Menard's First Locomotive

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Chris Webster
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Menard's First Locomotive

Postby Chris Webster » Mon Jul 12, 2021 11:01 am

Interesting: O Gauge Santa Fe F3 Diesel Locomotive

The email announcement said it is a test run - the factory manufactured a test run of 200 engines.

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Re: Menard's First Locomotive

Postby Rufus T. Firefly » Mon Jul 12, 2021 11:06 am

Sorry!

The page you are looking for can not be found.

It may have moved or no longer exists.


Apparently gone already....
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rogruth
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Re: Menard's First Locomotive

Postby rogruth » Mon Jul 12, 2021 11:54 am

I just got it from Menards.
May have sold out already.
I would go for one but not ATSF.
roger

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Re: Menard's First Locomotive

Postby rogruth » Mon Jul 12, 2021 12:43 pm

It IS sold out.
roger

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healey36
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Re: Menard's First Locomotive

Postby healey36 » Mon Jul 12, 2021 2:20 pm

How much $$$ for one?

Chris Webster
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Re: Menard's First Locomotive

Postby Chris Webster » Mon Jul 12, 2021 2:25 pm

The email said it had a regular price of $146.06, but there was a 11% Rebate, so the final price would be $129.99. The locomotive comes with a handheld remote control that controls forward, reverse, the horn, bell and talk sounds. It operates on O-31 curves, has two motors, a die cast frame and metal truck side frames. It is 13 inches long and weighs 2 lbs and 12 ounces.


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healey36
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Re: Menard's First Locomotive

Postby healey36 » Mon Jul 12, 2021 2:31 pm

Chris Webster wrote:The email said it had a regular price of $146.06, but there was a 11% Rebate, so the final price would be $129.99. The locomotive comes with a handheld remote control that controls forward, reverse, the horn, bell and talk sounds. It operates on O-31 curves, has two motors, a die cast frame and metal truck side frames. It is 13 inches long and weighs 2 lbs and 12 ounces.

Hey, that seems a very reasonable price-point if it includes all of those features (reasonable even without most of those features other than forward/reverse). Maybe these guys can supply the pressure on Lionel pricing for entry-level gear.

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chuck
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Re: Menard's First Locomotive

Postby chuck » Mon Jul 12, 2021 3:09 pm

With a test run of 200 it would be hard not to be sold out.

I assume you need the remote to trigger the sounds and it's possible you need the remote to run it, period. Nothing about bluetooth or cell phone control or even conventional transformer control. Could be a game changer or yet another one hit wonder.
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J. S. Bach
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Re: Menard's First Locomotive

Postby J. S. Bach » Mon Jul 12, 2021 4:04 pm

Just what is needed in O gauge; another control system! :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :twisted: :mrgreen:

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Re: Menard's First Locomotive

Postby Neil » Tue Jul 13, 2021 9:22 am

Could be it's the LionChief system and thus might be controllable by the LionChief app and the universal remote. That would be the smart thing to do if possible, but Lionel might not let that happen if they are the contractor, I suppose. All will become clearer once people receive the loco and test these hypotheses, not to mention read the manual :).
Neil

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chuck
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Re: Menard's First Locomotive

Postby chuck » Tue Jul 13, 2021 9:46 am

200 units is an insanely small number of models, even for a test run. I wonder if these are rejects/over run? Or they fell off the back of the truck and only bounced two or three times?

I don't think Lionel is going to license LionChief, at least not the current version. The video doesn't show much detail when you pause it. The truck side castings appear to be metal but have the odd coloring of Menards non painted rolling stock. Kind of "gold" tone to it. The shell casting has no roof grille per se for the dynamic brakes. Not plastic, not metal screening. It looks like an "original" Lionel F-3 in terms of length but it has the lower roof line and is slightly narrow compared to a true scale model which isn't what Menards "specializes" in. I would have thought they would go with a Geep or a yard switcher as their first locomotive?

I don't know. It's not like they are planning on being a big time player anyway.
Once I built a railroad, I made it run,
Made it race against time.
Once I built a railroad, now it's done --
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Re: Menard's First Locomotive

Postby v8vega » Sun Jul 18, 2021 8:27 am

I ran across a YouTube video of the new Menards F3. This guy has a nicely senicked RR and makes a lot of videos and is good at it. I wonder if Menards gave him the diesel as his video is super advertising for them.

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Re: Menard's First Locomotive

Postby Robert Bubeck » Sun Jul 18, 2021 11:58 am

Gee, notice that they are up to 14 pages (at this writing) of fawning over another piece of cheap China-made “stuff” on OGR. Yes, that F-whatever unit is affordable, but it is cosmetically and operationally highly compromised. There is not the parts inventory and service support for the units that have and will problems. Existing service stations will decline to take them in, as they have already (not)responded to Menard’s defective rolling stock. Since they are so obviously very cheaply made, there will be field failures. Menards may be marketing the ultimate deposable trains.

I know it is difficult to ask hobbyists to go “cold turkey” but I really do wish that the hobby (and by extension the country) would wean itself off of cheap China “stuff” --- surely, after the past year, this is an understandable position to take. There are other cost effective routes to building toy train layouts that do not involve further feeding the Beast. Although I know they have their fans, Menards is for the most part marketing trains that are derivative to what Lionel (Corp., MPC, LTI, LCC) manufactured here before 2000 and are still easily obtained in abundance in great condition (in boxes, yet) at reasonable prices. And, yes, Lionel, Atlas, etc. could work harder at transitioning their manufacturing, as well.

I confess that I am not part of Menard’s target market. That’s obvious. But, I look at the “stuff” and just shake my head.

For what it is worth.

Bob

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chuck
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Re: Menard's First Locomotive

Postby chuck » Sun Jul 18, 2021 12:09 pm

My overall impression was that the Menards stuff is the 21'st century equivalent of late 1950's era Marx. Not the somewhat charming earlier lithographed tin plate but cheap ABS molded stuff without trucks (two wheels sitting in a faux four week trucks) and dubious "drive trains", aka crap.

But it has a sounds and a remote. Hallmark sells greeting cards with sounds and I can buy a string of decorative lights that comes with a remote. Totally disposable stuff.
Once I built a railroad, I made it run,
Made it race against time.
Once I built a railroad, now it's done --
Brother, can you spare a dime?


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