Menard Trains Quality

I bought a few kind of flimsy. I have a couple tank cars, they look ok on the layout.

@yanksali posted:

Hi

I was thinking of buying some Menard train peosucts but know nothing about the company.Has anyone bought Menard O scale train and accessories ? I am curious as to where they are manufactured and what  the quality  is of their trains and  accessories.  They  seem rather inexpensive compared to other brands

Their buildings with lighting are a great purchase and a pretty much rock solid. The rolling spot on the other hand can have issues. Sometimes the wheels are not just space properly or gauged. The cars are a little light and cats and can cause issues. But on the other hand, if you’re just getting into a hobby, or you’re looking for cars, the place on sidings or in a yard This is the way to go very inexpensive great markings except for the problems with the wheels very much like the original MPC

I think you get what you pay for. I don't mean that in a bad way, many people don't want to spend $60-$90 for a brand new piece of rolling stock and they fill that market well. Check out RMT cars too for a good value.

Menards buildings are a lot of pressed particle board, stickers, and hot glue, but they offer a lot for the money. I have several of their buildings and really like them, just be prepared to reglue some trim or small details. Out of 4 buildimgs I had to reglue one smokestack and a ladder. I can deal with that kid of stuff for the price they charge. Last year they had a buy one get one so I got 2 of their big buildings for around $125 shipped. That was a great deal.

@PRRick posted:

I think you get what you pay for. I don't mean that in a bad way, many people don't want to spend $60-$90 for a brand new piece of rolling stock and they fill that market well. Check out RMT cars too for a good value.

Menards buildings are a lot of pressed particle board, stickers, and hot glue, but they offer a lot for the money. I have several of their buildings and really like them, just be prepared to reglue some trim or small details. Out of 4 buildimgs I had to reglue one smokestack and a ladder. I can deal with that kid of stuff for the price they charge. Last year they had a buy one get one so I got 2 of their big buildings for around $125 shipped. That was a great deal.

Agreed the building sometimes need work, but for the price they charge and how nice they look, you can’t go wrong. I like their rolling stock to throw in sidings do a repaint or give to the grandkids to destroy. On the other hand, the tubular track they make is phenomenal

Part of the reason for their lower pricing is that Menards' is a home-improvement chain and doesn't rely on the trains in any significant way for it's overall earnings, unlike the dedicated train manufacturers servicing this market.

I have probably 50 of their cars, from their small flatcars and ore cars all the way to their large flatcars and enclosed auto carriers and while I haven't had the chance to unbox all of them, the worst I've encountered were some misaligned wheelsets (which can be popped back into their respective pockets in the truck sideframes) overly-tight couplers on its earliest flatcars (long since corrected), and some slightly wobbly autoracks (also correctable by squeezing the mounting pins a little). Everything else has been fine.

---PCJ

@RailRide posted:

Part of the reason for their lower pricing is that Menards' is a home-improvement chain and doesn't rely on the trains in any significant way for it's overall earnings, unlike the dedicated train manufacturers servicing this market.

I have probably 50 of their cars, from their small flatcars and ore cars all the way to their large flatcars and enclosed auto carriers and while I haven't had the chance to unbox all of them, the worst I've encountered were some misaligned wheelsets (which can be popped back into their respective pockets in the truck sideframes) overly-tight couplers on its earliest flatcars (long since corrected), and some slightly wobbly autoracks (also correctable by squeezing the mounting pins a little). Everything else has been fine.

---PCJ

For pricing, you cannot go wrong.

Never had any issues with anything I bought from them. If I was still buying O scale I wouldn't hesitate to buy them.

I have a bunch of the Menard's boxcars.  The trucks and couplers are problematic, but I like the paint jobs, the graphics are quite good.  These are the perfect cars to pack up for modular shows, they're not nearly as fragile as Atlas or modern Lionel cars are with all the breakable detail.

I'm working to replace many of the trucks on my cars, I'm working my way through the Reading cars first.  I'm using MTH Premier freight trucks, they're fairly easy to replace.  I do have to drill out the mounting hole slightly for the MTH trucks, but the hardest part is opening up the cars for the mods.

Don't forget to trim the lowest hanging detail for the brake cylinder, it catches on all sorts of stuff!

Good quality at the price point. I have the beta 1 F7 diesel and a bunch of their cars. Agree with all previous posts on the issues. All of them manageable.

Bob

I bought this car used from my LHS, got it home and realized the wheels hit the lower step all all sides and the car kept derailing.  I dremeled the lower black steps off and all is well. This car says built in 2017 so hopefully it's been fixed since then. Haven't had any issue with the trucks themselves.

All of the buildings I have bought from them have been great. The rolling stock a little more hit and miss. The open hopper as noted above will crash into itself and derail if you don’t trim the stairs. Some boxcars are wobbly. I’ve been really happy with the gondola, closed roof hopper, flat car, and three dome tank cars.

Thanks for all the replies. I wasn’t expecting their products are great quality for the price,( $25 for a box car)   but just wanted to know if they are total junk and  not worth buying.

Menards Railway Cars IMO

Running stock /cars

Graphics and paint are good

Many roads offered But  you won’t, at present, find obscure road names example belt lines, but there is a verity of road names.

How they run

I’ve had limited problems, problems mostly with couplers opening up but those few and far between and one clearance issue as shown in another post. One forum member used the plastic bread closers to get more clearance. I wish I had thought of that.

I have added weights to some cars, hoppers, if I remember correctly

I also think the trucks are better now than the early releases. I’ve had no wheels binding and did years ago on a couple of cars.

