Maybe I'm wrong, but in my mind I sort of see Menards entry into the market similar to the way overseas (and particularly Asian) automobile companies got themselves into the US market.
Think about Kia. When Kia first entered the American market they were ultra cheap cars that weren't perfect or anything close it it, but they worked well enough and were super affordable...so they sold well. Over the years their quality and prices have slowly increased and Kias are now seen as being quality cars on par with Honda, Toyota and others.
Menards has done a similar thing to get a foothold in the model train market. They arrived with dirt cheap trains that, while not perfect, were good enough to get the job done and they have sold well because of that. As time has moved on, we've seen Menards very slowly upping their game each year with better and better stuff...and of course the prices have crept up slightly as this has happened. Makes me wonder where they will be in 5-10 years.
Again, I could be wrong, but it's something that comes to mind when I think of Menards trains.
-Eric Siegel
