This thread is specifically for buildings you'd like us to make.
Post reference photos if you have them!
Thank you,
Mark the Menards Train Guy
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This thread is specifically for buildings you'd like us to make.
Post reference photos if you have them!
Thank you,
Mark the Menards Train Guy
Replies sorted oldest to newest
Love to see more building flats made. Not so much front of the buildings but maybe with just train loading and unloading docks or even some with a covered train shed. also made so you could put more then one side by side to make longer buildings. also some older style buildings from the early 1900's. ......Paul 2
Blast furnace! Steel mill!
A 1970s era Amtrak station. Hammond IN, Canton, OH are examples of the type.
Buffalo NY Depew one example as in this link:
M&Ms factory. I know you did the building flat for M&Ms.
Neal Jeter
Wonder Bread, Hostess Cake Plant with a smoke unit in the stack so you can use Mega Steam Baking Bread scented smoke fluid
I would love to see a Pillsbury manufacturing plant.
Margaritaville restaurant with Jimmy Buffett sign.
I definitely second Paul’s suggestions. I’d also like to see more industries with flat backs like grain silos or coal/ore mines. An older style freight building/depot would be nice too.
As far as non-train related buildings, I’d like to see: a city hall, a gazebo/city park, a drive in theater with concession stands, and a 1950’s highway motel.
I would have also said a church, but you beat me to it with a nice offering!
I would second the drive in theater with concession stands.
I’d like a enhanced selection of residential houses...farm homes, two story city houses, older 1920 vintage.
A Wisconsin cheese factory (think Mullins Cheese), a paper mill, a Wisconsin/Minnesota supper club, The Brat Stop, another version of the sauerkraut factory (mine didn't work), a country tavern, a tourist gift shop (Dells, Cherryland, etc. signage) and the National Railroad museum. These all have buildings right in your back yard to model .
Prince, WV passenger station.
Still being used by Amtrak.
Scott Smith
I'll take a Bohack and a White Castle !
Any of these skyscrapers (as flats) but in a more professional version with the great lighting and details that Menards is so good at...
Water treatment plant
When you make the Wonder/Hostess/ Interstate Bakeries Corporation factory be sure to make some "Happy Birthday America" Hoppers as well! Some plain Wonder/ Hostess hoppers would be cool as well. If you can only do one, go for the bicentennial.
Back to buildings I would love a vintage Stuckey's & a generic looking old school gas station that came with different brands you could put on it. While I am dreaming I would love for it to either come with pumps from multiple eras or you guys could sell the pumps separately. I know the 50's "transition era" is popular. I would like a building generic enough that it wouldn't look out of place with 50's style logos and pumps, yet would also look ok with 70's-80's era mechanical pumps. I think Walther's used to have something like this (it did not come with any logos). Many 50's and 60's gas station building hung on until the 80's or later. I suspect a few are still in use.
Mark,
I also think that a drive-in movie theater would be great.
A drive-in restaurant like a Sonic or classic style from the 50’s would also be nice to have as well.
Both are great ways to display everyone’s die cast cars.
Thanks for all that you’re doing for the hobby.
Chris
To focus in on a part of the above post.
ACFX 56670 in the Bicentennial scheme was leased to HOSTESS / WONDER BREAD. It was a 5250 Cubic Foot Capacity, ACF CENTER FLOW 4-bay covered hopper.
K-Line once had that type of ACF CENTER FLOW, 5250 Cu. Ft., 4-bay covered hoppers produced in Aluminum in O scale.
MENARDS needs to find a way to produce them again in Plastic or Aluminum, then apply that HOSTESS scheme plus the WISCONSIN CENTRAL scheme.
Andrew
Falcon Service
A Howard Johnson Resturant. A icing station were blocks of ice are loaded into refrigator cars.
A Krispy Kreme doughnut shop, you have licensed other food emporiums so maybe a KK would be possible.
A long icing platform with an operating conveyor belt that moves numerous blocks of ice.
Several remotely controlled figures of men with large poles push the ice from the conveyor belt into the refrigerator cars through the roof hatches or the open doors.
