All About Coupon Trains

[jezz]

I'd love to see more trad trains but it's really hit and miss on the quality, it just takes one person to be greedy while also leaving....ummmm..."bad" (using pg rated words) coupons in return. I loved the ones just before summer which were huge and you had a choice to keep your envie or keep going. People posted their wishlists under about me and did their best to put in what the next person might like! I received oodles of great coupons, Hv and fpc's ....and gave out loads too!

J

[FallenPixels]

You can generally tell by the other members on the train and conductors too

[icyjess]

quick question, how do u change the prefix to full ?????

[FallenPixels]

Edit > Advanced Edit and it will be in the options there

[icyjess]

edit > advanced edit and it will be in the options there

thank you :d

[tmlskk01]

I have a somewhat random question, how much should you expect to spend on postage for a traditional train as a passenger?

[K8's Fate]

I have a somewhat random question, how much should you expect to spend on postage for a traditional train as a passenger?

It really depends on the size of the train. A traditional train carrying few coupons may only be 1 "p" stamp to send. However, a larger traditional train with a lot of tearpads may cost a lot more to send. Most conductors request envies to be weighed and sized by CP to ensure they have sufficient postage.

[FallenPixels]

I would bank on 3 stamps (or a $1.22 one) and be happy if its less
http://www.canadapost.ca/cpo/mc/pers...prices2012.jsf has the rates for each weight/size.
you are also better off using a bigger envie and spreading them as it has to fit through a slot to be standard mail

[ErinsMom]

I have rode dozens of traditional trains, never only one P stamp ($.61) to send. One P stamp would be prob less than 20 coupons, a very very small train. I'd be very disappointed if I received a trad train that could be mailed for 1 P stamp.
Some can be sent for $1.29 (50-100g) but most will cost $2.10 (100-200g).
Don't guess, best bet is to always have it weighed at the post office to avoid having it sent back & holding up the train. (or be anal like me & buy your own postage scale for about $25- worth it for me, saves so much time).

[cherielake]

I have rode dozens of traditional trains, never only one P stamp ($.61) to send. One P stamp would be prob less than 20 coupons, a very very small train. I'd be very disappointed if I received a trad train that could be mailed for 1 P stamp.
Some can be sent for $1.29 (50-100g) but most will cost $2.10 (100-200g).
Don't guess, best bet is to always have it weighed at the post office to avoid having it sent back & holding up the train. (or be anal like me & buy your own postage scale for about $25- worth it for me, saves so much time).

I have done the same (bought a scale to weigh my envies at home)
Most trains I have been on were/are 3 - 4 stamps to send.

[ErinsMom]

If you ride alot of trains invest in a supply of $.07 stamps. I usually buy 20 at a time.

For envies that require $1.29 postage (most VWT train envies I find) use 2 X $.61 & a $.07.
Amazing how quickly the savings add up- don't throw away your money by giving the extra postage to CP when you use 3 X $.61 stamps.

You save $.54 every time you use the $.07 vs adding a full extra stamp.

[FallenPixels]

If you are using your own scale, and it is close to the weight for that postage, it is a good idea to have it weighed at the PO
I had a heavier envie returned for insufficient postage despite getting it weighed there and they said I had to repackage it with new postage as it was already postmarked. I gave them my receipt from the PO, they apologized and sent it on

[tmlskk01]

Thanks everyone, I went in friday to send a train off and they said it would be 14.00!! I said no way and left and went to another post offive and it was 3 something after they had me open the envie and re-adjust things to it fit through the slot-tester thing.

[FallenPixels]

Yep, flattening the envies out really helps, even if you have to buy a bigger envie there

[creative couponer]

I totally agree on my blessing trains which are VWT everyone knows who gave them which coupons and which ones I gave and alot of riders are very generous and like to be rated for being very generous on my VWT's

I can say on my trains if I fix a small error I always still send the original coupon with a little sticky note saying what I fixed so the receiving rider still knows what was originally sent. My riders always know where mistakes were made & it would be their decision how to rate that rider.

If there are numerous mistakes that rider is removed from the train & whatever coupons were sent in for her are returned to the original owner. Again all riders will know who made the mistakes. I believe most experienced conductors run their trains this way.

Most WVL trains as far as I know keep the coupons separated, when I receive my final envie I know exactly who sent what so I can rate them appropriately. The only exception I have been seeing lately are some trains where everyone throws X number of coupons into the pot & the conductor mixes them up & sends everyone back a mixed envie of new coupons. I haven't rode on these trains, but I would think in this case each rider shouldn't be rating each other becasue no one really knows what each rider sent in.

...I can see all sides & all arguements for this. But in my mind the more info I can gather on a rider the better. I just think if it's reduced to only conductors leaving ratings there will be much less info out there for us to go by when deciding to ride trains.

In regards to the trade rater options...I think the choices we have already separate the types of trades/trains. If I look up a rider I can clearly see which ones were for one on one trades, which ones came from train conductors & which ones came from train passengers.