(08/11/20) Free Santa Fe Box Truck from Menards!

Mark, I can't find a corporate email outside of the site and can't get the main page to load. There is simply too much going on at the site now to load it all, it times out.

@Adriatic posted:

Mark, I can't find a corporate email outside of the site and can't get the main page to load. There is simply too much going on at the site now to load it all, it times out.

Hi Adriatic,

I wasn't having any troubles myself, but hopefully it works for you today. Let me know if you are still having issues.

Our direct email address for train related questions is Guest@menard-inc.com.

-Mark the Menards Train Guy

Sharp looking truck. A great bonus item.

Don't get me wrong - I appreciate the offer but, as already an owner of a couple of this particular truck, I wish Menard's would offer a choice of 3-4 different trucks to choose from as their free giveaway in these promotions. 

Knowing that I could get something different that I didn't already own on my layout, would get me (and I suspect many others, as well) to pull the trigger on purchasing a new, more expensive item or items. 

Thanks.

Hey guys, perhaps the Santa Fe truck is over stocked at Menards and the promotion is a way to reduce the inventory?  One way a modeler can make the most out of this free give away is make it a flat car load as if it is being delivered to the AT&SF motor fleet.  This also explains away the reason you may already own several.  How about a train with six or more enroute to their final destination to be placed in service? 

Otherwise, it can also make the perfect birthday gift to give to a young O gauge model railroader or wait until the holiday season, which afterall, isn't that far away now.

My problem with the offer, even thou it is a nice offer, is it is too new. I model basically 1975 and before.

They had some 50's style pick-ups but they flew out the door. And when I did try to order them the processing charge was almost as much as the truck, so when I totaled my order it was almost double as they didn't offer the trucks in a 3 or 4 pack type deal

@Trinity River Bottoms Boomer posted:

Hey guys, perhaps the Santa Fe truck is over stocked at Menards and the promotion is a way to reduce the inventory?  One way a modeler can make the most out of this free give away is make it a flat car load as if it is being delivered to the AT&SF motor fleet.  This also explains away the reason you may already own several.  How about a train with six or more enroute to their final destination to be placed in service? 

Otherwise, it can also make the perfect birthday gift to give to a young O gauge model railroader or wait until the holiday season, which afterall, isn't that far away now.

 

 

 

 

 

You may be right that particular truck is overstocked and that is the reason it is being offered, but that doesn't solve my problem - only Menard's. And it really isn't helping Menard's in my case because I'd be placing an order for more merchandise if I could select a different truck(s).

The reason I have so many of the same truck is because I placed a large order for several different items - buildings, rolling stock, etc. at the same time - and each came with the same free truck.  I have already given many away to friends, relatives and fellow train enthusiasts. 

I do like your idea about the flatcar. However, I'll probably order the flatcar from Menards and end up with another truck I don't need. 

@Richie C. posted:

Don't get me wrong - I appreciate the offer but, as already an owner of a couple of this particular truck, I wish Menard's would offer a choice of 3-4 different trucks to choose from as their free giveaway in these promotions. 

Knowing that I could get something different that I didn't already own on my layout, would get me (and I suspect many others, as well) to pull the trigger on purchasing a new, more expensive item or items. 

Thanks.

One  word . .   Krylon 

I'm in the same predicament as Richie, as I already have plenty of the Santa Fe trucks from a previous order.   His suggestion of a couple options may induce more sales.  However I'm certain it will require rewriting some of the code they use when we wish to pay for the order to minimize the confusion.

I commend Menards for any free offer in addition to their other normal promotion that’s still in place. This a nice gesture to those who don’t live near a Menards.

The online train purchasers like me will purchase the products that they want and aren’t going anywhere else.

Worst case scenario is that some of us may wait a few weeks for a better truck to be offered.

Menards - Thanks for everything!

I had several.  Gave them to Houston Tinplate layout.

@TShearer posted:

One  word . .   Krylon 

Indeed.

I've disassembled and repainted allot of die cast. It's not hard and in this case you only need to paint the cab and box parts.

I picked up the previous COE version NIB at a train show for a couple bucks.   I would have repainted since -like this one- the paint scheme is anachronistic, but my son likes it.  It does look pretty on our Christmas layout.

@Menards posted:

Hi Adriatic, I wasn't having any troubles myself, but hopefully it works for you today. Our direct email address for train related questions is Guest@menard-inc.com. -Mark the Menards Train Guy

Hi Mark: Since these box trucks are regularly $19.99, are you possibly able to revert to what you have done in the past & instead offer some of your $19.99 rolling stock as promotional bonus items?  I have a few of the box trucks already & would rather see rolling stock special offer.  Keep up the great work!   Thanks! 

Oh goody, another box truck! May be an even 10,000! LOL

I do think folks may also be overlooking that this seems to be one of the rare instances in which a freebie and a rebate overlap.   It appears that the $19.99 buy requirement applies before the rebate so you can still buy one railcar and qualify.

Definitely prime time to buy if you live near a Menards (to use the rebate) and have any use at all for a box truck.

I really don't need more rolling stock for what is a seasonal layout, but I'm eyeing that CNW boxcar