(02/05/21) Building Ideas for Menards!

A nice lighthouse. A dockside shanty. Boatyard boats. Seafood market with delivery truck.

@scott.smith posted:

Prince, WV passenger station.

Still being used by Amtrak.

Scott Smith

WITH the Cat on the floor!!!! Now we are DREAMING!

How about "Dave's Garage" to go with the freebie pickup currently being offered.

@mustang posted:

How about "Dave's Garage" to go with the freebie pickup currently being offered.

they already sold Dave’s Garage. You can find them on the bay.

As was said above....industrial flats could be used together

@Diverging Clear posted:

Steak n Shake (50's-70's) Dog n Sud's drive in.

Rusty

Beat me to it.  Steak n Shake!

I’ll second the idea for a ‘70’s Amtrak station.

Ardmore, PA

Paoli, PA

This style of bungalow, an early 20th century standard that remains a prominent architectural type in older neighborhoods into the 21st century.

Wow! Ask and thou will receive. Lots of great suggestions.

This particular freight station, produced by Tyco (pictured) in HO and Bachmann in N scale 50 years ago, but never by anyone in O scale.

An on going series of Oil Refinery structures & Steel Mill structures!!

A bakery front patterned after the old Revell HO bakery would be very cool. It'd be better if the entire building was in kit form, but I know that's not likely.

Have they done a sanding tower?

@jhz563 posted:

Have they done a sanding tower?

  Like the idea of engine yard accessories like a sanding tower/shed, ash pit, etc.  Please don’t make them oversized like the water tower.

A few thoughts come to mind

- Modular Grain Elevator: Section A is a standalone grain elevator with several silos, the Section B has silos that can be added to the first section to expand the overall building. One can add multiple B sections together to extend the overall length of silo.
Examples of configurations: A ,  A+B ,  A+B+B ,  A+B+B+B , etc....



- Modular Icing Platform: Similar design to the above mentioned grain elevator, this icing platform can be built-up in sections. Each section (P) would have a set of removable steps that can be mounted on either side of the platform section. This way one can tailor the length of the icing platform to the space they have
Examples of configurations: P (w/ steps) , P (w/ steps)+P (w/ steps) , P (w/ steps)+P ,  P (w/ steps)+P+P , etc...

-  F.W. Woolworth Co. Building: I haven't seen one made yet in O gauge

If you want further info on these product ideas, my email is in my profile.

Bryce

Colonial style brick or stone church other than the country style churches currently made and a similar style city hall.  Structures that can anchor a town square.

guys as nice a some of the suggestions here are. they my be too elaborate and unrealistic for menards to build.

mark, here is an idea that is sure to fit all eras and model rr. it can be made using the products you most likely already are using and takes up a very small space. it can be put against a wall or stand alone. this style of building if made with two loading doors would be great for spotting box cars on the layout. just make it about 30 inches long and 10 in wide and 10 high.this would accommodate all lenths of box cars to be used. a sign atop the building could be made in a long rectangular shape. non lighted and with multiple factory  name via stickers for placement buy purchaser. or whe could make our own. just light up the interior and it would look great and very down town industrial on any layout from oscale to ho scale. here is a photo of one thats been done years ago by someone.

Is love to see a cripple creek wood coal tower to pair with the water tower and engine house

@Menards posted:

This thread is specifically for buildings you'd like us to make.

Post reference photos if you have them!

Thank you,
Mark the Menards Train Guy

Dunkin' Donuts and/or Wawa

Southern Pacific passenger station.  Never done in O Gauge.

@Diverging Clear posted:

Steak n Shake (50's-70's) Dog n Sud's drive in.

Rusty

I agree on a Dog n Suds Drive in. One is located in Tomahawk, WI.

To be practical, I would make the structure with 6 to 8 car stalls total. Otherwise it might be too large for some O gauge layouts. Most properties started out as Drive in only. Some locations added sit down later. Not looking for a neon sign, just the current logo lighted.

@Scott R posted:

Is love to see a cripple creek wood coal tower to pair with the water tower and engine house

I have been posting on this board to Menards for years for a large footprint, weathered coaling station/tower  structure.  So far, it has fallen on deaf ears..................................

