Menards Two new boxcars with improved looks

How do these cars match up with Lionel 6464s size wise or are they scale size?

Pete

Fed Ex must love you

TShearer posted:

Fed Ex must love you

not bad for ordering yesterday afternoon !! I use Speedy Delivery for most of my freight I get in.

Wow Bob, that was fast. Aside from the graphics you pointed out, I think the painted door guides are a real visual plus. This is one place I wouldn't mind plastic (as with the Industrial Rail cars) if the door guides are the same color as the car. Nice touch, Menards.

Norton, must be you haven't been following the many Menards threads. Your question has been asked many many times. They are bigger than the Lionel 6464... more to the point they are right on size par with the Williams box cars, so they are darn close to scale in proportion (depending what type of real box car you are comparing these to).

They do not compare though to the detail levels of the newer scale box car offerings from Lionel, MTH, etc. Likewise, they are nowhere close to those others in price either... which has been a real attraction for many to the Menards offerings.

Most of us who like the Menards offerings are able to live with the compromises in scale fidelity and detail for a product that is affordable. And considering that some of Lionel's traditional products now cost more than a newer scale detailed and proportioned product, there's plenty of room in the market for Menards products.

brianel_k-lineguy posted:

Wow Bob, that was fast. Aside from the graphics you pointed out, I think the painted door guides are a real visual plus. This is one place I wouldn't mind plastic (as with the Industrial Rail cars) if the door guides are the same color as the car. Nice touch, Menards.

Norton, must be you haven't been following the many Menards threads. Your question has been asked many many times. They are bigger than the Lionel 6464... more to the point they are right on size par with the Williams box cars, so they are darn close to scale in proportion (depending what type of real box car you are comparing these to).

They do not compare though to the detail levels of the newer scale box car offerings from Lionel, MTH, etc. Likewise, they are nowhere close to those others in price either... which has been a real attraction for many to the Menards offerings.

Most of us who like the Menards offerings are able to live with the compromises in scale fidelity and detail for a product that is affordable. And considering that some of Lionel's traditional products now cost more than a newer scale detailed and proportioned product, there's plenty of room in the market for Menards products.

I must  say, I  agree with everything you said..Bob

hello guys and gals...........

Those 2 cars really look good but are the trucks die-cast metal and improved from the earlier releases ? How much are they for each boxcar ?  Are they same size or nearly to the MTH Premier standard 40 foot boxcar ?  Need to add a box car to my switcher set.

Tiffany

Tiffany posted:

hello guys and gals...........

Those 2 cars really look good but are the trucks die-cast metal and improved from the earlier releases ? How much are they for each boxcar ? Need to add a box car to my switcher set.

Tiffany

Thanks Tiffany!

Our boxcars include metal trucks with die-cast wheels. These boxcars have performed so well, that they are nearly identical to the very first batch released in 2014.

These boxcars are $19.99 each or $69.96 for a 4-Pack. That's only $17.49 each! Here's a link to our website.

Have a great weekend!
Mark the Menards Train Guy

Menards posted:

Tiffany posted:

hello guys and gals...........

Those 2 cars really look good but are the trucks die-cast metal and improved from the earlier releases ? How much are they for each boxcar ? Need to add a box car to my switcher set.

Tiffany

Thanks Tiffany!

Our boxcars include metal trucks with die-cast wheels. These boxcars have performed so well, that they are nearly identical to the very first batch released in 2014.

These boxcars are $19.99 each or $69.96 for a 4-Pack. That's only $17.49 each! Here's a link to our website.

Have a great weekend!
Mark the Menards Train Guy

Hello Mark...........

I see they are metal trucks but are they improved from the earlier ones ?   What are the size of the car ?  Are the boxcars weighed for good tracking ?  Is the frame stamped sheet metal and NOT plastic ?  Is the wheel sets solid or hallowed out? Is the brake wheel at the end of the car metal or plastic ?  There are 2 , I am interesting in which is " Southern" or "Alaska" boxcar .  I am sorry for so many questions but need to know wise.  I need one of the boxcar to go with my "O" scale switcher set which uses the 3 MTH (2 tank and 1 hopper) cars and caboose.  I am slowly building a 36" by 78" inch door layout so not want to use long (not longer than 13 inches) cars on 0-31 track.   You probably know how important the quality of the trucks is as they are ones to keep the cars on the track and coupled up with the other cars during the operations.

