Low-Priced Cars and Fastrack from Menards

I wonder who makes the cars?

 

Art

banjo,

   Thanks for the heads up don't need the box cars right now, if you happen to see a deal like this for some loaded logging cars please let me know, I am looking for around for some nice ones.

PCRR/Dave

I was wondering the exact same thing, Art. They almost look like Weaver cars.

Very interesting that Menards is selling new stock as the hobby heads into the summer slow down. I wonder if these boxcars were to be delivered before Christmas and arrived to late for the Holiday Season. I think they look similar to Williams boxcars depending on the size.

Bill,

   They do look like Williams box cars no doubt about it.

PCRR/Dave

Those fishbelly frames and prewar Lionel looking brake detail is making me think Williams...or whoever makes them for WBB.   I'd be getting a few, but right now the track deal sounds even better !

Looks like WBB or WBB knock-offs.

 

Rusty

Menards had a Bachmann HO Scale set made in 2013. These most likely came from the Kader-Bachmann factory in China. The underframe is just like the Williams box cars.

 

Andrew

The fastrack deal which is great IMHO is for in store pickup only, and not available online with shipping according to the website.

 

The rolling stock does seem to be available for shipping via the website.

Does anyone know if these are sized closer to "traditional" size or "scale size?

Williams typically was right down the middle.

Yeah, I see that too. Oh well..it did say while supplies last. There must not have been much of it available if it's already gone.

Mark

There's some in the KY store (the closest location to me) which is several hundred miles away, so its not a good deal for me.  The boxcars look to be williams by bachmann and at $20 dollars a pop, are still a good deal.

 

Menards is also offering 11% rebate on these items, but again, not available for web purchases so that lowers the price even further if you live close by.

In addition to the brake reservoir attached to the underframe like on the Williams cars, the dimensions given are the same dimensions given in the Williams catalogs.  Williams owns and uses the molds originally used by AMT for their “scale” box cars introduced in the early 1950’s before Lionel came out with their 6464 box cars.  Those molds were also used by Kusan, Kris Model Trains and Franks Roundhouse over the years.  Those cars are about ½” longer and slightly higher and wider than a Lionel 6464 box car.  

 

Many of those cars pictured in that ad have been made by Williams in the past (of course without the “Made by Menards 2014” graphic) but with additional detail such as road numbers (only the Wisconsin Central boxcar which is likely a new run for Menards shows a road number), door opening dimensions printed on the doors and reporting marks which are not shown in the end views of these cars on the Menards website.  So they appear to be dummied-down versions especially made by Williams for Menards.

 

I don’t have any but owners report that these Williams box cars ride higher than other cars.

 

With the Lionel logo in the lower right corner of the ad (for the FasTrack), I’m sure many uninformed buyers will be misled that the cars are made by Lionel, too.

 

Bill

 

Regardless of the quality of these cars, you have to give kudos to a mainstream retailer for continuing to support the hobby.  No other mainstream retailer is doing this.  These boxcars are perhaps signalling their intent to continue pushing these products all year round instead of just over the holidays. 

 

I'd love to know who at Menards is behind this.  Perhaps one of the senior executives is in the hobby?  Because otherwise it does not make a whole lot of sense why any company would be pushing an old hobby like this.  I find it especially interesting since its headquarters, and the many of its stores, are in areas that don't exactly have a ton of people in the hobby like in other areas of the country.

 

Good for them and I look forward to seeing more of what they offer.

I'm all for $20 train cars. They look good to me.

There are two other new ones not shown on the advertisement for $24.99.  They are weathered.

 

http://www.menards.com/main/p-2264907-c-13318.htm

http://www.menards.com/main/p-2264899-c-13318.htm

Back about a year or two I started a post asking why we have highly detailed 1/24 scale die cast police car models for $10 but we can't get a decent box car for $20. I got beat up pretty good....many said I was uninformed on the hobby. Seems Menards is just as dumb as I am!!!!  I'll buy a few even though I need zero.

AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!  I can't wait until they finish building their new store right down the street from me in Richmond Heights, MO (St. Louis).  Last thing I need is more freight cars, but what the heck..

Sure looks like Menards has a train guy in their merchandising department.

Maine Central - gotta have it!

Bill,

It's a little higher than that. Owner John Menard is a train guy.

Brad

look at the bottom right hand corner of the flyer.

there is a Lionel Logo, So I am assuming that these

are Lionel cars and Lionel makes the fasttrack.

has anyone bought any of the buildings? they look like woodland scenic for a pretty well discounted price.

We know that Lionel makes the FasTrack, and I agree with others that these low-priced box cars from Menards’s are good for the hobby, but that’s what I meant in my post above by misleading advertising!

 

Some hobbyists who buy those cars through the website are not going to be happy when they receive them and find out they are not Lionel!

 

Bill

 

 

After close examination of the illustrations, I am convinced they are Williams. Why would anyone be unhappy after purchasing a quality boxcar for 20 bucks be surprised or unhappy they are not Lionel?

Richard - If they're unhappy with the Williams name, I'll GLADLY take all their sadness off their hands!! Mail your sadness to me - I'm in St. Louis

If $20 box cars are a sign of things to come this doesn't bode well for MTH or Lionel. After the Chinese get a solid hold on manufacturing the products of an American business like Lionel, the next move is to eliminate the "middle man" and market here directly. In the view of the Chinese business mind Lionel, Atlas and MTH are just importers and marketers of products. They figured out that they can warehouse, establish an American office, enjoy better profitability and sell here more effectively themselves. Such is the culmination of closing and moving manufacturing to China. What goes around comes around.  

I've bought most of them, and that's what most of them are - Woodland Scenics.  Less interior details and at first they had no lighting....but a heck of a deal, especially if you got them during the Christmas clearance sales.  The one exception is the wooden bar.  I think that's from a Bar Mills kit.  I have that one too and it is nice.

I first saw these in an ad in a mag that floated in yesterday....I immediately thought

they looked like AMT/Kris, etc. etc. cars as Wfttrains has stated above.  Luckily, since

they are jumping off the shelves, there are no roadnames of interest here YET.  (I

had seen the title of this post on here previously but had not opened it, which means

if there had been something, I would have been Johnny come lately)  I certainly wish

Menards economic success with these, as you can hardly find model paint or glue in

most big box stores.

The 0-27 description seems to be a give away. Closer to traditional than scale. In that case I wouldn't be interested. But, I am not sue by any means...

If they are the Williams/Kris/Auburn molds they are larger than Lionel 6464 box cars, closer to the ARA boxcars that Weaver makes.

Interesting development on these.. I got an email regarding my order status this afternoon from Menard's.  Apparently, the cars still in China and have to float over the big drink, so the ads they ran for them are premature.  The lady said any orders placed will be pre-orders that they will try to fulfill around May 22 if there are no further delays.  -Scott