(10/15/20) New 1956 Box Truck from Menards!

Wow pretty nice Mark!

Rod

Nice truck. Does anyone know if the decoration is correct for the truck era, or is more recent? Also, now that the truck model has been created, interested in seeing other liveries that might come about, and in retro designs. Trying to keep my layout in a general 50's era.

With a green cab, green cargo compartment and red wheels it could be a fine companion to the REA panel truck previously offered. Fleets in the mid '50s would not have had chrome wheels.  Painted solid or spoke wheels would have been used.  How easily can the cargo box be removed to facilitate painting or converting to a semi tractor?  John

Good looking truck. I would guess there are many companies that had that truck for city deliveries.

1956 era fills a void. I would repaint and darken the rims.

@O-gauger posted:

Does anyone know if the decoration is correct for the truck era?  Now that the truck has been created, interested in seeing other liveries in retro designs. Trying to keep my layout in a general 50's era.

The deco is modern (1970's- & on) & would not have been seen in the 50's.  That was the 1st thing I noticed.

Great looking truck.  The reported 2"W figure of the model would be a strong indicator that the model is indeed a true 1/48 scale.  For 1/48 scale, 2"W = 8'-0"W prototype dimension, which would be the overall width limit of a full-size commercial truck, and is usually the bed or the box on back of the truck.

A few other dimensions that might confirm true 1/48 scale: The width across the model's front fenders should be right around 1-7/8" to 1-15/16".  The outside diameter of the model's tires should be right around 3/4" dia. to 13/16" dia.  Of course, somebody will obviously have to confirm these dimensions with the model in hand.

1950's-era purists might find one major flaw with the truck - that being the 10-lug chrome or aluminum rims on the truck.  Commercial medium-duty trucks in the 1950's were pretty utilitarian, and had almost no major parts that were chrome-plated or aluminum/magnesium, like a lot of modern day commercial trucks do.  Instead, the rims would have been 5-bolt steel (or 6-bolt at the most), and in most circumstances painted a glossy black.

The "Menard's" decorating scheme seems a little too 'newish' for a 1950's era vehicle.  I'm almost thinking the scheme would be more believable for maybe the 1970's at the very earliest, and maybe even later than that.  But that's probably just a personal preference thing, and repainting and redecorating the truck wouldn't be very hard at all, in my opinion.

Regardless, this is still a great looking truck, and if it's anywhere from 1/43 scale to 1/50 scale, I'm definitely in for at least a few!

Great looking truck Mark  !

A Menards Building , would be a good addition to my layout

Brent

Please make one in ho. Johbn

Another vehicle for the era I model. Thanks Mark and Menards. Paul 2

Input needed:

I'm trying to come up with decorations/signage for another batch of 1956 box trucks that we are planning to produce and I am looking for suggestions. What are you guys looking for and what do you find attractive (color, branding, etc.). All help is welcomed!

Thank you,
Mark the Menards Train Guy

Piggly Wiggly, M&Ms, Morton Salt

REA express van would be great.

Kemps !

Hi Mark,

Here a few suggestions of companies I haven't seen much of (if at all) from the time period and whose branding I think would look great on a box truck:

Admiral TV's/appliances, Tide (to go w/your soap factory), Quaker State (motor oil), JELL-O, Pepsi-Cola, Sealtest, VanCamp's, Motorola, Kool-Aid, A&P, ALKA-SELTZER, Champion (spark plugs), 7up, Zenith.

Seconding the A&P.

Also IGA and Coke.

As you know, Sunoco is a major partner and supplier in motor racing, particularly NASCAR where Menards is a sponsor of Team Penske.

1956 introduced "custom blending" at Sunoco stations and the "Sunoco Blue" logo was the distinctive symbol of this new product feature.

"Sun revolutionized the oil industry when it introduced the Custom Blending Pump, a novel system for dispensing a choice of five octane grades of gasoline from a single pump. A model of the pump is currently on display at the Smithsonian." - Sunoco Website

The box truck could be delivering the new pumps to Sun Oil Company service stations around the country.

Well's Blue Bunny Ice Cream, LeMars, Iowa

I'd be all in with an Alka-Seltzer truck with Speedy in the signage

RCA Electronics, Eveready Batteries, Black & Decker, PIE and Campbell trucking, vintage M&M/Mars. You can always create a vintage look for Menards...

Mark,

Food fair, Panty Pride, A&P, Pathmark, Acme, Giant "All supermarkets!"

