After two days of running around on my layout the locomotive died and would not restart and it shorted out my power supply. The next day it would run for a few inches and die and would not restart. Due to the third driver floating, its flange would creep up to the top of the rail and derail and throw the locomotive off of the track and it would fall to the floor. I got lucky and caught the locomotive before it hit the floor! Every time it went around a curve, it would derail. This is a common occurrence as other modelers have had the same problems. BLI has yet to reply to my email.
Very nice model. Well detailed, great, up to date plastic casting. SP lighting features work well. All DCC functions work correctly and decoder programmed road number address correctly on first try. Very pleased with this model overall.
Customers have reported increasing rates of “porch pirate” package thefts. Extend™ Shipping Protection replaces any lost, damaged, or stolen packages, and we recommend adding this protection to your order. FDH is unable to recover lost, damaged, or stolen packages that are not covered by Extend™ Shipping Protection.
Laser-Cut Kit Palace Linderhof The Palace Linderhof, the smallest of Ludwig II of Bavaria's three castles, was built between 1869/1870 and 1886 in the municipality of Ettal in the Ammergau Alps. It is considered the favourite castle of the ‘Fairytale King' and was the only one to be completed during his lifetime. Immerse yourself in this fairytale world of kings and empresses. Create your own perfect world and escape from the dreary reality by exploring the model, just like King Ludwig II himself once did.
The History of Palace Linderhof Linderhof Castle was built on the site of a simple hunting lodge belonging to Ludwig II's father, Maximilian II. In its construction and furnishings, Linderhof reflects Ludwig II's admiration for French absolutism and Louis XIV in particular. The buildings and interiors are designed in the neo-Rococo style and depict scenes from life at the court of Versailles. The surrounding palace park, a mixture of formal baroque garden and English landscape garden, was laid out between 1874 and 1880. From the mid-1870s, Ludwig II spent the winter months at Linderhof. It was from here that he undertook his famous night-time sleigh rides. He also returned to Linderhof in the summer to undertake mountain excursions from here. Ludwig II was able to carry out his governmental duties dutifully at this time, but created a retreat for himself, particularly at Linderhof Palace, where he could feel like an absolutist king. This counter-world became a refuge from the parliamentarism and industrialization of the 'founding era'. In Ludwig II's later years, Linderhof also reflected his alienation from reality. After Ludwig II's death in 1886, the palace was opened to the public and attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors every year. It stands as a testament to Ludwig II's eccentric personality and his romanticised ideas of royalty and power.
Exterior Architecture and Statues Palace Linderhof combines elements of 18th century French pleasure palaces with Bavarian rococo motifs. The French Marly Palace and elements of Nymphenburg Palace, especially the Amalienburg, are considered to be sources of inspiration. Despite or perhaps because of these influences, it is a unique building in its overall structure. Remarkably, the palace was built mainly of wood and clad in plaster, using local resources and labour. The façades are richly decorated with limestone and cast zinc statues. The main gable shows the coat of arms of the Kingdom of Bavaria, flanked by two Fama figures with a trombone and personifications of agriculture, trade, science and industry. An Atlas statue with a globe, decorated with the twelve signs of the zodiac, crowns the pediment. Overall, the programme of figures glorifies Bavaria's glory, estates, virtues and achievements in science, business and art.
In order to experience this special feature in the model, all the statues were modelled individually in three dimensions. The components are 3D-printed and primed to match the colour of the façade. None of the statues are the same; even the four atlases above the main entrance, which appear identical at first glance, differ on closer inspection, for example in the way they hold their arms and tilt their heads.
2025 - a special year for Linderhof Palace! Linderhof Palace is one of the most magnificent buildings ever built by King Ludwig II of Bavaria. With its magnificent architecture, ornate interiors and impressive gardens, it has delighted visitors from all over the world for generations. The uniqueness of this place, its historical significance and its cultural value have never been in doubt - and in 2025 this was finally officially recognized:
Update on July 12, 2025: Congratulations! It's done - Linderhof Castle has been officially inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List! A well-deserved place on the World Heritage stage, which we celebrate with great joy and pride.
The Figures Set The kit comes with an exclusive figure set consisting of King Ludwig II of Bavaria, Empress Elisabeth ‘Sisi', two horses, a boy, Richard Wagner and two swan statues. It is said that King Ludwig II and ‘Sisi' had a close friendship. Sisi was Ludwig II's aunt, eight years his senior, but Ludwig II called her ‘cousin'. Both shared similar traits and interests. For example, they both enjoyed horseback riding, probably together on several occasions. They were also united by their enthusiasm for art. In particular, both revered Richard Wagner." In 1864, Ludwig II brought the heavily indebted Richard Wagner to his court. He took over his debts and supported Wagner financially. Wagner's operas ‘Tannhäuser', ‘Lohengrin', ‘Tristan und Isolde' and ‘Rheingold' were centred around mythical legends such as the medieval legend of the Grail and the Ring of the Nibelungs. Ludwig II lost himself in these mythical worlds and sought to escape from reality. Ludwig II himself liked to identify himself with the swan knight from Lohengrin. As the swan was the heraldic animal of his ancestors, the Counts of Schwangau, and thus also gave his Neuschwanstein Castle its name, the swan became Ludwig II's trademark. Ludwig II had a Venus grotto built in Linderhof, where he also had swans herded to feed them. Statues and figures of swans adorned Ludwig II's palaces. The two miniature swan statues can be placed in front of the entrance to Linderhof Palace, for example. All figures in the set are 3D colour-printed and highly detailed.
