete
Nm:    Near mint
Org:    Original
Pb:   In plastic binder
Reg:    Region
Rrp:    Railroad-issued photocopy
Sc:    Scroll
Scd:    Severe cover damage
Sec:    Secondary
Spc:    Stapled photocopy
Vfp:    Very fine print
Vg:    Very good
Wli:    Whiteline ink
Xlbpc:    Large 11"x 17" bound photocopy

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-SPECIAL DEFINITIONS
Letter abbreviations for other paper items with special definitions are explained at the tops of each category, and may be different for each new category.

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Back to: Railroad Paper Collectibles.

Reminder...  Free shipping on all US orders.  Minimum order: $5.  Check or money order, payable in my name.  Wisconsin Residents add 5.5% Sales Tax.  If paying by mail, please use the ORDER FORM on the Main Index page, however it is not required.

To place an order by credit card, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express are accepted through PayPal.  Click on the link below, sign-up if not a member, and submit your order amount through this free credit card service provider.  You provide them with your credit card number, and my primary e-mail address ( trainsite@aol.com ). 

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PayPal
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IF PAYING BY U.S. MAIL, 
SEND ORDERS TO: 
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Dave Cramer 
2114 Sheridan Drive 
Madison, WI  53704 
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PHONE NUMBER: 
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1-608-622-0703
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E-MAIL:
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