TN posted:LOL, Menards creates 4,5,6 pages of buzz on a weekly/biweekly basis WBB comes out with a new catalog once a year 1,2 pages at most and gone. Not a complaint just a fact!
Tom N
Menards offers things they can deliver immediately. That is a huge difference!
That is a huge difference! Maybe the BTO mindset has creeped into every aspect of the hobby and should be revisited.
Morton would like a few of these in 1:1 scale
jhz563 posted:TN posted:LOL, Menards creates 4,5,6 pages of buzz on a weekly/biweekly basis WBB comes out with a new catalog once a year 1,2 pages at most and gone. Not a complaint just a fact!
Tom N
Menards offers things they can deliver immediately. That is a huge difference!
Menards has new offerings almost every week during the cool-weather months. Williams by Bachmann catalog has very few new items, even in terms of new paint schemes, annually. No mystery why Menards gets all the buzz.
That is a nice looking structure, and without an overly large foot print too! 
A great deal of Menard's success is because they realize it's 2017, and market as such. Other train companies market like it's still 1955.... totally antiquated. People want stuff right this minute nowadays...that's just how it is.
Williams by Bachmann is asleep at the wheel over in Philadelphia. Menards needs to take over the WBB locomotive lineup. Then we would see fresh roadnames on a timely basis.
Guess I'm the odd ball here. I love what Menards is doing but on a scale of 1 - 10, I'd have to rate the Morton's building at a 3 at best. The colors scream CHEAP. When viewed next to the Feed & Seed structure it's hard to believe they are from the same company. On the positive side the Morton's Salt Girl is spot on and the base scenery is pretty good. That being said I'll have to pass on this one and wait for the BREWERY.
Matt Kramer posted:A great deal of Menard's success is because they realize it's 2017, and market as such. Other train companies market like it's still 1955.... totally antiquated. People want stuff right this minute nowadays...that's just how it is.
Dunno if anyone has noticed, but Menard's doesn't tell you what's in development while it's in development. You don't hear anything about their train products till they're produced, shipped and sitting in their warehouses ready to ship.
Any of the other players could do the same, except for these teensy details:
--trains being their bread-and butter, they can't afford to take orders after buying a warehouse-load of product (recall brianel-klineguy pointing out in a prior Menard's thread that most of the Chinese builders require payment in full before shipment), essentially in-secret.
--For most of this hypothetical pre-paid secretly-produced warehouse-load of product they'd have no idea how much of each item they'd be able to sell since under this "2017 model" they would not have put out a catalog announcing them beforehand, and thus no dealer input on how much of each item to make.
-Lastly, not having a huge home-improvement business backing up their income, they also don't have the luxury of parceling out first notice of said products (recall there would be no catalogs telling end users what they've proposed making) one or two a week over the course of a year. Or of being able to sit on that inventory for a few years till it finally sells out.
---PCJ
We need a church.
Craignor posted:We need a church.
I suggest you focus on Department 56 or Lemax for that modeling element. Ceramic or porcelain makes for more convincing stone structures anyway, and those companies make churches regularly at a similar price point.
Mark , lot's of request for a beer related building.
Lots of different church buildings available already. Model Power, MTH, Atlas all make plastic scale versions. Plasticville and K-Line/Marx each had a few.
Someone here built this from Plasticville.......
We need more mid century downtown structures as the Red Owl is about the only one currently.
wild mary posted:Guess I'm the odd ball here. I love what Menards is doing but on a scale of 1 - 10, I'd have to rate the Morton's building at a 3 at best. The colors scream CHEAP. When viewed next to the Feed & Seed structure it's hard to believe they are from the same company. On the positive side the Morton's Salt Girl is spot on and the base scenery is pretty good. That being said I'll have to pass on this one and wait for the BREWERY.
I'll probably get this one, but I am with you on the BREWERY!
TN posted:Mark , lot's of request for a beer related building.
Mark it's time for a BREWERY!!! Do you think your engineering staff could come up with something close to the old American Beer Brewery here in Baltimore?
