Endorsed by Jack: The J. Shepherd & Sons Dog Food Factory from Menards! Shop Now!
The basics: The J. Shepherd & Sons Dog Food factory is a two-story industrial structure measuring approximately 18-1/4 inches wide, 10-7/8 inches deep, and 11 inches tall. Or, if you use the built-in train tunnel and place it over existing tracks, the footprint is only 6-1/4" deep! The structure has interior and exterior lighting and an animated sign simulating kibble flowing from the bag to the food bowl. The building has scattered worker figures, additional detailing, and Jack the German shepherd.
For illumination t
he factory requires a Menards 4.5 volt power supply, Menards SKU# 279-4061, 279-4062, or 279-4050. You may wish to consider the 8- or 9-piece Plug & Play accessory kits (SKU# 279-4035, 4681) and to serve multiple structures and vehicles. All are available separately.
Why you need this: One of largest consumer markets in the United States is for pet care products. Aside from baskets, squeaky toys, and shampoo, dog food may be the leading moneymaking category. J. Shepherd & Sons brings this vibrant economic engine to your O gauge train city.
The structure has a classic design that fits anywhere from the 1930s to today. The walls are stone-texture construction with corrugated roofing slanting downward. The street side has an office door with overhang and there is a covered loading dock with a raised platform. This nook has a warehouse door, an entry door, two work figures, and several bags of dog food. Jack the German shepherd is also there providing his own quality control inspection.
To the left of the first floor office there is a staircase running up to the second level. A lone employee is making the climb. Below the stairs are a dumpster and a jack for the Plug & Play lighting system. The level has two large warehouse windows, and to their right is a large electronic sign. It is a bright red bag showing a flood of kibble flowing into a bowl on the first floor level.
The corrugated roofing has a large sign proclaiming it to be J. Shepherd & Sons and adding "Manufacturing quality dog food since 1926." The flat roof has one of the most detailed Menards has offered. You’ll find three large industrial air ducts (with a nearby worker), a dust collector, an LP gas tank with pipe and shutoff valve, and a water tank with pipe and shutoff valve. A neat detail about the water tank is that you’ll find a worker painting the yellow tank green!
Attached to the front right of the building are two silos with a matching corrugated roof. The top of which has lines running into the dust collector on the main building. This is a pretty good safety feature for tight areas with a lot of dust in the air!
The exterior has a number of warning signs, safety warnings, and vintage-style ads for Eukanuba dog food, puppy kibble, and of course, "Jack’s Best dog food."
The rear of the building has a train tunnel that can be used as a railway delivery siding, or place beside your mainline to let trains roll through. Also included are Menard’s innovative tunnel inserts that allow you to camouflage the train tunnel if desired.
The J. Shepherd & Sons factory is both a unique business and a structure that will be right at home in many eras. It has ample detailing and thanks to the LED lighting and the Jack’s Dog Food sign, it looks as good in the dark as it does in the daylight.
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Mark the Menards Train Guy
