New N Scale Coupler Announced! NZT

[DKS]

The patent has been accepted by the US Patent and Trademark office, so the design is now patented. The name has also been accepted and is now officially a registered trademark. The patent and trademark have both been filed overseas (the latter not being planned, but a costly consequence of "friendly" competition). In hindsight, however, I wish I'd not connected a date--even just a year--with the coupler's announced release. At the outset I thought 2.5 years was enough time to get the thing into production, but if there's any "law" associated with a new product introduction, it's that things always take longer than expected. So many unforeseen setbacks have arisen: a very long patent process, multiple health issues, and worst of all, a stalled new house project. I'm beginning to regret choosing to build new on raw land in New Jersey; it's the most challenging, unfriendly, and maddening process imaginable--particularly when it comes to the Department of Environmental Protection, a vastly overpowered, understaffed, incompetent and downright dangerous bureaucracy. Without going into too much detail, I've had to hire a waste management engineer to determine if I can even build my home, while half of my life sits in storage. I've been tempted more than a few times to just throw in the towel and go live in a trailer...

All of which is to say, it's coming, just painfully slowly.

[ljudice]

I hear you...  We had our underground oil tank removed - voluntarily - several years back.  All went well, but when the tank came up,
there were two pinholes in the bottom.  The contractor, who was excellent had to call the DEP, who sent state and county inspectors.
And fire engines.  And haz-mat emergency response vehicles.

(In an odd coincidence, the Bing imagry of our house was taken as our driveway was filled with fire engines and haz-mat trucks.  See
it here:  http://binged.it/1xGDrQO   

At the end of the day preliminary tests showed no leakage - none. The reason was that there was so much sludge at the bottom nothing
leaked out.  Final tests confirmed this.  All was well....

Until three years later we received a letter from the DEP asking for $3000 to close the case.  Turned out there was some sort of new rule
that turned every opened case into a toxic disaster site without a case closing fee. And it was made RETROACTIVE to older, cold
cases.  Our lawyer told us to just pay it, but that it was essentially blackmail.

I feel for the DEP workers - they are absurdly understaffed - and work for idiots.

- Lou

[DKS]

...and work for idiots.

I can confirm this. At a meeting to discuss the development of another property of mine a while back, the "experts" present were at a loss as to explain a "feature" on the land that ran dead straight across the middle. After 45 minutes of speculation, a secretary noted that the owner (me) was in attendance, who might shed some light on this huge mystery. (The secretary was perhaps the brightest DEP employee there.) When I told them it was an old fire break, I may as well have uttered some pig Latin gibberish, as no less than seven environmental specialists stared at the ceiling with narry a clue what a fire break was. One insisted it was a drainage ditch, whereupon I presented a photo showing large berms on both sides of the ditch, and asked him to explain how it could possibly drain anything. Another claimed it was a natural feature--I had to bite my tongue to keep from bursting out in laughter. Curious how that "natural" feature runs in a dead straight line for miles, crossing roads and streams, as can be seen in satellite photos.

The bottom line is, these people have one mission in life: to ensure they continue receiving a paycheck, in spite of a total dearth of pertinent knowledge or any inclination to actually protect the environment.

[daniel_leavitt2000]

That's rough. We live next to a small brook and all out land is more considered wetland. If the house ever burned down, we would not be able to rebuild.

[Kisatchie]

That's rough. We live next to a small brook and all out land is more considered wetland. If the house ever burned down, we would not be able to rebuild.

Hmm... at least you'd
have plenty of water to
put the fire out...

[VonRyan]

DKS, my Uncle works for the DEP and he has told me some of the absurdity that goes on there. The sad paper is that even some with an intelligence cannot fix it, even from within.
They are an over-funded organization with more incompetency than I thought possible.

[JoeW]

Stick with it David
You will get there, until then I am looking forward to your future success with the coupler project! 

[sizemore]

Does this mean we finally get to see the design?!?! You know you wanna!


The S.

[wcfn100]

Does this mean we finally get to see the design?!?! You know you wanna!


The S.

No need to ask, it's all public record now.

Jason

[MichaelWinicki]

Craig has addressed this.  There wouldn't be a cost savings, so there is no reason for another SKU.

Jason

One thing that could be done is offer the trucks, without the wheelsets.

[Blazeman]

Sad story Dave. Same kind of thing goes on in the town I live in. Borough fathers do their darndest to discourage industry and service jobs from coming in to employ residents and generate tax revenues. Then taxes are raised on residents because more revenues are needed.

[sirenwerks]

No need to ask, it's all public record now.

As a fed I can attest to the fact that documentation going public is not always instantaneous.  Was that diplomatic enough...?

[davefoxx]

Does this mean we finally get to see the design?!?! You know you wanna!


The S.

http://www.model160.com/n-scale-news-blog/nzt-announces-new-n-scale-coupler/

Hope this helps,
DFF

[Smike]

Friend of mine retired recently from the NJ DEP. He flat out said since NJ was very close to being the first state to have 100% build out (meaning all of the land zoned for development would be developed) and that his agency was overly focused (complete overkill) on the few undeveloped properties that remained (such as yours) It makes NJ about as developer unfriendly as it gets.

Being from a home builder family I can sympathize greatly to the struggles of building from undeveloped land. That experience is the reason I would never take on such effort. (even in PA) Life it too short. Good luck, and I hope you catch a break.

[wcfn100]

As a fed I can attest to the fact that documentation going public is not always instantaneous.  Was that diplomatic enough...?

As someone who's read through the documentation, I can assure you it's there. 

Jason