Or perhaps some a little easier like this Budweiser Brewery.
I did order this without reservation. It is a bit more modern then I try to model but I really like the shape and the sign on it. Once I place it I can always weather it down or even change the color. I look forward to the next building release because you never know what they are going to come out with. And so far they have been doing some different buildings. I still hope for a brewery because I have so many empty reefers waiting for beer loads LOL. I would love to see the possibility of building with add ons to increase the foot print of the original. I am sure there are a number of us who would like that idea. For now I will keep checking to see where my building is on its way to the store......................Paul
Another good looking building. Though I have to admit, thoughts of kit bashing this into a base for a coal mine came to mind. Maybe a future building??
Still would like to see a saw mill!
Keep up the great work Menards!
wild mary posted:TN posted:Mark , lot's of request for a beer related building.
Mark it's time for a BREWERY!!! Do you think your engineering staff could come up with something close to the old American Beer Brewery here in Baltimore?
Or perhaps some a little easier like this Budweiser Brewery.
Or maybe a Micro-brewery and call it Jack's Beer or Mad Dog Lager or ???
On the Salt plant, I wonder if the bottom is removable?
I like the tunnel on the American Power and Light plant that has no bottom, and the whole thing just sits down over my existing track work.
OK.....I've had a few days to think about the newest offerings from our friends at Menard's.
Here are my thoughts. I am going to pass on this one. I have a few other buildings and a few Menard's box cars and like them a lot.
Why I'm passing:
A little to modern for me. I squeezed the power plant in but this one just can't fake it in the 1950's. My issue not Menard's.
Colors are a bit bright. A GREAT color combo for more 'toy' operators but would need a lot for dulling down for a die hard scale guy (or gal) again my issue.
Positives!!!
GREAT foot print....almost anyone could fit it in.
GREAT lighting with the sign and outdoor lights.
GREAT details all over. steps, railings vents etc
GREAT value I am sure Menard's will produce another building I will HAVE to have if we keep buying......so I hope this one flies off the shelf.
Thanks Mark/Menard's.....
Jim R. posted:Craignor posted:We need a church.
I suggest you focus on Department 56 or Lemax for that modeling element. Ceramic or porcelain makes for more convincing stone structures anyway, and those companies make churches regularly at a similar price point.
I know what Churchs are out there...but I want something better, a church with all the detail and lighting that Menards or Woodland Scenics puts into their structures.
To those saying that the color is too bright and not realistic enough, you may not have seen the following. These are images of dust collectors and filters used primarily, I believe, in food production facilities. You see them a lot throughout the midwest.
The best thing about this building is the small footprint. There are many of us buying many of these buildings only to keep them under the table for a future layout since we have no room on our current layout. So it's a good move to focus on smaller footprint buildings that still have a ton of interest. I really hope you continue that move and start getting creative on how to keep great looking buildings small. I think even certain facades would do well instead of a full building. People talk about the Budweiser brewery. If that was a full-scale building, it would be too large for most people's layouts. But a well done facade would be a perfect addition to many people's backdrops.
Keep the creativity coming.
towdog posted:The best thing about this building is the small footprint. There are many of us buying many of these buildings only to keep them under the table for a future layout since we have no room on our current layout. So it's a good move to focus on smaller footprint buildings that still have a ton of interest. I really hope you continue that move and start getting creative on how to keep great looking buildings small. I think even certain facades would do well instead of a full building. People talk about the Budweiser brewery. If that was a full-scale building, it would be too large for most people's layouts. But a well done facade would be a perfect addition to many people's backdrops.
Keep the creativity coming.
A well done facade would be great , I could use more of them than buildings!
Contrary to what TOWDOG says, this is not a small footprint. I just spent hours at my club trying to fit one in the storage yard. If I eliminate part of a siding, we can do it. I came home to my layout and all my tracks are too close to fit the unit on the layout. I have to remeasure again in the morning and see if it is feasible.
Just a thought,not seeing this in person,but from the pictures the color looks good, doesn't look toy like and structure looks real. I have delivered to places just like it and I think it would fit in just fine on any layout.
