Skip to main content

Replies sorted oldest to newest

Hi Everyone!

The wait is over! Check out the Tide Soap Factory!

 

“Tide’s in, the Dirt’s Out!” The Tide Soap Factory. Shop now>

Dimensions: 11-5/8”W x 10-3/4”D x 15”H

The basics: This is a fully assembled and decorated O gauge for plant for making Tide brand laundry detergent. The structure’s footprint is approximately 12 x 10-½ inches with a height of 15 inches. There are two chemical tanks rising three levels above the ground. These are surrounded with structural supports and safety railings. There are white safety lights as well as red aircraft warning lights atop the tanks. The tanks both have the Tide logo. There are two electronic Tide signs with animated lighting pattern on both sides.

The building is designed for use with the Menards Plug & Play 4.5 volt power supply, sold separately. Check Menards SKUs 279-4061, 279-4062, or 279-4050. You may wish to consider the 8- or 9-piece Plug & Play accessory kits (SKU# 279-4035, 4681) and to serve multiple structures and vehicles. All are available separately.

Why you need this: Even O gauge city folk need to get their laundry done, and the Tide soap plant will help satisfy that need! Tide is one of the largest selling detergent brands on the planet, and it is an obvious choice to serve the cleaning needs of your town.

This is an industrial building in the tradition of the Menards Pepsi plant, American Power & Light, or the Morton’s Salt factory. It grabs your attention, but it can easily fit in with either scale or traditional O gauge equipment.

The base is decorated with grass. The rear has removable tunnel insert with loading door image that conceals a space for train run-through. The superstructure features “steel” cross bracing with rivet detailing at the joints. This framework surrounds two chemical large tanks. The rear of the structure is simulated modern metal construction.

Soap magic happens in the tanks, and both of the chemical tanks rise above the roof. On the ground level two short pipes run into the lower halves, while two other pipes feed in at a higher level. Short pipes cross between the tanks at both the ground and second levels.

A ladder runs the length of one tank to the roof of the building.

The third, or roof level platform, has multiple tiers – two for the short tank and three for the taller tank. Yellow safety railing surrounds all three elevations.

On the rear of the roof you’ll find a pipe curving out of the taller tank. This runs to a smaller horizontal tank placed the roof. An additional pipe flows downward into the building. Two workers are posed on the second and third levels, and Jack The German shepherd is at the base of the taller tank.

The gray and yellow structure is livened up with vibrant, brightly colored Tide soap logos on front of each tank. The rear of the building has twin, illuminated signs showing the Tide trademark. They are placed above the train run through.

When “off,” the background is orange, the rings are yellow, and the Tide lettering is dark blue. Power it up and the yellow circles flash green in sequence and the lettering, now a lighter blue, illuminates one letter at a time. This looks good in normal room light and is spectacular in dimmer lighting.

The Tide plant is an impressive building that will be a good spot to place tank cars, boxcars, and assorted delivery vehicles. This is a unique building with a modest enough footprint to find a home in your city or suburban industrial park.

Last edited by Menards

I have several Menard's products on my modest layout, rolling stock and buildings.  Great products, well priced, and prompt service from the website.  Their plug and play system is much easier to work with than other systems,  it is my suggestion, items such as street lamps, rail crossings, be added to the catalog.

Two days ago, I was able to borrow one from a friend to review so for those who did not get one or are thinking about it lookout for an upcoming review. I will post the video on this topic and on the "What did you do today on your layout" topic page. Also, my friend had to email Menards about it. One of the lights on top the of tanks was pushed in. Menards I love your products but sometimes it gets a little old on things like this. Thanks and have a great day!

Trainmaster, I have a question for you and the others who seem to nit pick Menards for their buildings. Why is it you do not nit pick others? I got a Woodland Scenic's building and the sign was UPSIDE-DOWN on the building. I didn't complain. Stuff happens. But for the price of the building and to have the main sign that is huge be that way kinda makes you think. If you want perfection buy something else. I am just so tired of hearing people bash Menards. Where can you get the variety and type of buildings anywhere else for the price. My hat is off to Menards for jumping into the train hobby and doing it with some nice buildings that SOME of us can afford without robbing a bank!

Sorry for the rant but tired of the complaining

Curtis

@CurtisH posted:

Trainmaster, I have a question for you and the others who seem to nit pick Menards for their buildings. Why is it you do not nit pick others? I got a Woodland Scenic's building and the sign was UPSIDE-DOWN on the building. I didn't complain. Stuff happens. But for the price of the building and to have the main sign that is huge be that way kinda makes you think. If you want perfection buy something else. I am just so tired of hearing people bash Menards. Where can you get the variety and type of buildings anywhere else for the price. My hat is off to Menards for jumping into the train hobby and doing it with some nice buildings that SOME of us can afford without robbing a bank!

Sorry for the rant but tired of the complaining

Curtis

I am sorry that you feel this way and I agree with you. Menards jumped into a market out from the left field and is having great success in it. As I said, I love their products and I would replace all of my other buildings with theirs but one, I am not made of money, and two, I do not have the room. Speaking of money, I do understand that a part of why Lionel or MTH buildings are so expensive is because of the quality. Also, just to put it out there, I am not a 50 to a 60-year-old man who is having a nice retirement (no offense to those who are) instead I am a 16-year-old young man who just is enthused with the hobby and by expressing it through videos. Finally, to answer your question on why I do not nitpick other buildings is one, sometimes there is nothing to say or two, it is just happenstance. Today was happenstance because this was the first time I said anything about a Menards building but it is not the first time overall that I have made a comment about any manufacturer's buildings. For example, I wish MTH put lights on the roof of their Legacy Station building and it shines on the billboard. I wish Lionel made sure that they follow through with their shipping schedule and make sure their products are made right. In other words, I have been there it's just that I happenstance made a comment on something that was about Menards and their products. Sorry that you have had problems in the past and if I have offended you with my comment but this is where I stand when I made it. Thanks and have a good week.

I have not placed building to my layout yet, and about 3/4 of my buildings are menards and about 1/2 of them where demo models for stores or what have you and a couple where actual model for them to decide they like or not. ( i.e. ) I got Sally's restoration shop with Jeeps lol. So I do not expect perfection with my buildings, But from what I can see whether they work or not I really don't care, I want them for the building. If I need to add lights I will, If I don't think it really needs lights it won't, I have 3 MTH operating gas stations I think I might be selling one by time I get everything set up. To me Menards building are fine. If your worried about all the bells and whistles maybe you should go pay double to triple the price. I will stick with mainly Menards. By the way I have a hermans sauerkraut building where the top of the silo looking building is broke, easy fix, a PVC end of test cap.  

Last edited by rtraincollector

Add Reply

Post

OGR Publishing, Inc., 1310 Eastside Centre Ct, Suite 6, Mountain Home, AR 72653
800-980-OGRR (6477)
www.ogaugerr.com

×
×
×
×
Link copied to your clipboard.
×
×