Menards O Gauge Enclosed Auto Racks - Big Car. Modest Price.

Рет қаралды 6,264

9 ай бұрын

So, to recap, the Pros for the Menards Trains O Gauge Enclosed Auto Rack are:
They’re BIG and impressive!
While they are too short for a scale car, the other dimensions are right, and the car looks good with scale equipment
The car has excellent graphics and details
And these big cars are priced right, retailing for $39.99 - about the same as a new-in-box Lionel enclosed auto rack that is much smaller and less detailed.
On the Con side,
These cars may be too big for many layouts. Check clearances on curves, tunnel portals, bridges, and especially turnouts. You might get away with traditional Lionel model O22 switches and Lionel FasTrack turnouts, but O27 and others with large motor housings are almost certainly out.
To keep costs down, these cars have plastic trucks and couplers. Metal would be nicer, but they would certainly add to the price of the cars.
Because of their near-scale size, these cars do not work well with other types of auto racks, especially Lionel’s earlier enclosed auto racks.
And there are some prototype issues with the reporting marks and the brown flatcar platform
So, weigh the pros and cons for your layout before purchasing!
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Пікірлер: 92

@TheOriginalJphyper 9 ай бұрын

Normally, I'm not really into model trains. I have neither the space nor the money for it. However, I am a Menards employee and thus, I walk by that section almost every day. The stuff there is pretty neat, even if I can't use it myself, and when I saw this video on the front page, I was curious how they compared to products elsewhere.

@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks 9 ай бұрын

Thanks for the feedback! I hope I didn't bore you too much! :-)

@TheOriginalJphyper 9 ай бұрын

@@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks I haven't finished watching yet. I have ADHD, so I tend to get bored at the drop of a hat regardless of the content and this is not one of my better days in that regard. I'm watching it in bits and pieces to compensate for that.

@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks 9 ай бұрын

@@TheOriginalJphyper Understand. My two boys have ADHD. No worries!

@RailRide 9 ай бұрын

I have one of these in each color. One odd aspect of these cars is Menards did not see fit to place railroad roadnames on the blank panels. Maybe this was done to reduce the number of SKU's, but in that case they _could_ have included a sticker pack just like the open-sided bilevel cars they sell with various diecast automobiles within. If these cars had railroad roadnames on that panel I'd buy one of each, despite owning more than 50 of the MTH Premier ones (!). I'm sure they'd sell a bunch more of them if that was the case since you usually see the real thing in solid trains of them. Speaking of MTH, these Menards cars are basically a direct clone of the early MTH Premier ones, minus about 3" of length. Height, width and detail-wise they're a near exact match, so much so that if you intermix these with the MTH ones, a casual viewer probably wouldn't notice them rolling by in a solid autorack train.

@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks 9 ай бұрын

Agreed.

@johnknippenberg-LandmarkYards 9 ай бұрын

Thanks for the review. I'm sticking to my MPC era auto carriers and the post-war Evans, they're classics.

@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks 9 ай бұрын

I like them, too!

@Eyrrll 9 ай бұрын

That was an interesting note about the yellow flat bed portion on the predominantly brown cars. Several times a year I make an out of town trip and I usually see a long consist of these running or sitting along side my path for a while. I have never noticed the yellow bottoms… but then again, I have never looked for them either. As it happens, I am making that trip next week, so I am going to be on the lookout for them. Thanks for pointing it out.

@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks 9 ай бұрын

Happy hunting!! :-)

@RailRide 9 ай бұрын

Old Southern Pacific enclosed autoracks are an exception to this rule. Canadian National's black autoracks are another, but Menards hasn't made that color.

@wmhoward2249 9 ай бұрын

I have been told, while I have not tried it myself, If one would glue a thumb tack head to the button, mag uncouplers will work.

@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks 9 ай бұрын

Should work in theory! Thanks!

@stephenrickjr.7519 9 ай бұрын

I have a number of Menards boxcars, tank cars, and military flats with diecast loads. Very happy with them. Very reasonably priced. Thanks for the tip on the o rings. 😊👍.

@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks 9 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching!

@paulbervid1610 9 ай бұрын

Great review and historical.

@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks 9 ай бұрын

Thank you!

@stevenmiller5696 9 ай бұрын

Thanks for review!

@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks 9 ай бұрын

You're welcome!

@Shipwright1918 9 ай бұрын

Little too long to go through O-27 switches, but it'll squeak through O-27 curves.

@richardnelson-ux1zz 9 ай бұрын

I like menards rolling stock and locomotives that menards has made so far

@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks 9 ай бұрын

Me, too!

@donaldwiller9238 9 ай бұрын

Great job 👏

@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks 9 ай бұрын

Thank you!

@JohnHuntt 3 ай бұрын

When work at Railway Express, I was told the open auto rack did not work because people would throw rocks at the cars on the auto rack and break the windows and damage the cars. So that is why later on the enclosed carries came about. JH

@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks 3 ай бұрын

Yes. To reduce damage.