DMASSO posted:Contrary to what TOWDOG says, this is not a small footprint. I just spent hours at my club trying to fit one in the storage yard. If I eliminate part of a siding, we can do it. I came home to my layout and all my tracks are too close to fit the unit on the layout. I have to remeasure again in the morning and see if it is feasible.
Smaller than the locomotive shed, train station, etc. Honestly I don't think many of us have room for any more structures that large. But yes, even smaller would be better. Like the Plumbing Supply building, etc.
Our constant battle in this gauge....
Maybe foot print is a matter of POV......It is smaller than many Menard's structures(power plant, station, Red Owl etc etc) and most Woodland buildings. So because it does not fit on your layout means it's foot print is big to YOU.
Very nice building & would like to have it, but still need to be able to connect to AC transformer instead of the 4.5v transformer. Until this happens, I will not be buying anymore Menards buildings.
LIONEL posted:Very nice building & would like to have it, but still need to be able to connect to AC transformer instead of the 4.5v transformer. Until this happens, I will not be buying anymore Menards buildings.
I agree with you on this. My location for the Mortons building will be close to a power outlet. Otherwise, I too am mainly limiting buildings to power sourced from my transformer. I'm a huge Menards fan, yet I am unhappy with the power source issue and will continue to advocate changing the way these beautiful buildings take power.
I nominally do not buy very muck non scale cars but the salt hopper is a got to have.
I finally found I structure to build a coal flood loader out of.
Agree with Towdog and TN. A brewery would be too big for most layouts. Building facades, with cool Miller signs and LED's, is a great idea. I have room for lots of them. Of course, the power issue remains a problem. It would be far better to have them model the plug and play system. If not, a way to wire the signs and LED's directly to a Miller power distribution board, which could run a bunch of facades. No plugs, no adapters, just two wires.
Jerry
IF Menards ever built a brewery I would vote for a copy of the Old Style brewery in LaCrosse, WI. with its famous six pack storage tanks. Today it's painted as LaCrosse beer but either one would be awesome
franktrain
franktrain posted:IF Menards ever built a brewery I would vote for a copy of the Old Style brewery in LaCrosse, WI. with its famous six pack grain silo's. Today it's painted as LaCrosse beer but either one would be awesome
VistaDomeScott posted:LIONEL posted:Very nice building & would like to have it, but still need to be able to connect to AC transformer instead of the 4.5v transformer. Until this happens, I will not be buying anymore Menards buildings.
I agree with you on this. My location for the Mortons building will be close to a power outlet. Otherwise, I too am mainly limiting buildings to power sourced from my transformer. I'm a huge Menards fan, yet I am unhappy with the power source issue and will continue to advocate changing the way these beautiful buildings take power.
I'll add my agreement here. I bought the salt factory for three reasons:
1) I had the room (barely!)
2) I had a single available power outlet near the location I'll put it.
3) I thought it was cool.
Granted I really have no more room on my layout for buildings but Menard's is making some neat stuff. I don't care for their rolling stock but their buildings appear to really be big hits. The salt factory is my first building from them. Regardless, as I've said, I am in no position to plug adapters in to light the buildings. Other than the salt factory, I do not plan to buy more as 1) No room and 2) Requirement to use adapters to light them up.
I just ordered this, and have 2 other Menard's buildings. How do go about using the 3 outlet power adapter to supply power to all 3 buildings ?
Mike
OK. I will make them fit. I ordered two buildings and six hoppers. (club & me)
I just wished there was a way to use these rebates but there are no stores around here.
Mike, the only restrictions are that you have an outlet to be able to plug into and your buildings be relatively close together. If your layout is small, you will have no problem. If you have a large layout and your buildings are spaced quite a distance apart, then you might run into some problems hooking all three up. The extensions on the three plugs are fairly long.
Rick
I bought on eBay some power supply male female screw terminal adapters to connect to the Menards power supply. I ran whatever length of wire I needed between the adapters and the Menards building and the power supply.
Neal Jeter
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