Menards engine??

Well consider this, they would have to get tooling, and they would have to figure out how to make money. I would like the idea, if and only if they make Items that other manufacturers have made

I don't think that Menards could muster up the sales volume to make it profitable to outsource the manufacture of a loco.

   Bill T.

Perhaps RMT? I don't think it could be done cheaper by anyone else. Lionel would only be possible if they agreed to produce something cheap (read: junk) such as the DC powered "L.A.Z.E.R." engine - which I don't see happening.

Arty, I was thinking the same thing.  RMT may need a capital infusion to order more production runs.   They have a variety of loco models in addition to the Beeps.   Traditional size like the Menards rolling-stock.   I have a number of RMT locos and enjoy them all, but am running mostly LC+ now.

Timothy, did you mean "that other manufacturers have NOT made"?  Would be niche market if went with lesser known, but not obscure podunk rail lines.

Lionel might not appreciate Menards under cutting their LC line. Probably a no go from the Lionel side for business reasons. 

I was just muttering the same thing on another thread. Maybe a small diesel switcher or a docksider steamer?

Or maybe even an original like, say, a Quincy RR 2-6-2T? Maybe with a licenced Merkur or ETS 6-wheel drive unit?

Here's a pic, Mark.  http://farm6.static.flickr.com...72447_7eb8d62c6b.jpg

OK, maybe too much? Maybe a deal involving RMT S-4 switchers is more realistic.

Well, Menards has come from nowhere to offer some actually affordable cars, and

buildings, so...if that has been profitable, they may have a budget for it.  Are they

not already in a niche market, for people who don't want to spring $80 for a freight

car?  Podunk roads for different (puh-leeze!) steam prototypes would be what I am likely to spring for.....

Good Day,

Menards is a billion dollar company anything is possible!  Lionel, MTH and Atlas should pay attention.     

Regards,

Swafford

Maybe Menards could convince Kader Industries in manufacturing some basic diesel types. But I guess Kader would turn down any potential business that would be considered a competitor to its own WBB.

   Bill T.

First, which operating mode? Conventional with E reverser, or get a TMCC licensing for engine, or have MTH build a PS3 engine?

If Menards did ever start manufacturing loco's then I'd hope they go with DCC as those decoders are off the shelf ready to go. 

Since Menards appears to be going after the low end of the market with rolling stock,

I'd expect (FWIW) that they would become the new Williams/Marx....with highly sturdy, and simple and reliable engines, not priced for the affluent.  I am staying tuned...

Be interesting to see if "Mark the Menards guy" might drop hints or just out and out NO, or perhaps maybe.

I thought about this as well. If they did do it an army unit would go nicely with my Menards military cars. Of course it would have to have real pulling power because I have bought quite a few of their cars. 

Gentlemen,

   Swaffard is absolutely correct, Menards is a big money company, if they want to enter the full O Gauge business, they could certainly afford to due it.  MTH and Lionel might want to pay attention to Menard's business future plans.

PCRR/Dave

So, what your saying is Lionel and MTH should forsake their high-end, technology equipped locomotives and highly detailed rolling stock in favor of simplified, lesser detailed $20-$30 products.

Rusty

Works for me. I might could buy a new locomotive for a change!

Sure would attract a lot more new people to the hobby with a low priced, simple to run, conventional train set too.

I still can't figure out how Lionel justifies listing traditional type, non detailed rolling stock for $70 to $80. I can't blame Lionel for doing it because apparently there are plenty of folks that will pay to have that orange box.

Menards apparently has figured out how to use a third part manufacture and pay for shipping from China to its DC and still able to sell a traditional type non detailed boxcar for $20 to $25. 

   Bill T.

Its called Capitalism at its best, for this situation.  Not to veer off the topic rails on good,bad, ugly of capitalism (please don't), because so far I bet Menards is watching this and the engine threads to gauge interest.

It's been really cool to watch Menard's snowball into the o gauge business. I look forward to the release of their track and hopefully an engine! But here's an interesting question that hasn't really been addressed in detail: I HIGHLY doubt that menards would go out and create their own new toolings for a line of engines, so where would they get the molds to produce an engine? Maybe the type of engine they may produce could depend on the availability of a mold? All of this is said assuming menards doesn't contract out a big manufacturer to produce an engine. And if they did contract out an engine production, wouldn't that force Menards to break from their pattern of offering affordable train products? My guess would be that by the time the whole process was over and through, the pricetag would be far over what menards would like to offer it's customers. Thoughts?

