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MONON_JIM posted:George S posted:This may have been covered, but which power adapter are you using?
It was covered but I am using the one they sell.
They sell 3 different ones; 1000ma, 2000ma, and 5000ma. It's possible that the 1000ma power adapter is marginal for the building. It has 30 LEDs and a large animated sign. The 30 LEDs alone could consume 600ma. The sign could consume over 500ma, which puts you above the limit of the 1000ma power adapter especially as it goes through its cycle. Shame on Menards if this is the issue, because they don't tell you anywhere, but I would at least try the 2000 ma power adapter.
George
wild mary posted:Menards really needs to step up their QC program. Being realistic you can shrug off a piece of rolling that's not right but to shrug off a $99.99 Morton Salt building that doesn't function as expected is a totally different story. I really think Menards is in over their head with these elaborate lighting schemes and animations. The one thing I fear is that train stuff is such an infinitesimal part of their overall business they may eventually say it's not worth the trouble and drop it altogether. Caveat Emptor!
How about Lionel, MTH QC on $500 - $1000 engines. I know some who have returned to one of them 3 times for same thing and still not fixed
George S posted:MONON_JIM posted:George S posted:This may have been covered, but which power adapter are you using?
It was covered but I am using the one they sell.
They sell 3 different ones; 1000ma, 2000ma, and 5000ma. It's possible that the 1000ma power adapter is marginal for the building. It has 30 LEDs and a large animated sign. The 30 LEDs alone could consume 600ma. The sign could consume over 500ma, which puts you above the limit of the 1000ma power adapter especially as it goes through its cycle. Shame on Menards if this is the issue, because they don't tell you anywhere, but I would at least try the 2000 ma power adapter.
George
I took it back but may go to the store and try one. Worth a shot at this point.
Apparently you can make a lot of money on this building. There are three on eBay ranging from $125 to $140 while you can still buy them from Menards at $99.
Tanner111 posted:I emailed Menards about the issues I had with this building and I just got this response. I will refrain from adding any color.
Well, that's a real shame and I appreciate your letting us know.
Which is actually the real point to this post.
wild mary posted:Anyone notice that Mark the Menards man has been absent through this topic?
Ya, I was wondering the same thing
My latest problem with a Wallys service station has not been resolved either. I picked up this special order at my Menards after waiting 6 days. Bring it home and some of the LEDs are not working. Search high and low for a customer service #. Had to email customer service. I did get a quick response. I was told that I would have someone reaching out to me from the store within 24 hrs. That was on Friday. Now it is Tuesday and I have not heard from anyone yet. Seems to me customer service should handle it and not pass the buck to the store level.
jini5 posted:My latest problem with a Wallys service station has not been resolved either. I picked up this special order at my Menards after waiting 6 days. Bring it home and some of the LEDs are not working. Search high and low for a customer service #. Had to email customer service. I did get a quick response. I was told that I would have someone reaching out to me from the store within 24 hrs. That was on Friday. Now it is Tuesday and I have not heard from anyone yet. Seems to me customer service should handle it and not pass the buck to the store level.
But they will not let you talk to anyone from customer service, fax, email or snail mail only because they want a written record of your problem, so they know what waste basket to throw it in.
rattler21 posted:George S posted:Apparently you can make a lot of money on this building. There are three on eBay ranging from $125 to $140 while you can still buy them from Menards at $99.
I think sales tax is added to the $99. Not that much slack after ebay/PayPal fees in the range of 14-18% of the gross selling price plus postage. John
Not if you are a high volume seller.
Well, I shop at Menards all the time and I can honestly say that if I want to buy something that works well, I dont buy it there. If I want a good deal or everyday stuff like hardware then it cant be beat. I'm not going to spend 4 hours trying to resolve an issue I can fix myself in 1, I have much better stuff to do.
Matt Makens posted:Well, I shop at Menards all the time and I can honestly say that if I want to buy something that works well, I dont buy it there. If I want a good deal or everyday stuff like hardware then it cant be beat. I'm not going to spend 4 hours trying to resolve an issue I can fix myself in 1, I have much better stuff to do.
That is you, Matt. I don't have the patience to trouble something brand new. If I wanted to work on buildings I would buy kits
I don't think I should spend several hours taking apart $300 passenger cars to re-glue parts and make minor repairs but non-the-less I do it because at the end of the day, nobody will do a better job for me than me. Just because I don't think I should have to doesn't mean I'm not going to. Path of least resistance is the best way to go.
