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LA GRANGE, Ky. — In a La Grange, Kentucky, basement packed wall-to-wall with model train parts, a small online business has spent two decades delivering miniature locomotives and tiny track pieces to hobbyists nationwide. But this holiday season, Trains-in-the-Attic is facing a major obstacle, and it has nothing to do with trains.
Owner Anita Embry said USPS delays are derailing the business, leaving hundreds of customers waiting on essential parts for Christmas displays.
“These people are getting out their trains for their Christmas layouts around the tree,” Embry said. “They are waiting on their parts to make their holiday perfect.”
Embry relies entirely on USPS for shipping since it’s more cost-friendly to her and customers. But she said something is going wrong in the system this year.
“The problem is these have to be hand-scanned at every location along the way,” she explained. “It goes to the local post office today, and it says that it was accepted there — but it’s pending acceptance.”
More than 1,000 shipments are stuck at the USPS facility off Gardiner Lane in Louisville, with many sitting for days without any movement, according to package tracking.
That’s leaving customers frustrated and opening disputes.
“So the buyers are now opening cases against us, saying, ‘Where’s my item? I haven’t received it,’” Embry said.
The U.S. Postal Service acknowledged delays, citing recent severe weather and heavier-than-normal holiday mail volumes.
In a statement, USPS said:
“These conditions, combined with higher-than-normal mail and package volumes, have contributed to delays in unloading inbound trailers at the Louisville Processing & Distribution Center. In spite of these challenges, the Postal Service is taking swift action to keep operations moving. We have increased staffing, scheduled planned offloads, and rerouted volumes to alternate USPS processing locations nearby to help ease inbound congestion and maintain steady processing flows. To keep customers informed, we have issued two Industry Alerts and continue to provide updates at Industry Alerts and Notices. We remain fully committed to delivering for the American people. The Postal Service continues to closely monitor conditions and will make any necessary adjustments to ensure we provide the reliable service our customers expect.”
But Embry says the problems feel familiar and preventable.
“I understand there was a federal audit in spring. Things should have changed, and they’ve had time to prepare for this,” she said. “It’s not just for us small business owners. This is everybody out there getting a package from Aunt Sue or ordering something online for a holiday event, and it’s not here yet.”
As refunds pile up for products that will eventually arrive, Embry fears the financial damage.
She estimates the business could lose thousands of dollars by the end of the holiday season if the slowdown continues.
“If you know you’re going to need parts for Christmas, order them early,” Embry said. “Avoid the holiday rush. And as far as right now, we’re doing the best we can. It’s out of our control. We’re monitoring these tracking numbers on a daily basis, going in and spot-checking them to see if there’s any movement on that date.”
For a shop built on tiny details, it’s the big-picture breakdown in shipping that could threaten its busiest time of the year.