@JD2035RR posted:

I would love to see a hillside coal mine

Or even some small old west buildings that could be used for a kid's layout:

Now that coaling facility would be great, been asking Menard's for years for something along that line.

There would be some licensing issues, and only those with contemporary layouts would possibly be interested.

How about the Outdoor Man store from Last Man Standing?

@VinceL posted:

There would be some licensing issues, and only those with contemporary layouts would possibly be interested.

How about the Outdoor Man store from Last Man Standing?

Good idea....but it got cancelled......

@AMCDave posted:

Good idea....but it got cancelled......

I must have missed that thread.

Dang!

East coast supermarkets like Food fair, Acme, Pathmark, Jewel, A&P and many others. All these are closed now except for Acme.

Many pictures of each on the Web.

Another thought is Horn and Hardant  automat restaurant. Great signage!

Dave

Lots of great ideas here! Hope we see some of them made!! A tavern or 2 would be nice, a hospital maybe with a helicopter and an ambulance entering, an  oil refinery, a liquor store , I really like the Outdoor Man store or something like that!!

@david1 posted:

East coast supermarkets likeFood fair, Acme, Pathmark, Jewel, A&P and many others. All these are closed now except for Acme.

Many pictures of each on the Web.

Another thought is Horn and Hardant  automat restaurant. Great signage!

Dave

I'm in for a Food Fair store:  my first job with a paycheck at 15 years old in 1962.

I'd buy a Dog n Suds.  Like that idea.  You could make the sign animated.

A classic roadside Holiday Inn would be fun.  Chase lights in the sign...

How about an old 1950’s style shiny metal diner???

There are so many great ideas on this thread! I am definitely in favor of some more flat buildings.

This is a very biased recommendation, but I'd love to see the Marceline, MO depot turned into a building - both HO and O scales. Marceline is my native hometown, and I think it had one of the most beautiful train stations in the Midwest. Although no trains stop there anymore, it has a wonderful new life as the Walt Disney Hometown Museum. Disney and his family lived there for several years during his boyhood in the early 20th century, and it was in Marceline where he discovered his passion for drawing, as well as his lifelong affinity with trains.

Personally, I think the brickwork and architecture of this station would make it an attractive model that could be an amazing addition to any of our layouts. I appreciate this thread and the opportunity for all of us to share our ideas - thank you!

Just make them all Mark! You know we’ll buy them 😆

Agree with steel mill.

Rolling Rock Brewery,Latrobe

Cement Plant to go with your Materials Silos.

Concrete Plant for your mixers feeding the concrete building.

Asphalt Plant again for your Materials Silos.

@Jim Brenner posted:

A bakery front patterned after the old Revell HO bakery would be very cool. It'd be better if the entire building was in kit form, but I know that's not likely.

Ypu can do it by kitbashing ameritown structures such as the theater, police station, etc those kits that have the arch brick and inserts.

Most of those above are too specific or extremely local. We all have a "local", and a bakery (etc) across the country doesn't perk me up.

Not your thing, but more heavy industry, maybe modular so that we can buy all or part ("Collect All Three!"). Small portions of big industries.

And: flats, flats, flats - which can fit in with the "small portions of big industries" idea.

I like the idea of a oil refinery that is modular. Make it about one foot square with the ability to put 2 or 3 side by side. And since Menard's has a connection with some oil companies.....maybe a nice 50's era Valvoline plant.

Not a refinery but the Valvoline dist office 1960 in LA...

OK,

So what does the competition NOT have or no longer make.

1.  Pedestrian overpasses.

Discontinued:

http://www.lionel.com/products...kover-green-6-37115/

https://www.walthers.com/atlas...kit-6-quot-clearance

https://www.worthpoint.com/wor...-pedestrian-19791730

https://mthtrains.com/30-9053

These can also be cut in half to make stairs for elevated lines.

2.  30" long scale bridge girder plate sections that can be cut to length.  One supplier makes them (26.5 inches).

3.  Long stair sections with hand rails that we can cut to the length we need.  Usually that involves a lot of work to piece together.

@AMCDave posted:

Good idea....but it got cancelled......

But the building used for the “Last Man Standing” Outdoor Man’s exterior shots is simply a Bass Pro Shops store, specifically in Rancho Cucamonga, California. Not a bad idea.