I find the Menards buildings to be pretty unique. I think they are priced right and are actually somewhat of a bargain. The Morton Salt building is very cool! I may just buy one. Certainly, the flickering lights are an issue, but there is likely a resolution, whether it is a more powerful power pack or isolating the illumination from the animated sign control board. The latter takes effort, but the result may be worth it. Where else are you going to get such a nice building for your layout? You don't have to have it on your layout if you think it is too much hassle, but to some it provides a real upgrade to the layout.
It's an interesting dilemma. Menards may need to spend more on support and engineering to provide the level of service demanded for this product, but that may significantly increase the price to where no one would buy it. I think it is worthwhile at the current price, flickering lights and all. To each his own.
George
Matt Makens posted:I don't think I should spend several hours taking apart $300 passenger cars to re-glue parts and make minor repairs but non-the-less I do it because at the end of the day, nobody will do a better job for me than me. Just because I don't think I should have to doesn't mean I'm not going to. Path of least resistance is the best way to go.
Matt,
Here is a new venture for you, upgrading Menards buildings. 
Could be a niche...
George
To each his own but now you are out a bunch of time, a bunch of gas, you don't have a building and you still don't have any patience. But you probably gained a bunch of anguish over all of this and i bet your blood pressure is now bit higher. You tell me, is there in value in that? will a new building make it all better? What if the next one is the same as the rest? Then what, you start this all over. I don't think you should have to do that either but given the data set you've provided it is the most likely scenario. Then you'll find out there is something wrong with your wall wart and it was all for naught.
I finally took mine out of the box and tested it with the Menard's 4.5 volt AC power supply 2000ma and all the lights work fine.
Neal Jeter
jini5 posted:wild mary posted:Anyone notice that Mark the Menards man has been absent through this topic?
Ya, I was wondering the same thing
Is there some requirement that he monitor it?
Good heavens! Menards hasn't looked at the OGR forum all day! It's a conspiracy to steal out money! Oh, my! Lionel didn't get back to me in 30 minutes--my next one had better be free!
Come on, guys! It seems that some of us believe we are the only business these people have to do, that these companies should be at our beck and call 24/7. Gee, I don't get this upset when my doctor's office is closed and I am really sick.
These items are toys, folks. The Free World will not come to an end if our complaints are not resolved the same day. Let's keep a sense of proportion.
Matt Makens posted:To each his own but now you are out a bunch of time, a bunch of gas, you don't have a building and you still don't have any patience. But you probably gained a bunch of anguish over all of this and i bet your blood pressure is now bit higher. You tell me, is there in value in that? will a new building make it all better? What if the next one is the same as the rest? Then what, you start this all over. I don't think you should have to do that either but given the data set you've provided it is the most likely scenario. Then you'll find out there is something wrong with your wall wart and it was all for naught.
You assume my blood pressure is up, I assure you it is not. It is not you so don't worry. I want what I pay for, I expect answers and I expect a product that works. For me it is a matter of principle. Some people do still have them. As far as patience goes, what kind of company has no live customer service people? There are other posts on here where their inquiries were either ignored or the simple, thanks for letting us know.
George S posted:Matt Makens posted:I don't think I should spend several hours taking apart $300 passenger cars to re-glue parts and make minor repairs but non-the-less I do it because at the end of the day, nobody will do a better job for me than me. Just because I don't think I should have to doesn't mean I'm not going to. Path of least resistance is the best way to go.
Matt,
Here is a new venture for you, upgrading Menards buildings.
George
If you have the expertise to do it then do it. I do not and that is why I went the prebuilt route. Glad you can fix it yourself, however you did not get what you paid for and as long as people like you fix the companies mistakes, they don't have too.
MONON_JIM posted:George S posted:Matt Makens posted:I don't think I should spend several hours taking apart $300 passenger cars to re-glue parts and make minor repairs but non-the-less I do it because at the end of the day, nobody will do a better job for me than me. Just because I don't think I should have to doesn't mean I'm not going to. Path of least resistance is the best way to go.
Matt,
Here is a new venture for you, upgrading Menards buildings.
George
If you have the expertise to do it then do it. I do not and that is why I went the prebuilt route. Glad you can fix it yourself, however you did not get what you paid for and as long as people like you fix the companies mistakes, they don't have too.
Ok, now you are just being snotty. I think we all got your point. I told you to try a bigger power pack. Until you do, there's nothing else to add.
George
The went to the store and tried a larger power pack it made no difference. Have to go to another store and try it there. There are no directions in the box nor does it say which power cord to use. Thanks for the information.
MONON_JIM posted:George S posted:Matt Makens posted:I don't think I should spend several hours taking apart $300 passenger cars to re-glue parts and make minor repairs but non-the-less I do it because at the end of the day, nobody will do a better job for me than me. Just because I don't think I should have to doesn't mean I'm not going to. Path of least resistance is the best way to go.