Tiffany

For the size curious.... Using the search function on this forum (must be gathering a lot of dust!!) I found these:

https://ogrforum.com/t...release-from-menards

And Tiffany, this one's for you... you don't have to scroll down far:

https://ogrforum.com/t...s-boxcars-pics-video

And Mark while you're answering all these questions, why is there being rather than nothing? Couldn't resist! LOL

2017?  Menard's has mastered time travel, I wonder what else they'll bring from the future?

Had not really paid attention to the fact that Menards cars have "Built By Menards" on them. When I realized it, I thought how cool would it be for Menards to produce a Car Repair Shop Building?

Menards Car Repair Shop......................................................

Regards,

Swafford

Tiffany posted:

Hello Mark...........

 You probably know how important the quality of the trucks is as they are ones to keep the cars on the track and coupled up with the other cars during the operations.

Tiffany

Mark has been wondering what the trucks were for.

breezinup posted:

Tiffany posted:

Hello Mark...........

 You probably know how important the quality of the trucks is as they are ones to keep the cars on the track and coupled up with the other cars during the operations.

Tiffany

Mark has been wondering what the trucks were for.

Hello breezinup..........

Your are a SILLY man, you know what I am talking about ( the trucks under the boxcars !!!)

Tiffany

Tiffany posted:

breezinup posted:

Tiffany posted:

Hello Mark...........

 You probably know how important the quality of the trucks is as they are ones to keep the cars on the track and coupled up with the other cars during the operations.

Tiffany

Mark has been wondering what the trucks were for.

Hello breezinup..........

Your are a SILLY man, you know what I am talking about ( the trucks under the boxcars !!!)

Tiffany

Tiffany: for the price, I  feel you would be very happy  with these boxcars.

Mark, I enjoy your Menards products. Any chance Menards would do a scale boxcar in the future?

Just pick up both the cars bob posted. WOW! He is right great looking cars for the price. Got them right out the shipping box before they went on the shelf. Tiffany dont hesitate these cars are well worth the $20 price. Thanks again menards. Trouble is now I want the 4 packs.

Went to a local train show today of about 50 tables, and there was a guy there reselling Menards cars at $59 and $69 each. Could not believe that someone would be that dishonest at a train show.

Tiffany posted:

Hello Mark...........

I see they are metal trucks but are they improved from the earlier ones ?   What are the size of the car ?  Are the boxcars weighed for good tracking ?  Is the frame stamped sheet metal and NOT plastic ?  Is the wheel sets solid or hallowed out? Is the brake wheel at the end of the car metal or plastic ?  There are 2 , I am interesting in which is " Southern" or "Alaska" boxcar .  I am sorry for so many questions but need to know wise.  I need one of the boxcar to go with my "O" scale switcher set which uses the 3 MTH (2 tank and 1 hopper) cars and caboose.  I am slowly building a 36" by 78" inch door layout so not want to use long (not longer than 13 inches) cars on 0-31 track.   You probably know how important the quality of the trucks is as they are ones to keep the cars on the track and coupled up with the other cars during the operations.

Tiffany

Tiffany,

I'm glad you are considering purchasing from us! I have to agree with the other forum members, you won't be disappointed! It is no problem at all that you have questions. I will do my best to answer them!

What I was trying to convey in my earlier post is that the trucks on the boxcars have not changed since day 1. Flatcar trucks/couplers have evolved but not boxcars.

The car measurements are: 10-1/2”L x 2-1/8”W x 3-1/4”H. Length is measured coupler to coupler. brianel_k-lineguy posted some very helpful links (above) to help you judge size in comparison to other brands.

Our boxcars have a nice weight to them. They are fairly heavy and yes, they do have a stamped metal frame. I believe the material of the box and brake wheel are molded resin. I'm sure someone on the forum can confirm or correct me if I am wrong. I'm sorry, I don't fully understand what you mean by "wheel sets solid or hallowed out?" The wheels themselves are solid.