The Laser-Cut Kit Palace Linderhof on a scale of 1:87, H0 The NOCH development team spent over a year developing the Laser-Cut Kit Palace Linderhof. It consists of 1,007 laser-cut parts. These parts are cut from special laser-cut cardboard and some are engraved. The kit is supplemented by 113 individually modelled 3D printed parts of statues, ornaments and decorations. The model therefore corresponds perfectly to the original. The scope of delivery includes the exclusive, eight-part Figures Set, consisting of the figures of King Ludwig II of Bavaria, Empress Elisabeth ‘Sisi', Richard Wagner, two horses, a boy and two swan statues. Special Laser-Cut Adhesive and detailed building instructions are included with the model kit.
Contents: Laser-cut kit with 3D printed parts 8-piece 3D color print figure set King Ludwig II of Bavaria Detailed instructions Laser-Cut special glue
Dimensions: 46.3 x 41.8 cm 18.3 cm high
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Refund Policy
Return & Refund Policy
Effective October 1, 2025
Factory Direct Hobbies has a 30-day return policy, which means you have 30 days after your item has shipped to request a return.
To be eligible for a return, your item must be in the same condition that you received it and in its original packaging. All manuals, parts, and accessories must be included.
To start a return, visit our Returns Center. If your return is approved, we'll email you instructions on how and where to send your package. Items sent back to us without first requesting a return will not be accepted and will be returned to sender.
Defective or Damaged Items
If your product is defective, damaged, or we made an error, you can return it at no cost.
Whenever possible, defective items are routed directly to the distributor for credit. If that’s not an option, items may be returned to Arden as a fallback.
Refunds are issued to your original payment method. If the original method is unavailable, store credit will be issued. After six months, only store credit is available.
Returns Due to Ordering Mistakes
This applies to incorrect scale, color, size, or duplicate orders:
Store Credit: 10% restocking fee, customer responsible for returning shipping.
Refund to Original Payment: 15% restocking fee, customer responsible for returning shipping.
Our Error Exception: If FDH shipped the wrong item, no restocking fee or return shipping charge applies.
Loose Track, Components, O Scale, and Special Orders
Returns of loose track, small components, O scale items, and special-order items incur a 15% restocking fee. Return shipping is deducted whether you choose store credit or a refund.
Damages and Issues
Please inspect your order upon receipt and contact us immediately if the item is defective, damaged, or if you receive the wrong item, so we can evaluate the issue and make it right.
Exceptions / Non-Returnable Items
Gift cards and digital/downloadable products
Items marked final sale, clearance, or otherwise non-returnable on the product page
Items that have been used, modified, or are missing parts, manuals, or original packaging
Some manufacturers handle warranty issues directly. If that applies, we’ll help you contact them
Exchanges
The fastest way to ensure you get what you want is to return the item you have and place a new order for the replacement on our website. Please note that we cannot process manual exchanges over the phone.
Refunds and Processing Time
We will notify you once we’ve received and inspected your return, and let you know if the refund was approved.
Approved refunds are issued within 7–10 business days.
Refunds go to your original payment method when possible. In some cases, store credit may be issued instead.
Your bank or card issuer may take additional time to process and post the refund.
Orders Placed Before October 1, 2025
Orders placed before this date follow the previous return policy.
Need Help?
If you have questions about a return or warranty, please contact our support team and include your order number so we can assist you quickly.
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Preorder FAQs
How preorders work
Guarantee your reservation on any item marked with the red "Preorder item" flag, by paying just 10% down. Preorder items also display a date badge indicating the anticipated arrival.
We will email your invoice approximately 30-45 days before your preorder item lands at the warehouse. This interactive invoice will allow you to select your preferred shipping method, and pay the balance of your order, right online!
We'll ship you your preorder once your item arrives at our warehouse. Preorder fulfillments are queued in the order in which they were paid for.
Recently, our suppliers have made a major policy change and are no longer accepting product returns for non-paying end customers. After much consideration, we unfortunately must also change our policies to align with the realities our suppliers have created.
As our preorder offerings have grown, we’ve found that a large percentage of preorder reservations are canceled or left unpaid without notice. We pay our suppliers for every preorder item that arrives at our warehouse, so when a customer does not pay for their item, we are left no choice but to absorb that cost. We have tried our best to cope with the effects of this change; however, after more than a year of trying, we have found we cannot continue to do so.