Why it matters

I just saw a used Big  Boy for 4200 usd. I am not discussing or debating the value of the Big Boy but every 3 months or so honored members of this forum lament the”hobby dying “ or  “young kids getting into trains as opposed to vid games”.  
The price of elite offerings are not for kids or for many returning operators. Also the elite offerings take more sophisticated set ups to run.(please correct me if this is not the case, I’m a conventional operator).

These Menards offerings again, imo, offers a great gateway into the hobby. Especially now that Menards is offering sets and their offerings are expanding. These Menards cars are real Grandkid runners. Colorful, some candy inspired, replaceable.

Dad and Grandad ,or Mom and Grandma, can easily pick up and hold the offerings before purchase as compared to the interweb purchases. H##l  we’re at Menards weekly anyway.

Buildings

I like the buildings a lot and have several but have yet to light them. Will be asking this forum for help at that time. Think I want other than wall warts.

Engines

I have purchased 1 engine a SF F1 Beta2?  But that’s not going to work on my layout as it can’t run in conventional. So no thoughts on that.

Track

I have used Menards track as I’m the only living person who uses O gauge Tubular track. It has fewer cross supports, ties, than Lionel and K line per equal radius and length. I thought it good enough to gift to my son. So it works and Menards by way of advertising does show an associate standing on the 40inch straight.

I like Menards train stuff especially for the value/price point.

Steve

@train steve

You aren’t the only one using tubular! My layout also uses Menards tubular!

That’s a Menards FP7 in the first photo.

@train steve posted:

I just saw a used Big  Boy for 4200 usd.
Also the elite offerings take more sophisticated set ups to run.(please correct me if this is not the case, I’m a conventional operator).- False

Funny how it swings both ways.

Menards F3 starter engine offering won't run in conventional- but does run smaller curves

but yet that $4200 Visionline Bigboy would operate under conventional- but then does require minimum O-72 curves.

Ross

If I’d seen your ballast sooner I might of gone in a different direction it looks great

Vernon

Duh thanks for the correction re running systems

I have several of the Menard's rolling stock(ore, gondola, & hopper cars) that perform well.  I did add weight to most of them and they go through Lionel switches fairly well too.  Several have issues with trucks/wheels, but they are a bargain for the price.  After spending $220 for 4 Lionel tank cars, I  plan to buy a few of the Menard's tank cars and they have a wide variety too.

I have recently bought several of their buildings and they are very good.  I really like them.  The lighting and animated signage is top notch.

Menard's has been superb in replacing engines and cars that have exhibited wheel gauge and coupler problems that others have noted above. Their product low cost, unique offerings, color/lettering quality, and good replacement service--despite all the quality issues--make me a committed and continual customer for their model train products.

I have maybe a dozen boxcars with one problem with a truck becoming unattached from the frame. I replaced the C clip with one from my parts supply and no problem since. I have three of their buildings all work great.

@train steve posted:

Menards Railway Cars IMO

Engines

I have purchased 1 engine a SF F1 Beta2?  But that’s not going to work on my layout as it can’t run in conventional. So no thoughts on that.

Track

I have used Menards track as I’m the only living person who uses O gauge Tubular track. It has fewer cross supports, ties, than Lionel and K line per equal radius and length. I thought it good enough to gift to my son. So it works and Menards by way of advertising does show an associate standing on the 40inch straight.

I like Menards train stuff especially for the value/price point.

Steve

The F7 will only run with the supplied remote. Just set the transformer at 12-14v and hand the remote to the grandkids.....

My layout is 027 tubular. Lot's of tubular O layouts out there still.

RSJB 18

Do you need more o27 track , yours n/c if you want it

Steve

I received last year as a gift from one of my grandsons, a Menards Flat Car, with a yellow bus on it bearing the Peanut M&Ms logos. Not exactly my cup of tea, but the car and couplers seem to run fine in the middle of my train of Lionel cars.  I keep it under the table, . . .  unless he comes over.

Mannyrock

I often say that Menards stuff sometimes needs to be fiddled with to have it work right, but it's the way to go if you want to buy a whole train and have a few bucks left in your pocket.

@train steve posted:

RSJB 18

Do you need more o27 track , yours n/c if you want it

Steve

Thanks but no. Hopefully this layout comes down one day to be replaced by a larger layout with proper curves and better track (Gargraves), and switches (Ross).
All of the 027 will receive a proper send-off.......

Bob

@train steve posted:

Menards Railway Cars IMO

Running stock /cars

Graphics and paint are good

Many roads offered But  you won’t, at present, find obscure road names example belt lines, but there is a verity of road names.

< snip >

Why it matters

< snip >

These Menards offerings again, imo, offers a great gateway into the hobby. Especially now that Menards is offering sets and their offerings are expanding. These Menards cars are real Grandkid runners. Colorful, some candy inspired, replaceable.

Dad and Grandad ,or Mom and Grandma, can easily pick up and hold the offerings before purchase as compared to the interweb purchases. H##l  we’re at Menards weekly anyway.

Buildings

I like the buildings a lot and have several but have yet to light them.

< snip >

I like Menards train stuff especially for the value/price point.

Steve

I'm with you on these points, Steve!

I'm sure I'm not the only one who's had the Menards experience of the beloved with us saying, "We need this" as she picks up the M&Ms hopper car with the M&M figures in it!  (That happened to me two weeks ago!)  The week after last Xmas the same thing happened and we walked out with two additional Menards buildings.  (No, I'm not complaining!)

Thanks for all of the replies

Can menard cars be used with Lionel and mth cars?

Yes but run heavier cars in front and check coupler height