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Seems like Lionel is trying to compete with Menards. Is Jack the dog "biting" Lenny the Lion?
There is a very quick turnaround on these - order by November 16th for November delivery. Are these being assembled and decorated in this country?
Nice. Might be in for 6 of the B&O gondolas.
I believe, and granted I am a relative newcomer to this wonderful hobby, that Menards is starting to have an influence on the major producers as to price and quick availability! As Grampstrains so aptly put it ,WE WIN!!
Menards is the undisputed price leader but what puzzles me is that if they can sell boxcars with metal trucks and turn a profit for a $19.95 retail price, what is so special about the other companies boxcars that they should sell for up to $89? Can anyone answer that question?
A Soo Line gondola from Lionel is a rare sight.
Andrew
Dennis LaGrua posted:Menards is the undisputed price leader but what puzzles me is that if they can sell boxcars with metal trucks and turn a profit for a $19.95 retail price, what is so special about the other companies boxcars that they should sell for up to $89? Can anyone answer that question?
Menards' does not depend on train sales for its bottom line--they have an entire home-improvement superstore's worth of home-improvement stuff for that. All the regular players in the model-train biz depend on train sales for...everything.
(Also, Menards' product doesn't have distributor + dealer mark-up)
---PCJ
RailRide posted:Dennis LaGrua posted:Menards is the undisputed price leader but what puzzles me is that if they can sell boxcars with metal trucks and turn a profit for a $19.95 retail price, what is so special about the other companies boxcars that they should sell for up to $89? Can anyone answer that question?
Menards' does not depend on train sales for its bottom line--they have an entire home-improvement superstore's worth of home-improvement stuff for that. All the regular players in the model-train biz depend on train sales for...everything.
(Also, Menards' product doesn't have distributor + dealer mark-up)
---PCJ
Plus very minimal tooling costs, and so forth. I mentioned "loss leader" once in another thread about this, and Mark from Menard's simply "liked" that comment.
I am pretty sure these special run cars from Lionel are from long existing tooling, where the costs have been pretty amortized, so they can release them for an already discounted price to the dealers.
Either way, as someone else mentioned, a win for us who play in this area of the hobby.
RailRide posted:Dennis LaGrua posted:Menards is the undisputed price leader but what puzzles me is that if they can sell boxcars with metal trucks and turn a profit for a $19.95 retail price, what is so special about the other companies boxcars that they should sell for up to $89? Can anyone answer that question?
Menards' does not depend on train sales for its bottom line--they have an entire home-improvement superstore's worth of home-improvement stuff for that. All the regular players in the model-train biz depend on train sales for...everything.
(Also, Menards' product doesn't have distributor + dealer mark-up)
---PCJ
And give that man a prize!
Dennis LaGrua posted:Menards is the undisputed price leader but what puzzles me is that if they can sell boxcars with metal trucks and turn a profit for a $19.95 retail price, what is so special about the other companies boxcars that they should sell for up to $89? Can anyone answer that question?
The more expensive boxcars aren't the same as Menards cars at all. Apples and oranges. They're larger, to begin with, being full O scale, whereas the Menards cars are so-called "traditional" cars, significantly smaller. Also, the scale cars have added-on, separately hand-applied parts and more intricate details, interiors with loads, etc., making them much more realistic in appearance. With traditional cars like Menards, details are just molded into the plastic bodies. All these things make the more expensive cars, well, significantly more expensive.
It appears certain that these new Lionel cars are from the same molds as existing Lionel traditional cars. One extra detail Lionel added to its traditional flatcars in more recent years is openings between the steps at the ends of the car. These cars may end up being made with that feature, but it doesn't appear in the pictures.
Really like the flatcars. Very nice, now with simulated wood decks, rather than body-colored "wood" textured plastic planking the cars have always had. That's a big improvement. The ends are designed to be metal plating, as before, so those are still body-colored.
1:48 or not, the GM&O gon is calling my name.
But since when did the GM&O become a "Midwestern" road? Sure, we went up there, but, nah.
breezinup posted:The more expensive boxcars aren't the same as Menards cars at all. Apples and oranges. They're larger, to begin with, being full O scale, whereas the Menards cars are so-called "traditional" cars, significantly smaller. Also, the scale cars have added-on, separately hand-applied parts and more intricate details, interiors with loads, etc., making them much more realistic in appearance. With traditional cars like Menards, details are just molded into the plastic bodies. All these things make the more expensive cars, well, significantly more expensive.