Andrew
I would like to see an extension to your restaurant line. Maybe McDonald's, Burger King, Subway, etc. This of course is for a more modern layout and I know there are licensing issues but it's been done in other scales. Also, maybe an apartment building that would fit nicely on most layouts.
Dave
A track side warehouse flat with loading dock the correct height for boxcars. Or similar industry structure (furniture, etc.).
THE DOMINO SUGAR BUILDING - EPIC!!!!!!!!!
More building flats like the first one you did.
Ben;
You’re killing me - a Bohack to go along with your next beer cars and Ebingers. If they make an Ebinger’s store as opposed to the factory, they would have to include a couple of women in white smocks wearing hair nets... and those green boxes!!! I can taste the crumb cake and iced kringles!!! I’d be definitely in for one of each - preferably as flats, I think.
Steak n Shake (50's-70's) Dog n Sud's drive in.
Rusty
Walthers Steel Mill series has been HUGELY successful. I suggest doing a series of O Scale flats of the FORD River Rouge complex. Not only could you do different sides of the plant which included multiple assembly buildings, a glass plant, a steel mill all types of sub steel mfg components an iconic Ford Water tower but all the tangential products Menards could do. There is / was a huge freighter dock in the middle of the plant to off load ore, coal, sand. So Lake Freighters could go with line, tugs, so many additional smalls. Cranes, gantrys conveyers, unlimited industrial options. Ford Rouge had it all.
A nice lighthouse. A dockside shanty. Boatyard boats. Seafood market with delivery truck.
@scott.smith posted:Prince, WV passenger station.
Still being used by Amtrak.
Scott Smith
WITH the Cat on the floor!!!! Now we are DREAMING!
How about "Dave's Garage" to go with the freebie pickup currently being offered.
As was said above....industrial flats could be used together
@Diverging Clear posted:Steak n Shake (50's-70's) Dog n Sud's drive in.
Rusty
Beat me to it. Steak n Shake!
Wow! Ask and thou will receive. Lots of great suggestions.
This particular freight station, produced by Tyco (pictured) in HO and Bachmann in N scale 50 years ago, but never by anyone in O scale.
An on going series of Oil Refinery structures & Steel Mill structures!!
A bakery front patterned after the old Revell HO bakery would be very cool. It'd be better if the entire building was in kit form, but I know that's not likely.
Have they done a sanding tower?
@jhz563 posted:Have they done a sanding tower?
Like the idea of engine yard accessories like a sanding tower/shed, ash pit, etc. Please don’t make them oversized like the water tower.
A few thoughts come to mind
- Modular Grain Elevator: Section A is a standalone grain elevator with several silos, the Section B has silos that can be added to the first section to expand the overall building. One can add multiple B sections together to extend the overall length of silo.
Examples of configurations: A , A+B , A+B+B , A+B+B+B , etc....
- Modular Icing Platform: Similar design to the above mentioned grain elevator, this icing platform can be built-up in sections. Each section (P) would have a set of removable steps that can be mounted on either side of the platform section. This way one can tailor the length of the icing platform to the space they have
Examples of configurations: P (w/ steps) , P (w/ steps)+P (w/ steps) , P (w/ steps)+P , P (w/ steps)+P+P , etc...
- F.W. Woolworth Co. Building: I haven't seen one made yet in O gauge
If you want further info on these product ideas, my email is in my profile.
Bryce
Colonial style brick or stone church other than the country style churches currently made and a similar style city hall. Structures that can anchor a town square.
guys as nice a some of the suggestions here are. they my be too elaborate and unrealistic for menards to build.
mark, here is an idea that is sure to fit all eras and model rr. it can be made using the products you most likely already are using and takes up a very small space. it can be put against a wall or stand alone. this style of building if made with two loading doors would be great for spotting box cars on the layout. just make it about 30 inches long and 10 in wide and 10 high.this would accommodate all lenths of box cars to be used. a sign atop the building could be made in a long rectangular shape. non lighted and with multiple factory name via stickers for placement buy purchaser. or whe could make our own. just light up the interior and it would look great and very down town industrial on any layout from oscale to ho scale. here is a photo of one thats been done years ago by someone.
