Well not really a trip since they are 15 minutes away. Because the track was at the beginning of the isle I thought I would test the fit considering it seems to be a re-occurring subject here on the forum. They were fully Stocked with 31, 36, 42, 54, 72 and 96 inch diameters plus long and regular straights (Amazing). I worked my way through the bins testing all the diameters and found the fit to be consistent, definitely not loose but you certainly don’t need gloves to put together. If you are going to fasten the track down, I found the fit to be more than sufficiently tight enough to transfer current from one piece to the next.
Ok on to the buildings, the isle looks like a carnival with flashing lights everywhere. Every building that was stocked had a operating display and all were functioning properly. Never saw a display like this in my hobby shop. They do not stock all the buildings but have what I consider to be the best ones and they prominently display signs telling everyone to check out their website for more. The water towers were displayed and I think if one were tight on space you could easily use the HO tower in place of the larger O gauge version ( about plasticville size ) . There was a conservative display of rolling stock considering what they produce, however it was displayed nicely and on an end cap to catch the attention of those passing by.
No O gauge train sets, however there were a few Bachmann HO sets displayed.
This got me thinking, if Menards can sell Bachmann HO, why not Williams by Bachmann. Maybe contract a special set with a Menards boxcar. If they can handle returns on HO then I would think they could do the same with O. Considering Williams trains to be basic and mostly trouble free I would consider it a safe item to stock.
For those with Christmas villages Menards has a complete isle filled with Lemax and there are some really nice pieces this year. They also seem to have a much larger Christmas section than all the other big box stores put together and it kind of reminds me of the good old days.
Ok, here are a few suggestions,
Get a few of those lighted vehicles on display by the buildings.
Just one O gauge ready to run set for the family that wonders into the train isle by accident.
A Christmas car, but not just merry Christmas from Menards. Maybe a refrigerated boxcar with the words “ frozen Christmas cakes and candies on the way to your Menards” or a boxcar saying something like “here’s another load of Christmas merchandise to make your holiday merry, meet us at Menards”
Ok Santa, here is my wish list, a fifties era lighted car.