We understand that this is an unwelcome change, and no one wants to pay earlier than necessary. However, this is unavoidable in order for us to be able to continue to offer the wide variety of preorder options you’re used to getting from Factory Direct Hobbies. We must now ask that customers pay a 10% good-faith down payment toward the price of their item. This non-refundable good-faith payment is applied to the price of the product, and the balance (plus shipping and any applicable taxes) will be invoiced approximately 30-45 days before the item is slated to arrive at our warehouse.
We thank you for your patience and understanding. If you have questions or would like further clarification, feel free to contact us through the gold chat bubble.
The good-faith down payment is not refundable if you choose to cancel your preorder or do not pay your invoice.
However, if a manufacturer cancels a project for which you have made a down payment, you will receive a refund for your down payment.
Yes. We know that paying ahead of time can be unnerving when delivery dates are distant, and not every project makes it to the production line. Rest assured that, in the event the manufacturer cancels your preorder project, you will be refunded your 10% down payment.
Hobbies should be fun, not stressful!
The manufacturing process involves many different moving parts, and this complexity often renders production timelines unpredictable. Therefore, some level of unpredictability in timing is inherent to preordering hobby products. Down payments are not refundable in cases of routine manufacturing, delivery, or other short-term delays.
However, we know it can be frustrating when a project gets delayed for many months. In the event a project is delayed more than 6 months beyond the delivery window originally estimated by the manufacturer, we will handle refunds of down payments on a case-by-case basis.
Friendly Reminder: Should you choose to cancel a preorder, it will no longer be reserved for you; in the event the item becomes available on our website, all customers will have equal access to purchase the item.
Nope! The policy is not retroactive: if you already made a preorder reservation before this policy update, you do not owe a down payment for that reservation. However, any future preorders you make will require the 10% good-faith down payment.
We make every effort to keep our website updated with information that reflects manufacturers' current estimated delivery schedules. To find the estimated delivery month of an item, you can visit our Preorder Section and use the filters to narrow down your selection.
However, we encourage you to directly visit the manufacturer's site for the most current delivery dates.
Approximately 30-45 days before your preorder items land at the warehouse, we'll email your invoice to you to pay in full. At this point, you'll be able to provide your shipping address and select your preferred shipping method.
Your item will be reserved for 7 days, beginning when your invoice is sent. After 7 days, your preorder will be canceled.
Recently, our suppliers have made a major policy change and are no longer accepting product returns for non-paying end customers. We have tried our best to absorb the effects of this change; however, after more than a year of trying, we have found we cannot continue to do so. After much consideration, we unfortunately must also change our policies to align with the realities our suppliers have created.
As a result, we must now ask that customers pay in full prior to the supplier finalizing shipment to FDH, about 30-45 days ahead of product arrival. This gives us the time we need to cancel with our suppliers any unpaid orders prior to shipment.
We understand that this is an unwelcome change and no one wants to pay earlier than necessary. However, this is unavoidable in order for us to be able to continue to offer the wide variety of preorder options you’re used to getting from Factory Direct Hobbies.
One silver lining is that this change will result in preorder items getting to your door even faster, as all payment processing will be well out of the way and the usual several day wait after product has arrived will be eliminated. We thank you for your patience and understanding. If you have questions or would like further clarification, feel free to contact us through the gold chat bubble.
Manufacturing schedules can sometimes be unpredictable. In the event your preorder item does not arrive at our warehouse within 60 days of your invoice payment, then you will have the option to cancel your preorder and receive a refund OR you may elect to continue waiting for the item.
Friendly Reminder: Should you choose to cancel a preorder, it will no longer be reserved for you; in the event the item becomes available on our website, all customers will have equal access to purchase the item.
We know life happens, and missing out on a great item can be a drag!
We're here to help; just contact us via the gold chat bubble and we'll do all we can to work with you!
If you have an account with factorydirecthobbies.com, you can view all your preorders, as well as your active orders. Login to your account, and select the “My orders” option. All your preorders and active orders will be listed along with the current status of each order. If you have further questions about your order, please feel free to reach out to us through the gold chat bubble.
Although we try to keep our preorder arrival estimates as accurate as possible, we encourage you to visit each manufacturer’s website to find the most up-to-date delivery information.
For instance, with Athearn and Walthers, you can enter the part number into their websites and navigate to the item. Most of the time, the delivery date will be listed there. Broadway Limited has a published delivery schedule, as does Rapido.
Rewards and Preorders
Yes. Rewards can be used on both your 10% good-faith down payment and on the balance of your preorder at invoicing time.
Yes! Preorders are awarded reward dollars at the same 5% rate. You'll receive your reward within several days of paying the balance of your preorder invoice.
Still more questions?
If we still haven't answered your question, please click the gold messaging bubble in the bottom right of our site, and we'll help in any way we can!