Matt,
Here is a new venture for you, upgrading Menards buildings.
George
If you have the expertise to do it then do it. I do not and that is why I went the prebuilt route. Glad you can fix it yourself, however you did not get what you paid for and as long as people like you fix the companies mistakes, they don't have too.
I can see both sides of the discussion. I agree with Matt that no one will fix stuff for him better than him and I also agree that for $100 (whether it is a toy or not) any product should work as advertised but as Jim mentioned if companies start relying on folks fixing everything themselves then what incentive do they have to make a quality product? We all know that O scale started out as a craftsman's scale and still is to some people. This is sort of a conundrum of our scale. I have found this thread to be very interesting and I sincerely hope that Monon Jim can get this resolved to his satisfaction.
I think Menards should have never included lights with their buildings if they weren't going to make a bullet proof lighting system. This would have saved them and the customers a lot of time and trouble.
Phil,
I could not have said it better!
John
My salt factory did the same thing until I hooked it up to the 2000mA supply. All then worked fine with no flickering. It does seem like Menards would publish the minimum requirement for the supply. Sorry to hear that the larger power supply did not fix your problem.
Hi guys, I need to apologize as I’ve been gone a few days. I can pass along to you the things I know about the Morton Salt Building.
1. It has been a very good building with zero defects.
2. It takes at least our 2 AMP transformer because of all the lights and the very large animated signs and if you try to run it with a smaller one the lights will flicker, especially if you run it for a while and then the transformer starts to overheat, and puts out even less power than it does when cool.
3. The building is a great buy, if you went to purchase the 2 large signs alone, you’d pay about as much as you do for the whole building.
4. In keeping with our limited run policy you can sell them for a lot more money that you paid for them on EBay. What’s wrong with that??
5. No we don’t employ as many engineers as General Motors and yes, these products will probably always reflect that. But we are a very small group of dedicated (some would say obsessed) O gauge enthusiasts in a very large company that are being allowed to pursue our hobby and our dream, but only as long as we don’t cause the main organization any harm and we don’t become a pain in the butt. We respectfully request that if you guys want us to go on, we need your help and encouragement in solving any problems and not just preaching about how we should be perfect, (our wives already beat you to that). L
6. Recognize most people do not understand our Hobby, some of our stores are lucky enough to employ a fellow hobbyist or 2 or at least somebody that gets it, but some are not able to.
7. There is definitely a disconnect somewhere with Monon Jim’s experience because it is highly improbable that 3 or more building would all “Flicker” in basically the same way unless under powered and we respectfully would like to know EXACTLY what power source he is using, sku#?? Which store? (we have over 300) We certainly will exchange or give Jim his money back and apparently have done so 3 times already.
This is offered in the spirit of helping our Hobby and our community of
O Gaugers and is not meant to be hard on anybody.
Thanks!!
Mark the Menards Train Guy
Well said Mark ! Well said..I've been reading these posts while my wife is in ICU and didn't want to comment. Well, today she got out of ICU and feels better. I must say, I have every building Menards has produced, and have Never had a problem. Keep up the great work and still waiting for the next release.. Bob
Mark, you da MAN! I know you didn't have to come out and say something, But it sure shows that you care about the hobby and those of us in it! I love all that I get from Menards and the service they give. I don't even live near one and order all my stuff on line! Please make sure the big BOSS MAN knows that there are people out here that buy from you cause of your product and quality service!
cabinet Bob posted:Well said Mark ! Well said..I've been reading these posts while my wife is in ICU and didn't want to comment. Well, today she got out of ICU and feel better. I must say, I have every building Menards has produced, and have Never had a problem. Keep up the great work and still waiting for the next release.. Bob
Bob, I think this is sign. The next Menards building should be a hospital and it should feature two figures leaving the front entrance and heading for home!
cabinet Bob posted:Well said Mark ! Well said..I've been reading these posts while my wife is in ICU and didn't want to comment. Well, today she got out of ICU and feel better. I must say, I have every building Menards has produced, and have Never had a problem. Keep up the great work and still waiting for the next release.. Bob
Good point Bob! Please do tell us Mark, what is NEXT! LOL
Just an FYI: I was able to recreate the flickering lights issue on my Morton Salt Building by plugging it into a 1.5A power supply.
Once I replugged it to the 2.0A, all lights are fine.
cabinet Bob posted:Well said Mark ! Well said..I've been reading these posts while my wife is in ICU and didn't want to comment. Well, today she got out of ICU and feel better. I must say, I have every building Menards has produced, and have Never had a problem. Keep up the great work and still waiting for the next release.. Bob
Good news on leaving ICU. Something tells me that you never left her side.
