Menard box cars and hoppers

Photos

I have a few of the Menards cars and am happy them. Some started out with issues that were for the most part easy to remedy. Replacement of trucks was the most costly. The hopper car similar to yours would derail on my curves. I have 036 and 042 curves. It took me a bit to figure out the wheels were hitting the ladders. I just cut of the ladders that extended down beyond the frame. They are an inexpensive way to build a consist.
Dan

Agreed Dan. The coal hoppers in picture just came out recently and the quality is a bit better. I bought some Union Pacific which rock back and forth a bit went going down the track.

I had one of their box cars that rocked quite abit as well, I was able to make a thin washer from plastic bubble packaging and placed it between the truck and the car bottom. Had to fuss with it abit to get it the right thickness but it took out the slack and stopped the wobble/rocking. The inexpensive fixes are the most satisfying fixes.

Dan

Dan, thanks for the tip. I was thinking about some kind of washer, just never ended up doing it, maybe I’ll try your fix. Thanks.

I bought a 6 car set of tank cars.  The only issue was that each one had one wheel set out of the truck.  Now, each car was in its own box, and inner packing, and all 6 fit perfectly in the shipping box, so my guess is they were packed that way in China.  That could question their QA capabilities, or maybe they also have gorillas in the shipping dept as we do in this country.  Put the wheels back in and have had not other issues.

CALNC

There seems to be more Menards cars with issue from the factory (China) than not. China doesn't seem to care much for QC as they have a captive buyer base (most of the US). Nothing here is a safety issue. (we'll see how that stands up now that they are producing electric locomotives). I have either lived with or tried to correct the issues myself. So far most of the people who see my trains running don't notice the issues, only me. Menards will take back anything they sell usually with no questions asked save for a reason to put on the paperwork. So there is that option if you don't want to deal with messing around with them. I haven't really felt the need to return any yet.

Dan

Dan I am with you . One can expect to have something wrong with there Rolling stock. I have some that or in the shop with no trucks waiting to be fixed. Like there designs.  I think in there last add on ore cars they said $ 13.00 dollars a car after rebate.  So i figure add a set of trucks is doable. I do kadees on my Rolling stock so under carriage gets a compete change. They look great when done and gee no derails.

My major complaint with the Menard's rolling stock is the trucks they use.  I have a bunch of their boxcars, they're ideal for taking on the road to modular shows, not a lot of delicate detail to break off, and pretty decent looking paint.  Some of the issues should be trivial for them to address, for one the wheelsets are not gauged correctly.  50 thousands doesn't sound like much, but it's enough to create issues with a number of my Ross switches.  Properly gauged rolling stock has no problem at all.  The other major issue is the couplers, too many of them either don't couple, or randomly open during operation.  I'm replacing trucks on many of the cars with MTH freight trucks, but that's something I shouldn't have to do .

I agree GRJ. The couplers don’t function well. You save money buying less expensive cars but then you have.to spend money to make them right.

Yes I have the same issues with mounting. I am not sure if a guy can switch out all of there different model types but so far I have only purchased 2 models. Tank cars and hopper. I agree with John on having to do this at all . But asking a company to change anything at $13.00 a car after rebate. I am not so sure they can without affecting there profit. I also have issue with MTH and Lionel offering cars for kadee's to be mounted but no offer for trucks with no couplers so you have to disassemble there couplers to make that transition. I guess it's about money's

@Bill Grafmiller posted:

But asking a company to change anything at $13.00 a car after rebate. I am not so sure they can without affecting there profit.

Not sure where the $13.00 comes from. I just checked a boxcar, and it totaled out at $33.66 including shipping, with the mail-in rebate. (Their "processing fee" effectively wipes out the rebate, incidentally.)

I should be done buying freight cars as I run my freight set on an elevated track above my layout. It has a figure eight on one end and the front of the steam engine misses the back end of the caboose by about two inches. I don’t have the room to park extra cars.
Dan

@breezinup posted:

Not sure where the $13.00 comes from. I just checked a boxcar, and it totaled out at $33.66 including shipping, with the mail-in rebate. (Their "processing fee" effectively wipes out the rebate, incidentally.)

Well I am talking 8pk . I am  going to run ore car train.

@Dan Kenny posted:

I should be done buying freight cars as I run my freight set on an elevated track above my layout. It has a figure eight on one end and the front of the steam engine misses the back end of the caboose by about two inches. I don’t have the room to park extra cars.
Dan

Don't you get bored with the same stuff there month after month?

@breezinup posted:

Not sure where the $13.00 comes from. I just checked a boxcar, and it totaled out at $33.66 including shipping, with the mail-in rebate. (Their "processing fee" effectively wipes out the rebate, incidentally.)

Since I can't spend the rebate, it's wiped out before I get it.

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

Don't you get bored with the same stuff there month after month?

It’s all relative to the space you have and the $ priorities a person has. I’m satisfied running what I have.