Is love to see a cripple creek wood coal tower to pair with the water tower and engine house
Southern Pacific passenger station. Never done in O Gauge.
@Diverging Clear posted:Steak n Shake (50's-70's) Dog n Sud's drive in.
Rusty
I agree on a Dog n Suds Drive in. One is located in Tomahawk, WI.
To be practical, I would make the structure with 6 to 8 car stalls total. Otherwise it might be too large for some O gauge layouts. Most properties started out as Drive in only. Some locations added sit down later. Not looking for a neon sign, just the current logo lighted.
@Scott R posted:Is love to see a cripple creek wood coal tower to pair with the water tower and engine house
I have been posting on this board to Menards for years for a large footprint, weathered coaling station/tower structure. So far, it has fallen on deaf ears..................................
@JD2035RR posted:
Now that coaling facility would be great, been asking Menard's for years for something along that line.
East coast supermarkets like Food fair, Acme, Pathmark, Jewel, A&P and many others. All these are closed now except for Acme.
Many pictures of each on the Web.
Another thought is Horn and Hardant automat restaurant. Great signage!
Dave
Lots of great ideas here! Hope we see some of them made!! A tavern or 2 would be nice, a hospital maybe with a helicopter and an ambulance entering, an oil refinery, a liquor store , I really like the Outdoor Man store or something like that!!
@david1 posted:East coast supermarkets likeFood fair, Acme, Pathmark, Jewel, A&P and many others. All these are closed now except for Acme.
Many pictures of each on the Web.
Another thought is Horn and Hardant automat restaurant. Great signage!
Dave
I'm in for a Food Fair store: my first job with a paycheck at 15 years old in 1962.
There are so many great ideas on this thread! I am definitely in favor of some more flat buildings.
This is a very biased recommendation, but I'd love to see the Marceline, MO depot turned into a building - both HO and O scales. Marceline is my native hometown, and I think it had one of the most beautiful train stations in the Midwest. Although no trains stop there anymore, it has a wonderful new life as the Walt Disney Hometown Museum. Disney and his family lived there for several years during his boyhood in the early 20th century, and it was in Marceline where he discovered his passion for drawing, as well as his lifelong affinity with trains.
Personally, I think the brickwork and architecture of this station would make it an attractive model that could be an amazing addition to any of our layouts. I appreciate this thread and the opportunity for all of us to share our ideas - thank you!
Just make them all Mark! You know we’ll buy them 😆
Agree with steel mill.
Rolling Rock Brewery,Latrobe
Cement Plant to go with your Materials Silos.
Concrete Plant for your mixers feeding the concrete building.
Asphalt Plant again for your Materials Silos.
@Jim Brenner posted:A bakery front patterned after the old Revell HO bakery would be very cool. It'd be better if the entire building was in kit form, but I know that's not likely.
Ypu can do it by kitbashing ameritown structures such as the theater, police station, etc those kits that have the arch brick and inserts.
Most of those above are too specific or extremely local. We all have a "local", and a bakery (etc) across the country doesn't perk me up.
Not your thing, but more heavy industry, maybe modular so that we can buy all or part ("Collect All Three!"). Small portions of big industries.
And: flats, flats, flats - which can fit in with the "small portions of big industries" idea.
I like the idea of a oil refinery that is modular. Make it about one foot square with the ability to put 2 or 3 side by side. And since Menard's has a connection with some oil companies.....maybe a nice 50's era Valvoline plant.
Not a refinery but the Valvoline dist office 1960 in LA...
OK,
So what does the competition NOT have or no longer make.
1. Pedestrian overpasses.
Discontinued:
http://www.lionel.com/products...kover-green-6-37115/
https://www.walthers.com/atlas...kit-6-quot-clearance
https://www.worthpoint.com/wor...-pedestrian-19791730
These can also be cut in half to make stairs for elevated lines.
2. 30" long scale bridge girder plate sections that can be cut to length. One supplier makes them (26.5 inches).
3. Long stair sections with hand rails that we can cut to the length we need. Usually that involves a lot of work to piece together.
@AMCDave posted:Good idea....but it got cancelled......
But the building used for the “Last Man Standing” Outdoor Man’s exterior shots is simply a Bass Pro Shops store, specifically in Rancho Cucamonga, California. Not a bad idea.