I love the idea of a door layout! These boxcars will handle O-31 curves with ease. They are 10-1/2"L, so they will meet your under 13" requirement and I think other forum members can attest to the quality of the couplers. In my opinion, they are excellent!

Thank you,
Mark the Menards Train Guy

Seacoast posted:

Mark, I enjoy your Menards products. Any chance Menards would do a scale boxcar in the future?

Seacoast,

We are always trying to come up with new product ideas. A parallel line of boxcars with different sizes is definitely something to consider. The only question is...What exactly is scale?

-Mark the Menards Train Guy

Well, how about 60' and 89' flatcars? 

Another popular car would probably be the skeleton log car.

Some larger scale tank cars would be nice, I'd like to build a nice long tank train with a string of matching cars.

Menards posted:

Tiffany posted:

Hello Mark...........

I see they are metal trucks but are they improved from the earlier ones ?   What are the size of the car ?  Are the boxcars weighed for good tracking ?  Is the frame stamped sheet metal and NOT plastic ?  Is the wheel sets solid or hallowed out? Is the brake wheel at the end of the car metal or plastic ?  There are 2 , I am interesting in which is " Southern" or "Alaska" boxcar .  I am sorry for so many questions but need to know wise.  I need one of the boxcar to go with my "O" scale switcher set which uses the 3 MTH (2 tank and 1 hopper) cars and caboose.  I am slowly building a 36" by 78" inch door layout so not want to use long (not longer than 13 inches) cars on 0-31 track.   You probably know how important the quality of the trucks is as they are ones to keep the cars on the track and coupled up with the other cars during the operations.

Tiffany

Tiffany,

I'm glad you are considering purchasing from us! I have to agree with the other forum members, you won't be disappointed! It is no problem at all that you have questions. I will do my best to answer them!

What I was trying to convey in my earlier post is that the trucks on the boxcars have not changed since day 1. Flatcar trucks/couplers have evolved but not boxcars.

The car measurements are: 10-1/2”L x 2-1/8”W x 3-1/4”H. Length is measured coupler to coupler. brianel_k-lineguy posted some very helpful links (above) to help you judge size in comparison to other brands.

Our boxcars have a nice weight to them. They are fairly heavy and yes, they do have a stamped metal frame. I believe the material of the box and brake wheel are molded resin. I'm sure someone on the forum can confirm or correct me if I am wrong. I'm sorry, I don't fully understand what you mean by "wheel sets solid or hallowed out?" The wheels themselves are solid.

I love the idea of a door layout! These boxcars will handle O-31 curves with ease. They are 10-1/2"L, so they will meet your under 13" requirement and I think other forum members can attest to the quality of the couplers. In my opinion, they are excellent!

Thank you,
Mark the Menards Train Guy

 

Hello Mark........

Thank you for answering the questions as it did clear many other questions that I didn't ask !!!  What I meant about solid wheels or hallowed out wheels is that the K-line and MPC era lionel had the wheel sets hollowed out from the back side of the wheels and they were light.  Now the solid wheels do in fact add weight to help with the lower better center of gravity on the trucks of the freight cars to help with tracking while rolling on the tracks.  When the cars are weighed they roll better.  Through out the years of collecting, I have switched out hollowed out wheels in favor of the solid wheel sets for this reason. Those MPC era lionel cars were 90% plastic ( just metal axles and rivets that's all) and even some of the cars came with hollowed out plastic wheels !!!!! and they were troublesome (having trouble staying on the tracks because they were so light) but installing solid wheels did help greatly in rolling and staying on the tracks too. One of the paper light cars I had was the blue early lionel # 9010 2 bay hopper and was surprised how light it is for example so when I was collecting the MPC era lionels and switched out many wheels sets with solid ones hundreds of times that I lost count in how many I did.  I am no longer a collector as now on a fixed income. Those days are over for me.

Tiffany

Just picked mine up and are real close to yours in sequence.  

I guess there are quite a lot more available for purchase

Wow! Consecutive  numbers.  Nice 

to Mark the Menards Guy,

Is there a way I can contact you off the forum about the trains?  I am at grygucj@yahoo.com., or 860-747-0135.

