I'd like to add my two cents worth if I may? I was going to throw in my wooden nickel too, but it has been reduced to nothing more than a pile of sawdust thanks to an angry army of termites!
Passenger Cars: I'd like to see Menards produce the entire set of streamlined passenger cars based on the HO scale Mantua-Tyco streamlined car fleet. They were close to 72 ft. in scale length which enabled them to operate on HO scale 18 inch radius curve track that was the standard track supllied with most HO train sets during the 50s and 60s.
Mantua-Tyco proposed to manufacture a complete set of cars. Not all were produced though, e.i. baggage car, diner, dome. Information can be obtained on Tony Cook's Tyco train site which I located by going to Google. The cars were very attractive and were delivered in several road names. I believe they would prove popular in the event Menards were to choose the design of these cars to put on the market today.
Caboose: Again, I turn to Mantua-Tyco. A caboose very simular to a Pennsylvania Railroad cabin car was produced and included in many train sets, except of course for the little 4-wheel wood bobber caboose, which were included in some sets. Instead of the standard Penny center cupola, the M-T car had an offset cupola. One must wonder if New Jersey based M-T didn't work from plans provided by the PRR when designing this caboose? Who knows if the Pennsy had planned to build cabin cars based on this design?
Vintage wood style passenger cars, like those which operate today on the popular Starsburg Rail Road, would be most welcomed too of course!
I am well aware that Menards will be required to invest X number of $ to design and maufacture any passenger cars (and a cabin car too) before they become part of the ever expanding line of excellent top quality "Nice Price" O gauge equipment, however, I did want to obtain the reaction of fellow OGR model rails (and Menards too of course) just the same.
Thank you!
Joe Toth Jr.