@wayneantoniazzi2706 9 ай бұрын

A good, thorough review Mike! Well done! Being a steam-era fan the Menards auto-rack's not going to appeal to me but it looks just fine for those into contemporary railroading. Sure those are tall cars but have a look at the real ones, they tower over jsut about all the other railcars out there so obviously there's places they can't go. The Menards model kind of reflects that if you think about it. For coupler problems I use a plastic wire tie to lock the coupler shut. Since I don't do switching it's no big deal and the plastic tie's easily removed with wire cutters if it has to be. Fine video and thanks for posting!

@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks 9 ай бұрын

Thanks for the comments!

@franktino6676 9 ай бұрын

Yes Mike, the O ring method is the better fix for the uncoupling coupler issue. Great tip. Thanks !

@georgebenson6036 19 күн бұрын

Good video, but I will pass on these cars because of the clearance issues that you mentioned. Thanks for sharing.

@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks 15 күн бұрын

Thanks for watching!

@ajmayowskijr 9 ай бұрын

Perfect size

@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks 9 ай бұрын

Thanks for the comment!

@IndianaNorthWestern 9 ай бұрын

My menards had them upstairs, and I snagged one of the Chicago & North Western boxcars, would have gotten a Southern covered gondola, but I already have one of those postwar NYC ones, so I'm good for now lol. There's also an issue where they wobble along the track, like the body sways side to side, and tou have to press the trucks onto the frame with a small vise, the pin isn't pushed in enough from factory

@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks 9 ай бұрын

Thanks for the information!

@chicagolandrailroader 9 ай бұрын

I found one of these in store almost right after they were released. I'm happy with mine, but it's hard for me to try to engineer a catenary system for my layout considering the height clearance. Might just have to leave this one out as an outlier. Thanks!

@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks 9 ай бұрын

That'd be one TALL catenary!

@MilwaukeeF40C 9 ай бұрын

Since you are talking about engineering take the roof and doors off, make a middle deck. You will have a roofless TTBX car that was prototypically designed for catenary and low bridges, and you will be able to put cars on it.

@chicagolandrailroader 9 ай бұрын

@@MilwaukeeF40C interesting, thanks!

@TooManyHobbiesJeremy 9 ай бұрын

Nice review. I like the look of the new car. On another note- the video is a bit choppy. The audio is great though.

@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks 9 ай бұрын

Thanks for the feedback!

@RailRide 9 ай бұрын

I noticed that too...I thought KZfaq was trying to force above 1080P and causing my laptop to chug, but no, it's definitely the way the video was encoded.

@RABSTRAINS 9 ай бұрын

I love the cars, but they won’t fit through my vintage Lionel Bridge. I bet the Menards Bridge will allow them to pass through. I also love their container inter model cars that I just found at my local store and purchased four of them👍 I don’t mind the miss-markings because I enjoy the cars in spite of some inaccuracies! I have also experienced a coupler issue with just one coupler.

@benjaminhunt2395 9 ай бұрын

pick 2 of those last year nice car

@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks 9 ай бұрын

👍

@davidmaust1415 9 ай бұрын

I have some scale mth auto carriers, but the menards looks much better than mpc lionel. Glad that menards is expanding train options. I'll have to check when I visit family that lives near one in Nov

@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks 9 ай бұрын

Thanks for the comments!

@RailRide 9 ай бұрын

I have both these and the MTH ones. The Menards autoracks are basically clones of the Premier autoracks minus about 3" of length. The height and width are the same, and if you intermixed the two brands in a train of autoracks, a casual observer might not notice them.

@MilwaukeeF40C 9 ай бұрын

If you want to make it lower in height and look more interesting, convert it in to a TTBX roofless and doorless bilevel car. They were built that way for lines with clearance issues. Several railroads had TTBX cars.

@MilwaukeeF40C 9 ай бұрын

The car lettering is for A, B, and C decks but the end doors only have slots for one deck halfway up the car.

@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks 9 ай бұрын

Great idea!

@Engine1988 9 ай бұрын

Here's a little secret. There is in fact metal in the couplers--a magnet will stick to them just fine, and so they should work on magnetic uncouplers. My Menards flatcar has the same couplers.

@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks 9 ай бұрын

Interesting. They look and feel like plastic thumbtacks.

@Engine1988 9 ай бұрын

@@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks That's what I thought when I got it, but then I was bored one day and I found a magnet and decided to see if it would stick. Sure enough, it did.

@brandongaines1731 9 ай бұрын

I think that the Menards car might actually be a bit too short heightwise, because that Lionel open-rack car looks to me like a tri-level, meaning that an O-Scale vehicle placed on top would actually make that car taller! If one did desire to load up any Lionel open autoracks in one's collection and run them with the Menards closed autorack, then as long as one's not using standard Lionel trestles and tunnels, the two should look fairly good together. Also, keeping in mind your earlier video about running one's trains in order from largest car to smallest car, it should be possible to get these to play fairly well with other rolling stock - perhaps with a little kitbashing. It should be just as easy as you described, hopefully, to add some extra weight, plus I'm sure that those trucks with mounted couplers shouldn't be too terribly difficult to swap for some weightier, more reliable, remote-uncoupler-compatible ones. I'm also trying to think of a work-around for the turnout clearance issue, but am personally unfamiliar with O-Gauge turnouts, so I'm not even sure if manual O-27 turnouts are an option or what the necessary clearance on those would be. I know from my HO-Scale perusal that manual turnouts in that scale can sometimes be kitbashed to be run remotely by using a small motor, but that usually involves having a permanent layout because that motor is typically mounted to the underside of the benchwork. Just some thoughts, hopefully they're useful to someone.

