Menard's has 5 boxcars for $99 ...

A couple months ago I bought the 5 BN boxcars for $99. Good deal, my only gripe with Menards boxcars are the couplers are very stiff. For the price no big deal.

Got an email from them today and it was for 6 box cars for $99.

Gentlemen,

    I would also like to know which company made these Box Cars before I purchase them.

PCRR/Dave

It appears they are made by Kader.

5-15-15 edit: keep reading below to see the official disclaimer from WBB insider - Kader has nothing to do with these cars.

They are identical to Williams by Bachmann boxcars except for the trucks. Kader Industries of Hong Kong is the parent company of Bachmann. Kader Industries at one time manufactured some Atlas and Lionel rolling stock. If you research Kader Industries they are the largest electric train company in the world in terms of revenue. Go back many years and you will find that they manufactured the infamous Cabbage Patch Kids.

Are these scale or traditional sized?

Traditional. Think Kusan/Kris/AMT/KMT/Williams.

They are mostly for kids, not bad but the price is cheap, very little detail and if they get broken by rough play by the young ones, who cares.

I just saw some at Menard's they look like the same size as a Lionel 6464 boxcar.

They had a nice weight to them. I have some of the tank flatcars and yes the couplers are stubborn to use but the price is right.

Here's a video I found on youtube about them I think by a fellow formite.

franktrain

Frank:

Gary posted that video on this Forum back in July in this thread: 

Menards 027 Box Cars | O Gauge Railroading On Line Forum

Also in that thread are many other postings with comments from Forum members who have bought these cars which are interesting and must reading for anyone considering buying these cars.

Bill

I don't have any of these but I did buy a bunch of RMT stuff when it was on sale a while back.  I am all in favor of these as it let's an aspiring O gauger strive to obtain something affordable.  Saving up for a $50 boxcar as opposed to a new video game for $49.99 shows me a big part of the reason we are in a dwindling hobby. There is no way my kids would be able or want to part with that much dough but these are something they can shoot for and obtain.

Great video on them!

I just saw some at Menard's they look like the same size as a Lionel 6464 boxcar.

The Menards boxcars are larger than Lionel's traditional size 6464 type boxcars. Very close to the size of MTH RailKing boxcars.

If they are the same as WbB 40 ft box cars then they are scale. They are short in height.....but bigger than a PRR X-29 box car......the exact same length as Atlas scale cars and the same width. Not all box cars are exactly the same height and vary greatly.....look up a late 40 early 50's era train photos. 

This is kinda funny as about 5 years ago I posed the question of why we could get decent O scale box cars for $20 when we get NICE die cast model cars for $10. I was beat up pretty good for my heresy.....seems Menards was listening anyway.....

$10 1/24 die cast model car VS decent O 3r box car. (this one a Industrial Rail model)

And at 6 box cars for $100 we have arrived!!!

Re the question of who made them, thanks to Rob for the info that the Menards box cars are being made by Kader without using the Williams name on them.  That answers my question about how the Menards cars can be made from the same tooling as the Williams box cars given that Williams has owned that original American Model Toys (AMT) tooling since 1982. 

Re the question of size, attached is a scan of a 1952 black & white advertisement for one of the first AMT cars made from that tooling, a NYC Pacemaker box car.  Note that the text in the caption of the photo says that they “are scaled to meet the standards of the American Association of Railroads for a 40-foot box car”.  So back in 1952 they were considered full O scale models of a 40-foot box car.

Bill

Are the trucks attached with screws, such that different trucks and couplers could be substituted?

From what I could see in Gary’s video posted above, when he had the body off it looks like the trucks may be easily replaceable.  It looks like the truck has a mounting stud which is held onto the frame by a c-clip.  Similar to the horseshoe washer used by Lionel in the early post-war years.

The Other Bill T

Thanks for that AMT ad......cool!!

Kader and/or Bachmann have nothing to do with these cars....

That's interesting........They look exactly the same as Williams by Bachmann 40ft box cars......who does make them since you seem to know. China is famous for cloning products so you're saying someone has cloned the WbB cars???

Don't know who made them but they do look an awful lot like Williams cars.... just lower quality

Jack:

Thanks for the "official" Williams response.  From the photo posted with the video above would you agree that these cars are made from the same original AMT molds as the Williams box cars?  If so, doesn’t Williams OWN those molds? 

Bill