TShearer posted:cabinet Bob posted:Well said Mark ! Well said..I've been reading these posts while my wife is in ICU and didn't want to comment. Well, today she got out of ICU and feel better. I must say, I have every building Menards has produced, and have Never had a problem. Keep up the great work and still waiting for the next release.. Bob
Good news on leaving ICU. Something tells me that you never left her side.
He knew better! Would have got one hell of a butt kicking!
oh no! Last week I bought the salt plant, the pepsi plant and the train station along with their power supplies. I had better test them tomorrow but most likely I will return them. Don’t want a model that isn’t fully functioning.
Sounds like the beginning of an interesting tale: "what do you get when you combine a salt plant, a Pepsi plant, and a train station?" 
Folks,
I'm so glad we have a definitive answer on this issue, but now I need to debate the title of this post. The Morton Salt building is awesome, but happiness is sitting at the bar at the Plaza in NYC (the Rose Bar) with a cocktail, listening to jazz!😛 (By the way, I'm there now.)
George
Bill Bish posted:oh no! Last week I bought the salt plant, the pepsi plant and the train station along with their power supplies. I had better test them tomorrow but most likely I will return them. Don’t want a model that isn’t fully functioning.
Bill, why would you return them? If you use the right power supply like Mark and others have said they should work just fine!
I also say, well said Mark! I have at least 10enards buildings and no problems, but I am careful about the right power supply, it just makes sense! But, just a thought, knowing what Bob has been through the last few days puts all these little problems with our toys in the proper perspective for me! All my toys can burn if it means he and his wife are safe at home and happy! That at least I'm sure we can all agree on! Just sayin! love ya Dad!
play trains posted:I also say, well said Mark! I have at least 10enards buildings and no problems, but I am careful about the right power supply, it just makes sense! But, just a thought, knowing what Bob has been through the last few days puts all these little problems with our toys in the proper perspective for me! All my toys can burn if it means he and his wife are safe at home and happy! That at least I'm sure we can all agree on! Just sayin! love ya Dad!
Well said! Way to bro!
First of all my Menard's only had one type of power supply an that was the 1000mw one. So kind of hard to get a 2 or 5 if you do not know they exist. The box does not say which to get. Secondly it has been a week and I haven't heard from customer service yet. I am happy for those of you who have no problems with the buildings, I have a few that had no problems.
Menards posted:Hi guys, I need to apologize as I’ve been gone a few days. I can pass along to you the things I know about the Morton Salt Building.
1. It has been a very good building with zero defects.
2. It takes at least our 2 AMP transformer because of all the lights and the very large animated signs and if you try to run it with a smaller one the lights will flicker, especially if you run it for a while and then the transformer starts to overheat, and puts out even less power than it does when cool.
3. The building is a great buy, if you went to purchase the 2 large signs alone, you’d pay about as much as you do for the whole building.
4. In keeping with our limited run policy you can sell them for a lot more money that you paid for them on EBay. What’s wrong with that??
5. No we don’t employ as many engineers as General Motors and yes, these products will probably always reflect that. But we are a very small group of dedicated (some would say obsessed) O gauge enthusiasts in a very large company that are being allowed to pursue our hobby and our dream, but only as long as we don’t cause the main organization any harm and we don’t become a pain in the butt. We respectfully request that if you guys want us to go on, we need your help and encouragement in solving any problems and not just preaching about how we should be perfect, (our wives already beat you to that). L
6. Recognize most people do not understand our Hobby, some of our stores are lucky enough to employ a fellow hobbyist or 2 or at least somebody that gets it, but some are not able to.
7. There is definitely a disconnect somewhere with Monon Jim’s experience because it is highly improbable that 3 or more building would all “Flicker” in basically the same way unless under powered and we respectfully would like to know EXACTLY what power source he is using, sku#?? Which store? (we have over 300) We certainly will exchange or give Jim his money back and apparently have done so 3 times already.
This is offered in the spirit of helping our Hobby and our community of
O Gaugers and is not meant to be hard on anybody.
Thanks!!
Mark the Menards Train Guy
Mark,
1. First of all my store only had 1000ma adapter. No where on the packaging does it say which to use. I was told that was the one I needed.
2. They all flickered and I took videos of them. Not a disconnect at all. Not my fault if your employee gives the wrong information.
3. I have already mentioned earlier what stores the Michigan City, IN, store, which is my store, the Portage, IN and Valparaiso, IN also.
4. My store tested it and it did not work and discarded it.
5. Unlikely but it happened.
6. Others posted about their problems.
7. Did finally just got an email from Ray ,in customer service. He asked about the power supply and I explained it to him.
