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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!

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.

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

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.

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 CP GP30 ROUGEcomponents 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.

Image result for ford river rouge plantImage result for ford river rouge plantInnovation Isn't About Control, But AccessImage result for ford river rouge plantImage result for ford river rouge plantImage result for ford river rouge plantImage result for ford river rouge plantImage result for ford river rouge plant

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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....

Grain Silo Product Idea

- 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

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Last edited by Oscale_Trains_Lover_

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. Screenshot_20210206-091057

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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.

@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!

Marceline, MO Depot

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  • Marceline, MO Depot: Beginning in 2001, it is now the Walt Disney Hometown Museum.
Last edited by Patrick Downing

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.

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

https://mthtrains.com/30-9053

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.

Last edited by Craftech
@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!

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

 

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@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.

  1. Product A:  multi-unit building/arcade style (brick or wood) style commercial front w/ Menards clever train pass-thru back.
  2. Product B:  the coordinating rear-side of Product A that typically faces the railroad tracks and includes a variety of rear entry doors, larger loading doors/docks for trucks and/or a boxcar.  Since Product B is the track-side rear it would not include the train pass-thru feature.

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.

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. 

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

@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.

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