I get tired of saying this, but the Menard's boxcars are so close to scale that it's not worth complaining about, they're certainly not "significantly" smaller. I've posted the comparison several times, suffice to say it's hard to tell the difference. I compared them to the Lionel Vision Line PFE Reefers, they are certainly considered scale sized. Once again, here's the comparison shot.
https://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/t...45#66610802191308745
I'll give you the added details, but they're not always a plus. Stuff like my Lionel PFE Reefers and many Atlas cars have a lot of neat added detail, opening hatches, etc. However, the downside is that to carry them around to shows, that detail being very fragile is a liability. The Menards cars I can just pack them into the carrier and not worry about breaking a bunch of fine detailed parts off.
If Lionel starts offering tank cars, boxcars and hoppers then I'll jump on this deal.
Grampstrains, if they don't break up the sets, you could get the set and give the ones you don't want as Christmas presents to friends! Great idea? Your friend, Bill LOL
I'd like some set's like these using old Standard O tooling.
gunrunnerjohn posted:breezinup posted:The more expensive boxcars aren't the same as Menards cars at all. Apples and oranges. They're larger, to begin with, being full O scale, whereas the Menards cars are so-called "traditional" cars, significantly smaller. Also, the scale cars have added-on, separately hand-applied parts and more intricate details, interiors with loads, etc., making them much more realistic in appearance. With traditional cars like Menards, details are just molded into the plastic bodies. All these things make the more expensive cars, well, significantly more expensive.
I get tired of saying this, but the Menard's boxcars are so close to scale that it's not worth complaining about, they're certainly not "significantly" smaller. I've posted the comparison several times, suffice to say it's hard to tell the difference. I compared them to the Lionel Vision Line PFE Reefers, they are certainly considered scale sized. Once again, here's the comparison shot.
https://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/t...45#66610802191308745
I'll give you the added details, but they're not always a plus. Stuff like my Lionel PFE Reefers and many Atlas cars have a lot of neat added detail, opening hatches, etc. However, the downside is that to carry them around to shows, that detail being very fragile is a liability. The Menards cars I can just pack them into the carrier and not worry about breaking a bunch of fine detailed parts off.
On the other hand, in rebuttal: 
Well, there are some significant differences between the boxcars (comparing boxcars to boxcars, not boxcars to reefers), including size. Below are some shots of a Menards boxcar, together with one of Lionel's common scale PS-1 boxcars. The differences are quite clear. Just my opinion, of course. I like the Menards cars, but they are more like Lionel traditional cars, or perhaps, in some cases, a bit larger, like some of the Railking offerings.
I have found the add-on details on most of the Lionel scale cars to be pretty robust, much more so than the Atlas O cars. In any case, my measure is not how well they survive being hauled from show to show, any more than how well they survive a six foot drop onto concrete. I don't think most folks judge their trains in terms of how they hold up to traveling between train shows. If that were the criterion for value, Marx tinplate would be the way to go, probably.
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During the era that PS-1 boxcars ran, there was no such thing as a consistent roofline in prototype freight trains. Boxcar sizes were all over the map. Even more so than today's assortment of 50-footers mixed with hi-cubes.
---PCJ
No boxes with individual cars or pairs? I find that funny.....
-Greg
Order placed. Six-pack of B&O gondolas.
Greg Houser posted:No boxes with individual cars or pairs? I find that funny.....
-Greg
Probably nothing odd about it at all. For the reduced price these 6 packs are being offered at, they most likely come in a single piece tray or styrofoam form for the whole 6 pack, not every car in a clam-shell or styrofoam form with a dedicated box for each piece. (I don't know the current mode of operation, but I remember seeing a "tray" of Menard's flat cars at a LHS a while ago, they were not boxed at the individual level either.)
The split price C Ro is offering for singles or pairs is probably a dealer initiated break up that he feels will sell well too, similar to breaking up any other set.
-Dave
Dave45681 posted:Greg Houser posted:No boxes with individual cars or pairs? I find that funny.....
-Greg
Probably nothing odd about it at all. for the reduced price these 6 packs are being offered at, they most likely come in a single piece tray or styrofoam form for the whole 6 pack...........
Agreed. I ordered a 6-pack this morning and frankly no boxes is perfectly fine with me.
Anything to reduce the ridiculous amount of space I have dedicated to train boxes is a plus! 
johnstrains posted:Agreed. I ordered a 6-pack this morning and frankly no boxes is perfectly fine with me.
Anything to reduce the ridiculous amount of space I have dedicated to train boxes is a plus!
I think if you ordered the six pack you are probably going to get whatever type of box they ship to the dealers in.
I read the ad as just stating no box for singles or 2 packs.
-Dave
Dave45681 posted:johnstrains posted:Agreed. I ordered a 6-pack this morning and frankly no boxes is perfectly fine with me.
Anything to reduce the ridiculous amount of space I have dedicated to train boxes is a plus!
I think if you ordered the six pack you are probably going to get whatever type of box they ship to the dealers in.
I read the ad as just stating no box for singles or 2 packs.
-Dave
Curses, foiled again. 