Jerry

JerryG posted:

to Mark the Menards Guy,

Is there a way I can contact you off the forum about the trains?  I am at grygucj@yahoo.com., or 860-747-0135.

Jerry

Hi Jerry,

The best way is to contact guest@menard-inc.com. That email address can pretty much answer any train related questions. Let me know if you don't hear back and I can try to expedite the process.

-Mark the Menards Train Guy

Thanks Mark.  Gave it a whirl, plus one to a general customer service address earlier.   I will try to keep you posted...

Jerry

Painted door rails is a MAJOR step in moving these to the top of entry level cars.......maybe past that!!! 

I got mine today as well!  I agree, the painted door rails are a vast improvement!  I noticed that feature in the photos when I ordered.  The graphics are even better than what they had before, which was very good!  Can't beat the price either!!

645 posted:

cabinet Bob posted:

These two just came in today and all I can say is WOW. the new graphics look outstanding, the built date is 2017,  

each car has a different Bill Of Lading number, Also the ends have the Road name on the top,   the paint job is second to none. Way to go Menards for the new style and keeping the price so low..Bob

What you call a "bill of lading" number is actually the box car's road number which is specific to that particular car on a real railroad and also on these Menards freight cars. If you had a fleet of (5) pickup trucks for a business numbered #1 through 5 would you say #4 is the 'bill of lading'? 'Course not as #4 means pickup truck #4 of the five in the fleet. Is same thing for a railroad freight car except the railroads typically use more digits for their road numbers.

Actually, the bill of lading number is "tacked" onto the door and is different from the road number.  For example, in Cabinet Bob's first post, the Frisco boxcar's road number is 4149 and the bill of lading is 082855.  Likewise, the Santa Fe boxcar's road number is 3615 and the bill of lading is 062559.  Plus, above these  six-digit numbers, it does say "Bill of Lading."  Interesting extra bit of detail - may be helpful for people who can't get enough numbers or for picking lottery numbers. 

Mark - Is the width of the cars really 2-1/8"?  My recollection (which admittedly may be faulty) from when I bought some of your cars a while back is that they were closer to 2-1/2" wide.  I remember this (if I remember correctly) because I preferred the looks of that width which scales out to about 10'.  But maybe I'm thinking of a different car (could have been a reefer).

PGentieu posted:

Mark - Is the width of the cars really 2-1/8"?  My recollection (which admittedly may be faulty) from when I bought some of your cars a while back is that they were closer to 2-1/2" wide.  I remember this (if I remember correctly) because I preferred the looks of that width which scales out to about 10'.  But maybe I'm thinking of a different car (could have been a reefer).

here is a post I made back July showing Menards box cars vs PRR X-29 prototype.

PGentieu posted:

Mark - Is the width of the cars really 2-1/8"?  My recollection (which admittedly may be faulty) from when I bought some of your cars a while back is that they were closer to 2-1/2" wide.  I remember this (if I remember correctly) because I preferred the looks of that width which scales out to about 10'.  But maybe I'm thinking of a different car (could have been a reefer).

PGentieu,

I believe the 2-1/8" measurement is width of our 10-1/2" flatcars. The boxcars measure 2-3/8" wide.

I see now that most of the boxcars are listed as 2-1/8" on our website. I will get that fixed as soon as I can. Thanks for bringing that to my attention!

-Mark the Menards train Guy

Gee, I hope Menard's doesn't gin out a road name I like...I'd have to buy Lt.

Fed Ex is killing me!!!! Really looking forward to getting my order of box cars and trees. Fed Ex sat on it one day at Indy, then 30+ hours sitting in Grove City Ohio......still 3 days away......not impressed with the Fed.

I know....it's just a train.......

AMCDave posted:

Fed Ex is killing me!!!! Really looking forward to getting my order of box cars and trees. Fed Ex sat on it one day at Indy, then 30+ hours sitting in Grove City Ohio......still 3 days away......not impressed with the Fed.

 

I know....it's just a train.......

AMCDave : The wait will be worth it! These new cars Menards are coming out with are outstanding! The new colors really stand out. I should have more in today, I'll post more pictures later.. Bob