Yesterday I received my Classic Toy Train Magazine and Stapled in the Magazine was the entire "new" Catalog 2020 and 2021. Menards offers a lot of new stuff:
I have only listed the items in the catalog that had a "NEW" in front of their listing. There are many repeats also listed in the catalog, worthy of checking them out if you have not bought or seen them.
#279-5530 Cripple Creek Lumber Yard -- Lit up by 32 LEDs.
#279-5878 Cripple Creek Water Tower -- Fragile -- handle with care and do not turn it upside down. Very nice.
#279-5926 Cripple Creek Engine Works -- Lit up by 87 LEDs. Spectacular.
#279-4435 Fire Station No. 9. Lit up by 25 LEDs and has a Red Helicopter on the Roof with rotating (motorize) blades plus 2 fire engines on the main floor that move in and out of the building. Quite animated and one of the more spectacular accessories to come from Menards.
Sixteen Beautiful Boxcars -- CP (Maroon) Boxcar #279-5784 or dealer pak of 4 #279-5785 === BNSF Boxcar #279-5786 or a dealer pak of 4 #279-5787 === Transcontinental Peoria Way Boxcar#279-5788 or a dealer pak of 4 #279-5789 === Delaware and Hudson (yellow) Boxcar #279-5790 or a dealer pak of 4 #279-5791 === Boston & Maine (Blue) Boxcar #279-5792 or a dealer pak of 4 #279-5793 === SOO Line (red) Boxcar #279-5794 or a dealer pak of 4 #279-5795 === UP (gray) Challenger Boxcar #279-5796 or a dealer pak of 4 #279-5797 === NY Central (Tuscan) Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Boxcar #279-5798 or a dealer pak of 4 #279-5799 === Ontario Northland (Blue) Boxcar #279-7100 or a dealer pak of 4 #279-7101 === Kansas City Southern Boxcar #279-7102 or a dealer pak of 4 #279-7103 please note - this car matches there beautiful KCS Quad Hopper === Tide Soap (orange) Boxcar #279-7104 or a dealer pak of 4 #279-7105 please note - this car matches there beautiful Tide Soap 20,000 Gallon O Scale Tank Car and the Tide Soap Factory === Morton Salt (Yellow) Boxcar #279-7106 or a dealer pak of 4 #279-7107 please note - this car matches the Menard Morton Salt Factory, the Menard Morton Salt (Blue) Boxcar (now sold out) and the Lionel Morton Salt Blue Quad Hopper (released sometime in the 1970s) === Chicago & Illinois Midland (Green) Boxcar #279-7108 or a dealer pak of 4 #279-7109 === Milwaukee Road (Orange) #279-7110 Boxcar or a dealer pak of 4 #279-7111 === Santa Fe (Black Bonnet) Boxcar #279-7112 or a dealer pak of 4 #279-7113 === Green Bay & Western (Green) Boxcar #279-7114 or a dealer pak of 4 #279-7115 === Each one of the preceding dealer paks saves you $10 bucks besides the 11% rebate--you must buy 4 of the same cars (different numbers) to get the $10 bucks savings....you can also buy certain special paks that have 4 different cars of the above. Check the Menards Ad on the front page of the Forum for these paks. Remember - every Menard freight car has a different number on them -- never to be repeated.
Handsome 4 Bay Covered Hoppers -- Milwaukee Road (Yellow) Covered Hopper #279-6973 or a dealer pak of 6 #279-6974 === Saskatchewan Covered Hopper (Orange/Red) #279-6975 or a dealer pak of 6 #279-6975 or a dealer pak of 6#279-6976 - this car is the mate to the Menard Green Saskatchewan Covered Hopper === Burlington Northern Covered Hopper (Green) #279-6977 or a dealer pak of 6 #279-6978 === Chessie System (Gorgeous Blue) Covered Hopper #279-6979 or a dealer pak of 6 #279-6980 === Lehigh Valley (White) Covered Hopper #279-8981 or a dealer pak of 6 #279-8982 === Santa Fe (Orange) Covered Hopper #279-8983 or a dealer pak of 6 #279-8984 === Each one of the preceding dealer paks saves you $20 besides the 11% rebate--you must buy 6 of the same cars (different numbers) to get the $20 bucks savings....you can also buy certain special paks that have 6 different cars of the above. Also, each hatch on the hopper top has a different color than the car - quite colorful. Check the Menards Ad on the front page of the Forum for these paks. Remember - every Menard freight car has a different number on them -- never to be repeated.