Cheers from the Frozen North!

Zach

Atlas has highly detailed prototypical rolling stock, period.  Some of the others'

products look like caricatures, as though it was still 1946.  Another thread running

says Lionel will drop traditional trains...Menards can scoop that right up.  High end

technology, like in your pocket calculator, where it does work, is great, when it

works.  (they were giving those calculators away for free, for advertising purposes)

Rusty,

    No that is definitely not what I am saying, I am saying MTH & Lionel might just have some different competition in the near future if Menard's decides to enter the business on a full scale.  When Menard's 1st offering can out with the faulty couplers and poor trucks, I was not impressed and up-graded the entire truck package to MTH premier couplers and trucks, then Menard's surprised me and corrected their rolling stock with decent trucks and couplers.  This almost looks like when K-Line 1st entered the market, Menards might just surprise you in the near  future, depending on their business marketing plan.

PCRR/Dave

And that's the key phrase.

Trains are such a minor blip on Menard's bottom line that it very likely wouldn't be worth the effort to become a full line model train manufacturer.

Menard's has been offering all the easy stuff: freight cars, buildings and soon track.  Locomotives are an entirely different matter and level of complexity, even the simple ones.

Rusty

I'm glad to see Menards is building three rail tubular track!

Perhaps in the future they may offer two rail American Flyer track?

Thanks,  Phil

Dreaming...

Perhaps Menards has deep enough pockets to buy Lionel and MTH and develop a control system backwards compatible with DCS, Legacy, and DCC.

Think about it, new Menards locomotives with the MDC (Menards Digital Control) that would allow the same control system to operate our current Lionel, MTH and other locomotives.

Possible? Why, of course! With today's technology, anything could be accomplished.

Likely to happen . . .  well, everybody is entitled to believe in Santa Claus for as long as they want 

Alex

Well Menards could take the gigantic bucks they spend on their NASCAR racing teams and divert it to O gauge tooling. I think Paul Menard would probably nix that idea.

    Bill T.

I thought NASCAR was losing popularity.  I am a car nut and have been to the Indy

500 once, to watch specialized, non-streetable Formula cars run around the tree.

Been there, done that.   I did go to a "stock car" race in the '50's, in Indiana, that was more like a demolition derby.   With the stodgy little front drive sedans  foisted on the public nowadays, calling those heavily modified cars "stock cars" is way beyond reality.

And they BETTER be heavily modified....  I thought that was big in the South, and

Menards blew down from the north, where its market is?

If Menards were to round out their line of rolling stock (open & covered hoppers, intermodal, tankers, etc.) it's possible that they could put decent downward pressure on the price of MTH or Lionel's basic O gauge rolling stock. I doubt it would do much at the high-end, though as we've seen on this board their semi-scale boxcars have good enough at that price point to attract some from the 3-rail scale crowd (myself included), even if just to use as "filler" cars.  The release of their track could do the same, especially if grown & developed, pulling budget conscious buyers from the big boys.  On the flip side, Menards could significantly expand the market place via its entry-level offerings, and in time a chunk of those customers may in time seek to "upgrade" and buy higher-level offerings from MTH, Lionel, etc. 

I agree that an engine would be a big investment (though perhaps not unreasonably so) unless Menards can acquire (or already has acquired) relatively inexpensive tooling, tech, etc.   It also may not be necessary for them to pursue an engine to support their other offerings.  Saving $$$ on rolling stock would leave more funds to spend on a nice Railking or LionChief Plus engine or two.... 

Regardless, the market is changing, and Menards seems to be adeptly filling a niche that many on this board feel sorely needs occupied.  We'll see what unfolds....

Reminds me of the prewar competition between manufactures (Ives/Flyer/Hafner/Marx/ Marklin).

Will history repeat itself?

For now I think they should stick to boxcars.And give it so more time and build on that.And after a few years of putting out good rolling stock and getting a strong following.The price of their boxcars  is very appealing to me.I am one who can not go for $80.00 for per boxcar.That is my 2 cents on this matter.

Or maybe, and this might sound crazy, a plain old conventional control transformer. I hear they're going bye bye like tubular track is.

Jerry