@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks 9 ай бұрын

Some good ideas. Thanks!

@MilwaukeeF40C 9 ай бұрын

The Menards car should be about 20' according to specifications on the Web site, which is in the range. I think the Lionel open racks are a bit tall and awkward. But the racks look like a good kitbash starting point. The flat is all wrong.

@RABSTRAINS 8 ай бұрын

The Menards bridges will allow them to pass, but forget the Lionel bridges; cars are too high ! You will have to add weight inside the cars as well and tighten the trucks with a technique shown in a KZfaq Video. They are a hassle to basically get them layout ready. I would not purchase them again, I have three of them. I also had to use O rings on all the couplers on the Menards auto racks.

@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks 8 ай бұрын

Thanks for the feedback!!

@davidballoid2118 9 ай бұрын

Yeah, You'll have to resort to Atlas O Scale Flex Track to make larger radius and turnouts for any longer rolling stock just on looks alone "the overhang" ! Not to waist what you have though, you should consider to make your layout resemble an Industrial complex.

@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks 9 ай бұрын

When Phase 2 begins, the mountains shall rise!

@Engine1988 9 ай бұрын

Over here in Dickinson, I see a lot of those in the yard. Usually UP (I don't know why. UP never even was in ND, much less Dickinson...), but sometimes a CSX or KCS/CP/CPKC one will appear. Never a BNSF one though. WHY?!

@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks 9 ай бұрын

TTX is co-owned by most of the major railroads so cars are free to roam the country. As I think about it, here in Ohio I see more UP than NS even on NS! I see a lot of BNSF and Mexican roads also.

@Engine1988 9 ай бұрын

@@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks The first time the railroads make sense on where their trains are it will be breaking news internationally!

@huntercoleman460 9 ай бұрын

Watching Mark’s Lionel Trains actually makes me hesitant to buy Menards rolling stock because I see how cheaply made they are since they have a tendency to uncouple when the train is moving. Has that ever been a problem for you Mike?

@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks 9 ай бұрын

The video shows my fix for this. Then I have no problems.

@stevenwaller192 9 ай бұрын

Hello there. Are The sides see through? Could it be disassembled and racks and autos installed?

@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks 9 ай бұрын

No. It's seaied.

@MilwaukeeF40C 8 ай бұрын

I bought a car but haven't opened the box yet. I think roof separation and Dremel surgery might be possible. Then drill a thousand holes in the walls if you have the energy.

@JohnThomas-lq5qp 9 ай бұрын

Not train smart but thought all RR cars in last 50 years had huge something like a UPS sign on them . Back in the 1970's slaughter house that I worked at had the worlds largest cattle cars that traveled East grom Chicago twice a week. Would shoo out a bix car of crackling ( cooked steer parts ) maybe 800iles awsy. Railway would loose all 5 cars they owned. Sometimes they ended up 600 miles past unloading point.

@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks 9 ай бұрын

In that time period, you were probably working with the Penn Central - perhaps the worst-run business in American history. There's a story that they once lost an entire trainload of mail and didn't find it for years!

@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks 9 ай бұрын

www.nytimes.com/1972/03/16/archives/penn-central-is-absolved-in-case-of-missing-mail.html

@JohnThomas-lq5qp 9 ай бұрын

@@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks A friend owned an injection molding shop and told me an interesting RR story back in the 1980's. A company shipped a too large & heavy injection molding machine

@JohnThomas-lq5qp 9 ай бұрын

Oops fat fingers. Anyway they shipped this huge injection machine to a company maybe 500 miles away by RR. When the crane showed up to unload it they asked RR guy so where's the machine. RR tried to say it got stolen in transport. About a year later during a drought somebody saw a large plywood container in the water where train tracks were curved.

@plunkervillerr1529 9 ай бұрын

How are the autos stacked, horizontal, or vertical nose up or down, or tipped on their sides, or hung upside down?

@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks 9 ай бұрын

However you imagine them.

@RailRide 9 ай бұрын

Horizontal. They're driven on/off using ramps. Back in the 1970's there was an experimental variant called the Vert-a-Pac designed to carry Chevy Vega autos vertically (they were designed to be shipped this way). The Vert-a-Pacs had hinged side panels that opened to the ground on both sides of the car and the Vegas would be driven onto them and secured in place. A large fork lift was used to raise the panels into the closed position, leaving the Vegas hanging in a nose-down position. Needless to say this didn't last long.

@richardnelson-ux1zz 9 ай бұрын

How tall is the o gauge menards auto rack not including the track rail

@ToyTrainTipsAndTricks 9 ай бұрын

Subtracting the O27 rail and ties gets you about 5" tall