Good Day Mark the Menards Guy,
How about offering a 50' Box Car!
Regards,
Swafford
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Good Morning Swafford!
I wouldn't be opposed to doing a longer boxcar. Do you have dimensions of an appropriately sized car? Scale and size have always been a debated topic, so I would like to know what everyone considers the correct size.
Thank you,
Mark the Menards Train Guy
Good Day Mark ,
The Trinity Box Car 50' 6" would be a great presentation.
https://www.trinityrail.com/pr...atid=22&catid=29
Regards,
Frank
That is a fantastic idea. Even with less fidelity a properly weathered "economy" car can easily outshine and look better than a non weathered high end car.
Hi Mark,
My thinking..................I'd suggest you send an inquiry to Trinity and request a drawing.
https://www.trinityrail.com/in...p;pid=14&name=50'-6
Regards,
Frank
Hmmmm...doesn't sound like a 50' steam era double door auto boxcar on Bettendorf trucks?
colorado hirailer posted:Hmmmm...doesn't sound like a 50' steam era double door auto boxcar on Bettendorf trucks?
Like those wonderful PRB(plastic) cars.
Mark,
I'm sure it would be well received a 50' car, maybe even a waffle side as well.
OK, but you'll leave many of us looking elsewhere. These huge cars are way too large for traditional trains and moderate-sized layouts. It's not how Menards has earned its stripes.
breezinup posted:OK, but you'll leave many of us looking elsewhere. These huge cars are way too large for traditional trains and moderate-sized layouts. It's not how Menards has earned its stripes.
Could not have said it any better.
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Gentlemen,
I totally disagree with your statements.
Selfish.....................(of a person, action, or motive) lacking consideration for others; concerned chiefly with one's own personal profit or pleasure.
There is room for many different types of rolling stock and many sizes cars to fit on many sizes of model train layouts.
Respectfully,
Frank Swafford
I have a small layout and would love to have some moderate priced modern Trinity 50'-6" boxcars. They'd look great with my 50' flatcars from Menards.
James
jlm1973 posted:I have a small layout and would love to have some moderate priced modern Trinity 50'-6" boxcars.
Can't be that small! 
A single engine, 6 of these cars and a caboose gives you a train nearly 9 feet long.
Swafford posted:I totally disagree with your statements.
Selfish.....................(of a person, action, or motive) lacking consideration for others; concerned chiefly with one's own personal profit or pleasure.
Nope. Wrong word. That doesn't describe at all what's being said. Simply saying that it's OK if they want to make large cars (which will obviously move the cost up as well), but many of the folks who have embraced Menard's may well take a pass on large and more costly cars.
breezinup posted:Swafford posted:I totally disagree with your statements.
Selfish.....................(of a person, action, or motive) lacking consideration for others; concerned chiefly with one's own personal profit or pleasure.
Nope. Wrong word. That doesn't describe at all what's being said. Simply saying that it's OK if they want to make large cars (which will obviously move the cost up as well), but many of the folks who have embraced Menard's may well take a pass on large and more costly cars.
I appreciate the clarification. I stand corrected! Some people may pass but I think there is a market for some larger and affordable rolling stock from Menards!
Regards,
Frank
breezinup posted:jlm1973 posted:I have a small layout and would love to have some moderate priced modern Trinity 50'-6" boxcars.
Can't be that small!
A single engine, 6 of these cars and a caboose gives you a train nearly 9 feet long.
About 2/3'rds of a 14'x14' bedroom is small and what is a caboose? 
Well, I wouldn't say that's a small space at all - 131 square feet (2/3 of that bedroom). An 11x12 layout would fit into that space, for example. You're lucky to have such a large bedroom available - 196 square feet. Half of my two-car garage is only 190 square feet!!
Mark, I have added a link to Norfolk Southern's site which shows dimensions for the different boxcar types. Some High Cubes would be cool too.
Say anything you want, BUT dem der 50' box cars really look great!
These are 50' box cars that were common in the Central states on the Soo Line, Wisconsin Central, CP Rail, Great Northern, Burlington Northern, and other railroads.
http://store.sooline.org/catal....php?products_id=132
http://store.sooline.org/catal...ges/7-postposter.JPG
This poster has the dimensions of the box cars.
Great Northern Big Sky Blue 50' Box Car
The Chicago & North Western had these 50' box cars with dreadnought ends.
There is already a 14 3/4" flat car in the Menards O gauge line. In 1:48th scale that flat car is 59' long.
In 1:48th scale the body of a 50' box car would be 12 1/2" long.
Andrew
The most common Missouri-Kansas-Texas box cars were 40' long.
These MKT box cars can be made in China as soon as possible.
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If Menard's did a decent 50 foot car I'd buy one. But it is far from the number one request for a new car. I buy 50 foot cars all day long on the used market. And there are tons of new ones too.
I'd much rather see a reefer. It could use the frame/chassis from the box car, there are hundreds of real and fantasy paint schemes and it could be bought by the traditional AND scale guys. This would be a great way to amortize cost and make it viable.
I am sure there are others that have done cost analysis, ROI and production costs in their job that can relate to how doing a 50 foot car a very difficult project to support. I have done this in my own company and do it now for other hobby companies. No one is wrong....just my opinion. Something like this......
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Billboard reefers are always nice. Something at the price point of where Weaver used to be versus what the Atlas/MTH/Lionel ones cost.
TexasSP posted:Billboard reefers are always nice. Something at the price point of where Weaver used to be versus what the Atlas/MTH/Lionel ones cost.
I think if Menard's decided to do a reefer they could get it in around the $24.99 range. One reason to use the frame/chassis from the box car.
Which decade should the refrigerator car or insulated box car be from? The designs changed every few years.
1920's
1940's
1950's
1960's
1970's
The FRUIT GROWERS EXPRESS refrigerator car and insulated box car design has not been copied from HO scale into traditional O gauge or 1:48th scale.
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Here are some examples of Missouri-Kansas-Texas plug-door 50' and 60' box cars that have not been produced in traditional O gauge proportions or as 1:48th scale models. There is a 57' Mechanical Refrigerator car HO scale model for comparison.
Andrew
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This a 1960's era American Car & Foundry Insulated, plug-door Box Car built for the Missouri-Kansas-Texas.
Andrew
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50' -6" train cars would not be to big for avg size layouts !
If Menards offered them at $24 to $26 in semi scale , I would buy them ! Most class 1 railroads had them !
"Semi-Scale" is actually an S scale car on O gauge trucks.
Andrew
I meant MTH SEMI Scale ! Not Lionel semi scale .
Good Evening,
My thinking................... affordable Menards O Scale 1:48 Scale 50' Box Cars would be a top seller! We need modern rolling stock at affordable prices!
Regards,
Swafford
Swafford posted:Gentlemen,
I totally disagree with your statements.
Selfish.....................(of a person, action, or motive) lacking consideration for others; concerned chiefly with one's own personal profit or pleasure.
There is room for many different types of rolling stock and many sizes cars to fit on many sizes of model train layouts.
Respectfully,
Frank Swafford
More WAAAAAA?
If Menards can make a profit on them, why not? 