Handsome 4 Bay Coal Hoppers -- Chessie System ((Yellow) Coal Hopper #279-6274 or a dealer pak of 6 #279-6275 === Frisco (Red with a large Black Decal) Coal Hopper #279-6276 or a dealer pak of 6 #279-6277 === New Haven (Black and White with a large White N and a large Orange H) Coal Hopper - very sharp - #279-6278 or a dealer pak of 6 #279-6279 === Minneapolis & St. Louis (Tuscan) Coal Hopper #279-6280 or a dealer pak of 6 #279-6281 === Reading and Northern (Black) Coal Hopper #279-6282 or a dealer pak of 6 #279-6283 === The Rock (Blue) Coal Hopper #279-6284 or a dealer pak of 6 #279-6285 === Each one of the preceding dealer paks saves you $20 besides the 11% rebate--you must buy 6 of the same cars (different numbers) to get the $20 bucks savings...you can also buy certain special paks that have 6 different cars of the above. Check the Menards Ad on the front page of the Forum for these paks. Remember - every Menard freight car has a different number on them -- never to be repeated.
There are Seven Beautiful New "O" Scale Tank Cars. Lifesaver Modern Tank Car #279-4597 or a 4 pak of #279-4598 similar to what Lionel brought out in the 70s === Tide Modern (Orange) Tank Car #279-6730 or a pak of 6 #279-6731 === CSX Modern (Blue) Tank Car #279-6732 or a pak of 6 #279-6733 === Conrail Modern (Light Blue) Tank Car #279-6734 or a pak of 6 #279-6735 === BN Modern (Green) Tank Car #279-6736 or a pak of 6 #279-6737 === NS Modern (Black) Tank Car #279-6738 or a pak of 6 #279-6739 === U.S. Army Modern (Dark Green) Tank Car #279-6740 or a pak of 6 #279-6741 === You save $20 bucks on the six pak cars and $10 bucks on the 4 pak cars. Menards offers these cars in special paks of 4 or 6 different cars. Check the Menards Ad on the front page of the Forum for these paks. Remember - every Menard freight car has a different number on them -- never to be repeated. Please note: This section on Tank Cars was edited on 11/12/2020. Menards has changed the trucks to plastic on the last 6 of the 7 cars. Hence, the cars from Tide on are very light and might derail in a train. I found a way to add weight to car without having to glue anything on the car. Each end cap of the tank car can be removed. All you have to do is remove one of the end caps and you can get into the tank to add your weight. Here is how I found out to do it. The end-cap metal railing can be "gently" pulled away from its socket. (Do not pull it out of it connecting bottom socket). The plastic end-cap of the tank is held on to the car by snapping in place. By unsnapping the cap, you will get into the tank. Be gentle when you pull on the cap. Just add slight pressure on the end-cap and it will pop off. Now you can add your weight and do the reverse order to connect the end cap-back in place. Hope this helps to make your car track much better.......
Gorgeous Gondolas -- U.S. Marines (Dark Green) Gondola #279-7024 or a pak of 4 #279-7025 === BNSF Gondola #279-7026 or a pak of 4 #279-7027 === Norfolk & Western Gondola #279-7028 or a pak of 4 #279-7029 === Reading (Green) Gondola #279-7030 or a pak of 4 #279-7031 === CP (Red) Rail Gondola with a Pak Man on the car #279-7032 or a pak of 4 #279-7033 === Southern Gray Gondola (they forgot the green dot) #279-7034 or a pak of 4 #279-7035 You save $20 bucks by buying the 4 pak of cars. These cars are very light, but since they are gondolas, one can add a load to make the cars heavier. Remember - every Menards freight car has a different number on them -- never to be repeated.