Sears Roebuck, strawbridge & Clothier, Wanamakers, pep boys, Horn and Hardant,

Dave

Btw, I worked for all the above except for one!

PS, some of them in HO would be great

Red Owl please.

An undecorated truck would be nice. 

@Menards posted:

Input needed:

I'm trying to come up with decorations/signage for another batch of 1956 box trucks that we are planning to produce and I am looking for suggestions. What are you guys looking for and what do you find attractive (color, branding, etc.). All help is welcomed!

Thank you,
Mark the Menards Train Guy

Painted but unbranded.

@david1 posted:

Mark,

Food fair, Panty Pride, A&P, Pathmark, Acme, Giant "All supermarkets!"

Sears Roebuck, strawbridge & Clothier, Wanamakers, pep boys, Horn and Hardant,

Dave

Btw, I worked for all the above except for one!

PS, some of them in HO would be great

David is a guru of the Philly area.  The city of brotherly love,  as long as you do it their way.  a member of the "straight outa Philly" string band!

I vote for the Railway Express Agency.  Perfect for the era of the truck.

Western Auto,  Southern States Cooperative,  Montgomery Ward, IGA Supermarkets, Westinghouse, May Company Department Stores.  All these done with advertising schemes of the time.  

Of course I also vote for painted but undecorated models, as there were many small companies which did not have signage on their fleet of 1 - 3 delivery trucks in the 1950's.   Doing this would also allow purchasers to decorate the truck anyway they wish.    

As for Menards' current 1956 truck, one scenario for those who model the 1980s and up .... this current truck can be used on your layouts as  a rebuilt/repainted & customized  56 with a contemporary advertising scheme painted on it's box.   Used in a contemporary setting, this truck catches the eye and reminds folks that Menards has been around for many years ... just sayin.    This model is a great looking truck IMHO, but as one who models the 1950's, it's current livery ( and chrome applications ) does not fit into my scheme.  

Sprecher Beer & Sodas !  to go with the Brewery from last year ! 

@cabinet Bob posted:

Great looking truck Mark  !

It sure does look nice!!!   (Regardless of the model/decoration discrepancy).

It sorta looks like a 1950s truck, but what is the prototype?     It has sort of a Ford Grill, but the cab does not look right for a ford.    Is it a GM, or Chrylser, or something else.  

@prrjim posted:

It sorta looks like a 1950s truck, but what is the prototype?     It has sort of a Ford Grill, but the cab does not look right for a ford.    Is it a GM, or Chrylser, or something else. 

The prototype would be a 1956 Ford COE (Cab Over Engine).  A quick Google search thereof yields a lot of pictures that sure look like the prototype to me, or darned close to it.

@Menards posted:

Input needed:

I'm trying to come up with decorations/signage for another batch of 1956 box trucks that we are planning to produce and I am looking for suggestions. What are you guys looking for and what do you find attractive (color, branding, etc.). All help is welcomed!

Thank you,
Mark the Menards Train Guy

I would suggest trucks that reflect Menard's existing universe of buildings.  Like one painted up to match Wally's service station.  Also, I have no idea how much it costs to acquire a license to paint something like the old Sears trailers on the PUP Trailers MTH just ran for Stockyard Express, but they are really neat - as seen in this thread.  https://ogrforum.com/...h-old-sears-trailers

Old transportation stuff would always be a good call - Champion Spark Plugs, MoPar, etc.

As far as colors go, the color scheme is less important to me than having something that's just neat.  Cripple Creek (or any other) Lumberyard would fit in with my theme.  But you could just also brand it with some delivery company name and it would fit in on just about any layout.  

OK, I looked up that ford COE and you are right.    I just didn't remember seeing a cab like that when I was kid, but at my age that is u nderstandable.

Winn-Dixie, Kroger, Jolly Time, Western Auto, White Castle, Wimpy's.

Whatever you choose, the design for that brand should reflect the signage style of the 1950's.

I will second the vote very early on. 7Up, that will go nicely with the Pepsi plant as Pepsi owns 7Up OUTSIDE of the USA.

Nice truck. Too bad we can't get them here in California (fortunately, I'll be in another state when I retire in a few months).

As for decorations, REA is the first one that comes to mind, followed by the big railroads as most of the larger ones had some kind of trucking freight operation to go along with the rail operations.

Nice truck. I fourth the nomination for painted but unlettered. I would be interested in any paint scheme that was on the actual truck in the 1950’s.

Yeungling  Lager! Yes!

Rod