I have room in one corner of my layout for a "bikers roadhouse".

Couldn't you just add a "Welcome Bikers!" banner on my Supper Club and call it a day?

Love the roadhouse idea!

Couldn't you just put a"welcome Bikers" sign on a Howard Johnson's and make it a biker supper club!

Iron Horse and Dave -  It just doesn't seem to fit .  Supper Club/Roadhouse,  Howard Johnson's/Roadhouse,

Biker Bar/Roadhouse

@Putnam Division posted:

....a downtown city block with this store as a centerpiece.....

Peter

YES!!!

I can always hope...

There's more but you guys get the general idea!

Jerry

@baltimoretrainworks posted:

I can always hope...

There's more but you guys get the general idea!

Jerry

Those would be pretty easy to reproduce today using a laser cutter and printed texture. Laser would be easier and cheaper than the die cut method used back in the day. IIRC the windows were screen printed which you can do on a printer today.

@wild mary posted:

Iron Horse and Dave -  It just doesn't seem to fit .  Supper Club/Roadhouse,  Howard Johnson's/Roadhouse,

Biker Bar/Roadhouse

I concede, Wild Mary, you're right. But my layout already has an MTH Harley shop, an MTH Harley drive-in diner and a blues club where the Rolling Stones are playing small gigs now that they are old.  My supper club would truly welcome bikers!  But if your roadhouse shows up at Menards instead of my supper club, I'll buy one!  And then I can park some of my scooters in front it as well as the Menards' Howard Johnsons, too. Or a Holiday Inn

Menards does a great job thinking out of the box for their structure releases
I would like then to make a couple of dilapidated houses. These house could be modified buy the buyer to suit their need as a haunted house/hobo house/building slated for demolition or just houses in a run down neighborhood. If you look at a lot of the structures the weathering is minimal. Menard’s could make make a need structure and maybe just modifying some of their own designs.

A cemetery would be nice with a hurst and people with head stones, something to go along with the new church. They could also put funny sayings on th tomb stones.

Since Menards is out of Wisconsin a good choice would be another Wisconsin company like CULVERS.

@AMCDave posted:

Those would be pretty easy to reproduce today using a laser cutter and printed texture. Laser would be easier and cheaper than the die cut method used back in the day. IIRC the windows were screen printed which you can do on a printer today.

I'd love to see them in plastic, even if it were a kit. The ones I have have seen better days.

Jerry

Another suggestion is a moderately sized turntable - 20 inches or so - for traditional sized locomotives.  Manual operation would be great, but it should be designed in a way to allow an aftermarket motor addition.

Not sure if mentioned but a Big Boy restaurant.  Then we could add neon sign and spinning big boy statute from Miller Engineering

How about a Cripple Creek freight station

Car dealership

You need to determine a specific year for a CAR DEALERSHIP.

Andrew

Being a modern era guy I’d like to see a Culver’s and a modern gas station please!!

Piggybacking on the modern gas station idea, I was going to suggest a Kwik Trip. But I’m afraid I might be picky. I probably would want it to closely resemble the actual stores, which aren’t exactly dinky convenience stores. That’s probably more real estate then what most hobbyists would want to give up for such an accessory.

Here are a few

1. Reissue or retool the bar and grill. I saw the original on a Facebook and forgot how much i loved it
2. Someone mentioned a domino sugar building. As long as it has a light up sign, I’d buy one.

3. Make another brewery with a more recognizable brand. Obviously I’d love a natty Boh one, but the chances are lower than hitting the lottery!

I look forward to new products, as it has been a while since anything new has come from menards.

@mountain482 posted:

I would love to see a Pillsbury manufacturing plant.

With a Doughboy gigling soundchip!

@mowingman posted:

How about some older downtown buildings, 2 or 3 story, and small footprint? Notice all the decorative exterior trimwork on these.

Buildings and building fronts.  Various period items wpuld sell.

@Dominic Mazoch posted:

Buildings and building fronts.  Various period items wpuld sell.

Have you not seen the WEB STORE link at the top of the page?

Now I have.  Those might just work.  Time period looks good.

I still want a small meat packing plant with an adjoining stock pen, or the pen can be a separate offering.  My stock cars have been hosed out and are just sitting on sidings homeless.

@jlm1973 posted:

Since Menards is out of Wisconsin a good choice would be another Wisconsin company like CULVERS.

I live below the "Cheddar Curtain " but every summer our family spends several weekends in Madison or Milwaukee. I would also like to see some buildings with a Wisconsin flair, like a Mader's restaurant or a Usinger's Sausage factory,  or the best one yet, State Street Brats with the iconic Bucky statue out front.   

I'd be interested in one of the smaller Sears catalog houses from the turn of the last century or, better yet, a small Craftsman-style  (aka Arts and Crafts architectural style) cottage of the sort that used to be so common in the mid-west. Just the house; don't bother with the garage,

@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:

I keep suggesting the idea for a weathered coal mine facility year after year after year after year.  So far has fallen on deaf ears.  Please, I have coal hoppers cars that need to be filled........................

KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken)  with a revolving bucket sign.

A Runza Hut!

@third rail posted:

I live below the "Cheddar Curtain " but every summer our family spends several weekends in Madison or Milwaukee. I would also like to see some buildings with a Wisconsin flair, like a Mader's restaurant or a Usinger's Sausage factory,  or the best one yet, State Street Brats with the iconic Bucky statue out front.   

I have a daughter living in Milwaukee and I like going to Mader's when we are in town. I really like your idea of Mader's or Usinger's Sausage factory.

@John H posted:

Have you not seen the WEB STORE link at the top of the page?

There is only one building front with a loading dock usable as a track side industry.  Need a lot more choices.

@wild mary posted:

I have room in one corner of my layout for a "bikers roadhouse".

A great ice cream shop for a biker rest stop would be good too

@jrstengel posted:

...snip...  or Usinger's Sausage factory.

I have a Usinger's sign and never knew where it came from; now I know. Thank you.

@IRON HORSE posted:

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

That exact Dog & Suds is 2 blocks from my office in Grayslake, Il.  Would make a great layout addition.

I'd like to see a variety of smaller one & two story homes from the early to mid-20th century.  The houses that you made so far are great (remind me of architectural models) but a large footprint on the layout. 

How about a Spanish Mission style station such as found through out the west. 

McDonalds with LIT Golden Arches. Probably the most iconic sign in the USA for the last 50 years and not done yet.

Gerry

@jrstengel posted:

I have a daughter living in Milwaukee and I like going to Mader's when we are in town. I really like your idea of Mader's or Usinger's Sausage factory.

I’d even be interested in a Miesfeld’s from Sheboygan, WI.

Keeping with the Wisconsin theme, here are a few more ideas.

A facsimile of the  Mars Cheese Castle  on I94

A rustic northwoods restaurant with goats on the roof and a fish boil

A deer camp hunting lodge

A.frozen lake with ice fishing huts.

A facsimile of the G Heilmann brewery with the Old Style beer can holding tanks.

The Hormel factory in Beloit with the bean can holding tanks