Outstanding Ore Cars -- Yes, Menards offers Ore Cars at a really "low" price. Chicago and North Western (Green) Ore Car #279-7090 (2 pak) or #279-7091 (8 pak) === Great Northern (Tuscan) Ore Car #279-7092 (2 pak) or #279-7093 (8 pak) === Milwaukee Road (Tuscan) Ore Car #279-7094 (2 pak) or #279-7095 (8 pak) === Santa Fe (Red) Ore Car #279-7096 (2 pak) or #279-7097 (8 pak) - The 2 pak sells for $29.99 and the 8 pak sells for $99.96 a savings of $20 dollars before the 11% rebate. You can easily remove the Ore Load and add weight to this car to make it track better.
If you have a "new" Menards Big Red Credit Card, and use it at there cash register, you get an extra 2% off of everything you buy. Every 4 months you will receive your 2% Rebate check that you can use only at Menards.
I only listed items that were "new" in this catalog. You can see many of Menards Train items reviewed by Eric Segal on You Tube along with many other people posting reviews. If you see an item you want, get to Menards and buy it. Many of his items are very limited and once sold out ....they are sold out...Case in point -- about 3 or 4 years ago, Menards sold a "Well Car" that can carry One forty foot Container or Two twenty foot Containers that can be double stacked. They still sell the Containers but they have discontinued the Well Cars. I wish to buy the Containers, but Menards needs to re-issue the Well Cars. I do not have any of the Well Cars.
My listing of these cars does not do justice about how beautiful they are. Even the catalog pictures do not show how nice these cars are. Best way to see them is on display at your Menards Store or at a Train Show.
When I read the Menards Ad in this forum, there is something unique about what they say. Menards gives Lighted Trucks "Free" periodically when you purchase One $19.99 freight car. This usually shows up in there ads that appear on the front page of this Forum. You can order the freight cars on line or at the store. You must tell the clerk the SKU number for the truck and order it on line at Menards.com or you must indicate the SKU number for the truck when you place your order on line to Menards.com (If you do not do the preceding, you will be charged for the Truck(s). Make sure you tell the clerk in the store to order your trucks On Line to Menards.com. If the clerk does not do this, you will be charged for the truck(s). Yes, the clerk can place your order on line in the store. When the clerk places your order On Line, look at the bill he or she hands you and make sure they do not charge you for the "free" item. If they do, turn around and go back to the clerk and tell them to bill it ON LINE to Menards.com. If you order 2 new freight cars, you can get 2 trucks. These truck(s) are plug and play and light up. You will need to buy a Wall Wart Transformer from Menards (very low priced) to light up the truck. So far, I have gotten 4 trucks this way. Each of the trucks matches one of my accessories. Right now, until November 2nd 2020, Menards is offering a "free" Wallys Service Station Pickup Truck for every freight car you wish to buy. Hence if you have the service station or wish to buy it, you can get the truck(s) free as long as you buy a freight car until November 2nd. Hurry -- the truck is listed as $29.99, this is a big deal...This might sound confusing, but the truck is offered via On Line Shopping and must not be billed in the store thru there cash registers. Once you do this, you will get the hang of it
Don't forget, in January 2021, Menards has the brown bag shopping. What ever you can stuff into the Grocery Bag gets 15% off. I asked the Clerk if I could come back in and pick up another bag and do this all over. She said, "as many times as you want".
Menards needs to put an Electric Train Shop in each one of its stores? Right now, every year around late October or the first of November, Menards brings down the trains from the second floor and puts them on a counter in the store along with the new "stuff" until January. This "new" store could be run by 1 or 2 people and have on display an operating layout, working accessories, plus all of his rolling stock. Menards has all the necessary stuff to build a fabulous railroad, from Homosote Boards, Ply Wood, Round wooden Dowel Sticks to make logs for that car, They even have a small unit of Wood Forms so you can build your own accessories like Bridges, etc..., Tools, Hardware and Paint (There "Dutch Boy Paint is made by Sherwin Williams) -- They Have It All. Lets face it, Menards is a very competitive candidate when it comes to trains, they are very colorful and they have super low prices. Menards is the only "Big Box Store Selling Lionel Type Trains in the USA". I think it is time for Menards to put there trains, etc on display year round. The skies the limit.............sincerely yours railbear601