@Jim R. posted:But the building used for the “Last Man Standing” Outdoor Man’s exterior shots is simply a Bass Pro Shops store, specifically in Rancho Cucamonga, California. Not a bad idea.
As you can tell I do make a living as a comedian. My comment was a play on words....the building was planned but cancelled.....much like the TV show......back to model trains for me!
How bout the STEGMAIER Brewery in Wilkes Barre! PA. I worked there cleaning up after the AGNES Flood in 72.
1.A Hospital based on the Police/Fire station footprint with a Rescue copter on top.
2. A the Theater with chase lights like the old "Elektra" one.
3. A operating, waving American Flag. Smaller computer fans are cheap and the trick is to
match the airflow (CFM) and make a small diagonal duct on the non flag side of the fan to direct
the airflow to the flag side.
Thank you Mark for soliciting suggestions. UnclePeteRR
Add on US Flag/Theater ideas.
Flag should be made out of some nylon light weight type
of material.
Theater could added marquee lettering so customers could
spell out their favorite movie. "Palace Theater" is a much more
widely used name.
I would love to have an O scale model of the famous Wausau, WI Milwaukee Road station. The old Wausau Insurance company used it for all of it's print and TV advertising for many years. They were a major sponsor on 60 Minutes in the 60s & 70s. I built the Walther's kit in HO.
Flats, something say less than 1" thick. I know Menards likes to do tie-ins, but maybe not the company artwork and logos of the 2021, maybe logos etc of the 50s to 90s?
How about a product with Miller Engineering lights? Morton Salt?
(The following picture is hotlinked from Miller Engineering website, could cause bandwidth problems for them).
@paul 2 posted:Love to see more building flats made. Not so much front of the buildings but maybe with just train loading and unloading docks or even some with a covered train shed. also made so you could put more then one side by side to make longer buildings. also some older style buildings from the early 1900's. ......Paul 2
I too agree w/ Paul's suggestion of more building flats (especially the often real world rear track facing side). Maybe Menards can design two separate types that can work independently or together.
Menards has come out with many excellent building options over the past several years. Many of which require some serious space. The much less depth of a few inch facade can appeal to a wide audience and be placed in many spaces.
How about convenience store like Wawa, 7-Eleven or Quiktrip?
@IRON HORSE posted:
Love It!
Diesel Locomotive fueling facility with storage tank.
More taverns would be great.
I think the rule is you need 3 taverns for every church.
In some areas that is reversed but I remember many small towns that seemed to have a tavern or a church on every corner in the middle of town.
If you made a chasing Holiday Inn sign you would have a license to print money. The Great Sign has it's own facebook page with quite a few members.
I love the idea of a 7-11. K Line had one years ago, no idea who wound up with the tooling.
How about a KFC restaurant with a rotating bucket sign! It could go next to the Holiday Inn and the Howard Johnson.
Awesome suggestions like the idea of 7 eleven. Dunkin’ Donuts or dawn donuts
any building with a fan driven smoke unit would be awesome!! Could be factories bakeries or houses with working chimney
carnival stands with smoke units such as making popcorn or cotton candy.
working LEd camp fire accessory with smoke unit
Like the holiday inn idea with neon sign, Amtrak station with Miller engineering neon ticket sign.
what about a local home town Sears hardware?
would like to see the expansion of the restaurant line as mentioned Burger King subway kfc
Oh A Pizza Hut would be classic too
JT mega steam would need to make a pizza scent for kitchen smoke unit haha
@Garfield posted:More taverns would be great.
I think the rule is you need 3 taverns for every church.
I've lived in a town that had a tavern on every corner in the "downtown" area and along the main route in through town. I would suspect the ratio was more like 9 to 1. A few of the older majestic churches were closed or converted into - a bar/restaurant or a law office.
Train stations seem to be requested a lot here. I would agree, but what about a station platform with adjustable height?
Pabst Brewery, or any large brewery for that matter. As a dedicated beer lover, you can never have too many breweries. I also second the idea of a Howard Johnson, maybe the restaurant-hotel combo.
Cheers, Pete
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