Really? "Working lights, all that stuff." That's the best you can do? Sorry to take you away from the hockey game. Maybe you could find something more interesting to do, like macrame or a jigsaw.
@charliestrainset-wx6zz20 сағат бұрын
What 😂
@millcreekrails7 күн бұрын
Doin a fine job, you definitely got skills!
@charliestrainset-wx6zz7 күн бұрын
@@millcreekrails thank you 👍
@Dustysmodelsanddiecasts16 күн бұрын
What’s curves are on ur inside loop I’m new to this and my layout is simalar to urs thanks
@charliestrainset-wx6zz16 күн бұрын
@@Dustysmodelsanddiecasts I have o36 curves inside and outside
@Dustysmodelsanddiecasts16 күн бұрын
@ ok thanks
@Dustysmodelsanddiecasts16 күн бұрын
What size is that layout ?
@charliestrainset-wx6zz16 күн бұрын
@@Dustysmodelsanddiecasts 6x10
@charliestrainset-wx6zz16 күн бұрын
@Dustysmodelsanddiecasts your welcome
@fyter88918 күн бұрын
Can fandriven smoke units be added to these Menards diesels?
@thunderchichen21 күн бұрын
I found the Menards engine represented here was a great buy and the best part is the crew talk ! ..........And also a big FYI - It runs on 027 curves !
@charliestrainset-wx6zz21 күн бұрын
@@thunderchichen cool thank you 👍
@richardnelson-ux1zz24 күн бұрын
I don't get why people are still using fastrak if it's such a horrible product I have always and still use tubular track I feel it's so much better and last longer without any loss of power
@charliestrainset-wx6zz24 күн бұрын
@@richardnelson-ux1zz the only reason I used it was because I had a lot of it . I soldered wires underneath of it to prevent power loss
@richardnelson-ux1zz25 күн бұрын
When you changed the trucks on the newyork central pace maker tank car what is the lionel part number for the trucks you use to replace the menards plastic trucks with the lionel sprung trucks fantastic video lots of informative information about the new york pacemaker rolling stock
@charliestrainset-wx6zz25 күн бұрын
@@richardnelson-ux1zz lionel 6-14078 I got them off Ebay
@thekingsilverado3266Ай бұрын
I have a close friend in the Allentown area that got hurt on the job circa 2014. Didn't really have any direction after healing up some he was semi disabled. Then with the help of his wife and neighbor he took an annex garage area and made it into a quasi neighborhood model railroad shop and did exactly that he used the ceiling for a train display. Took in a better part of 4 years to get all put together and that was where guys like me came in with engineering background. It turned out rather well no matter the constant idea changes he pulled it off with the help of his wife son and daughter. There was a day in 2015 near New Years we had bad freezing weather which resulted in the Fed Ex internet delivery of his prize Locomotive being frozen to the back porch for a better part of a week until my buddy or nature unfroze the thing. He didn't want to destroy the packings it came it so he just covered it with a plastic storage bin with a big ole brick on top so the wind wouldn't carry off that plastic tub or whatever it was. The in person story from his wife and kids is hilarious how he worked every day trying to unfreeze the little train from the porch even burning up both his wife and daughters hair dryers.
@tracycole5173Ай бұрын
Nice look good
@charliestrainset-wx6zzАй бұрын
@@tracycole5173 thank you 👍
@JerseyBill-x9rАй бұрын
I do like your plans, and you seem to get things done in a timely manner. I also think you are brave how fast you are running a train on your high track I'd be clenching really tight, lol. Great update and video, Jersey Bill
@charliestrainset-wx6zzАй бұрын
@@JerseyBill-x9r 😂 thank you 👍
@southernprojectsyt6340Ай бұрын
kzbin.info/www/bejne/gHyZqaJpq893idk HO scale can be made into something awesome. this is just my start, once I obtain enough track then I'll work on a layout.
@GNX87Ай бұрын
New subscriber here! Nice job on those shelves, gave me an idea how to do on my layout, have a great day and keep those videos coming.
@charliestrainset-wx6zzАй бұрын
@@GNX87 thank you 👍
@KandWRailroaderАй бұрын
That's quite a collection! I think it's fascinating that Menards has dipped their toe into the model train world. I find myself gravitating toward that section every time I'm there now! Their pre-built structures are impressive!
@titodalessandro1909Ай бұрын
Can’tsee it’s dark
@charliestrainset-wx6zzАй бұрын
@@titodalessandro1909 sorry I have ever light on in the building
@mikebrzostowski8183Ай бұрын
One thought, believe it might depend on how ofter these Menard's engines and rolling stock is used. Lionel might be better for heavy use. The authentic aspect may be less with Menard's but most wouldnt notice or be aware of it not being true to correct.
@richferraro44222 ай бұрын
Hi Charlie! I’m delighted with your ingenuity, attitude, tenacity and seeing the joy you get out of tinkering! That’s what this hobby’s about- fun! I really enjoy watching your videos!
@charliestrainset-wx6zz2 ай бұрын
@@richferraro4422 thank you 👍
@titodalessandro19092 ай бұрын
I just can’t see, everything is black , but thanks.
@charliestrainset-wx6zz2 ай бұрын
@@titodalessandro1909 sorry about that
@jamesdenny47342 ай бұрын
A baggage car, and/or a combine will look really good! Or even a head end box or reefer! 😮 Oh yes, you should have taken the armature out n cleaned the old oil/grease out of the shaft. I mean, since you wanted all the locomotive clean o old lubricant! 🙂 Good, well done job.
@charliestrainset-wx6zz2 ай бұрын
@@jamesdenny4734 I probably would have if it hadn't spun so free and I've heard there's ball bearings in there hate to lose them
@jamesdenny47342 ай бұрын
You didn't check to see if the smoker worked! Those had smoke units. 😲
@charliestrainset-wx6zz2 ай бұрын
@@jamesdenny4734 yeah I know they did I just don't like the tablet type they make a mess all over your nice clean shell but I did save the original and it did work just wanted to upgrade. