Anyone have Menards o gadge track

Yes and yes.  Go for it.

Im playing with ideas i got my table upto 12x16 table, draw back 3 support poles in basement. i did add 2 access ports so i can work on the middle of the table.

I might get anyrail seems like a good program.

I had a chance to run trains on it back in December. I wasn't disappointed, but I wouldn't buy it. I prefer Fastrack.

As a point of continuing education, the word is "gauge", not "gadge."

The O gauge tubular from Menards is fantastic. I know when they were first released there was some issues, but that was fixed. I have cases of Lionel O Tubular, but bought some Menards to compare, and with the exception of Lionel being printed in the black ties on the Lionel versions, you cant tell the difference. Go for it.

Tubular all the way!!!!

I use brand new Menards tubular track along with 80 year old Lionel tubular.  The main difference I have experienced is the Lionel track is too difficult to take apart and the Menards is too easy to take apart.

I recently bought an O-54 oval of Menards track with their adapter straights to Fastrack and I love it and had no problems. Actually 2 straight sections of Fastrack is noticeably louder than the rest of the oval. I like hearing my engine sounds better than when I had all Fastrack. Also the loose pins reported earlier are over exaggerated in my opinion. My track is not screwed down and I never have any operational problems.

Hopefully, someday Menard's will produce switches and rubber roadbed for their track.

I just took delivery of some Menards O96 curves. IMO it's lower quality than Lionel track. There are fewer ties per section, and the insulators on the center rail are a lot thinner and more susceptible to damage if you have to move the ties. I have to move a tie slightly towards the middle of the track section in order to connect it to my K line supersnap switches. Bottom line, I prefer the quality of the Lionel tubular track.

@Lehigh74 posted:

I use brand new Menards tubular track along with 80 year old Lionel tubular.  The main difference I have experienced is the Lionel track is too difficult to take apart and the Menards is too easy to take apart.

I agree about the Lionel track, but screwing down the Menard’s track should eliminate the problem.

@jim sutter posted:

Hopefully, someday Menard's will produce switches and rubber roadbed for their track.

Agree 100%! I would love to have somewhere that I could purchase new items even if it is only for a few months a year.

The more recently made track is great, but it needs to be screwed down. The track is tight enough for good electrical connection but it will work it’s way loose after a lot of use so just put one or two screws in each piece. You can also use rubber bands to hold the ties together if you have a floor layout, I have seen this done and it works amazingly well.

I used Menards curves and straights when I built my 5 rail track. No problems at all. The track pins are a little different from the standard Lionel pins in that there not as pointed on the ends but it wasn’t an issue with putting the track together.

Used it for an elevated trolley line.  Fantastic and rigid enough to span open spaces especially with the longer lengths.  Not to mention the bargain that it is.

John

Built my current layout with Menards track, Lionel switches and UCS/RCS tracks. Works great and looks good. I will continue to use it in the future.

@Ross posted:

Built my current layout with Menards track, Lionel switches and UCS/RCS tracks. Works great and looks good. I will continue to use it in the future.

Hi Ross,

Your track work looks fantastic! What did you use for the extra ties and how did you weather it so nicely? Maybe you could post some photos of how you did it? We'd love to know!

Thank you,
Mark the Menards Train Guy

I have a loop of 96 and it works great. No issues for over a year and I run some very heavy engines!

Bob

Mark, I hope these will give you an idea of my process.  Once I settled on the track plan I put foam pipe insulation down as road bed.

The ties were cut from scrap wood on a table saw.  The strips are 9/16" x 1/4" cut on a table saw, then cut to 2 1/4" on a miter saw, then spray painted black

When I started painting the sides of the rails, it seemed like there was a protective oil or film on the track preventing the paint from sticking. I used either alcohol or mineral spirits to wipe down the rails then the paint was able to stick. I used craft paint in barn red, black, and brown.  I put some on a plastic lid, then would mix from there to paint the side of the rails.

I used chick grit for ballast. I picked it up at a nearby farm supply.  Word to the wise, pick up enough to account for future expansions.   I didn't have any plans to expand so I only got enough to cover.  So when I decided to add a  small yard and then after getting a Mystery box with a locomotive repair shed added another spur for that a year later, I wasn't able to get the same color. I spread it with a spoon, sprayed it with a solution of water, a few drops of dish soap, and little black paint for tint. I then used white glue diluted 1 part glue to 2 parts water and dribbled it on the ballast.

Wasn’t it Gadge that had me soaking in Palmolive?

Jon

I believe it was Madge!

Will Lionel O gauge track clips work with Menards track?

No.  The end ties are too far in from the ends of the rails.

Jon

Jon, thx for the info.