When walking past the train aisle in Menards I always stop to check out what they have. I purchased roughly 10 cars of different style and name as they caught my eye. I've had to modify/alter a few things on about half of the cars. One the wheels were pressed onto the axles so badly I replaced the trucks with Lionel fully sprung trucks, not cheap but interesting to do the project. A coal hopper that could not negotiate my 036 curves as the wheels hit the ladder and the car would derail, I just cut off the ladder to solve the issue. I too had the brake cylinder issue causing derailments, found the problem and solved it. But from reading posts about many issues from all train makers seems like that is part of the hobby. Trying things , fixing things or returning things. Bottom line they can make a nice train consist as they have a wide selection to chose from. Try one or a few I think you will keep them although Menards will take it back, I'll bet even if you stepped on it!
@Dan Kenny posted:When walking past the train aisle in Menards I always stop to check out what they have.
I would too, but the 300 mile drive to the Menard's store is always the killer for me! 
If I drive 10 to 15 miles in any direction I'll come across at least one Menards store.
@Dan Kenny posted:When walking past the train aisle in Menards I always stop to check out what they have. I purchased roughly 10 cars of different style and name as they caught my eye. I've had to modify/alter a few things on about half of the cars. One the wheels were pressed onto the axles so badly I replaced the trucks with Lionel fully sprung trucks, not cheap but interesting to do the project. A coal hopper that could not negotiate my 036 curves as the wheels hit the ladder and the car would derail, I just cut off the ladder to solve the issue. I too had the brake cylinder issue causing derailments, found the problem and solved it. But from reading posts about many issues from all train makers seems like that is part of the hobby. Trying things , fixing things or returning things. Bottom line they can make a nice train consist as they have a wide selection to chose from. Try one or a few I think you will keep them although Menards will take it back, I'll bet even if you stepped on it!
This is true……Customer service is A1 in my experience. I had one of their buildings that quite lighting properly. No questions asked.
Their rebate guidelines, while having nothing to do with the quality of their product, turned me off completely. Yeah, I know, I shoulda read the fine print first. But, I never saw such a restrictive rebate policy before.
@Mark V. Spadaro posted:Their rebate guidelines, while having nothing to do with the quality of their product, turned me off completely. Yeah, I know, I shoulda read the fine print first. But, I never saw such a restrictive rebate policy before.
I solved that problem by giving away the rebates in the For Sale forum to members who live close to a Menards. Felt good.
John
@Dan Kenny posted:If I drive 10 to 15 miles in any direction I'll come across at least one Menards store.
Which solves my problem how? 
I have 5 Menard's boxcars and I had problems with nearly all of the trucks gauge being too narrow causing derailments in my road crossings and one switch. Many had wobbly wheels with a lot of runout, too. I replaced all of the trucks with Lionel sprung trucks, as I had a bunch of them from a train show. No more gauge issues, they all run fine on my layout now. The other issue for those in California is a lot of Menards train products are not Prop 65 so they won't ship to CA. I think the the Prop 65 issue is for older stock. Oh yeah, and the boxcars are very light in weight, so I added some wheel weights over the axles so they ride more realistically.
I'd have to find a LOT of trucks to replace all mine, I have about 40 of the Reading boxcars, another couple dozen PRR ones. I just unearthed 24 Reading 4-Bay hoppers organizing my closet. That would be at least 160 trucks to replace them all! I'm not sure I can swallow that kind of hit!
I had some problems with menards cars. Specifically the trucks. Seems the gauge of the wheels is too tight. We have guard rails on a lot of our elevated tracks. The menards cars ride up on those rails. They also have problems on some sizes of Ross switches by bouncing on the frogs
@Dan Kenny posted:If I drive 10 to 15 miles in any direction I'll come across at least one Menards store.
@gunrunnerjohn posted:Which solves my problem how?
John
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@Mellow Hudson Mike posted:Menards offers exceptional value, with one caveat.
It's pretty bad when $16 a car isn't cheap enough.
For most of us our hobby had always been about fiddling around with things. So you either cough up $80 for the name brands and get a perfect car (yeah, right), or $16 (plus S&H unless you're lucky enough to have a store nearby) and have a little fun tweaking what you get.
Are you a fiddler? Or an often-disappointed perfectionist?
I'll stick with fiddling. Thank you Menards for helping to make things fun again!
Mike
I think you may have misinterpreted my post. I'm fine with the value that they offer and I've bought several Menards items. I just don't understand why a vendor would haul them to a meet / pay for a table / stand around for a few hours to make $5 or less per car, and I don't understand why someone would pay above retail when they can get them directly from the source.
@Craftech posted:
Exactly how most of us feel.
I agree with everything said above. The only reason to buy a Menard's from a train meet vendor is if you really want a particular car that Menard's no longer produces and the vendor has it. Even then Menard's makes so many reasonable fact similes one should be able to find something they like from the current stock.
Yep, you get what you pay for. So don't pay for them. (Sounds like the flat cars are and exception and pretty good though.)
I didn't really get into this hobby so I could tinker to fix defective parts on brand new items. Not my idea of fun. Perhaps fun for others though.
If I buy an expensive car and it doesn't work, it goes right back.
Mannyrock
@gunrunnerjohn posted:I'd have to find a LOT of trucks to replace all mine, I have about 40 of the Reading boxcars, another couple dozen PRR ones. I just unearthed 24 Reading 4-Bay hoppers organizing my closet. That would be at least 160 trucks to replace them all! I'm not sure I can swallow that kind of hit!
John, yes that would be cost prohibitive even at the price I payed for 12 two packs. I only had 5 boxcars to upgrade, not 160!!
I wasn't suggesting that anybody go the same route I did replacing the trucks, it's what I did because I had the means at hand.
I’ve enjoyed all the Menards rolling stock I’ve purchased .
The current and I’m guessing all the boxcars are off the original AMT molds from 1952.
Check out the Facebook page “Menards Model Trains” . 😎
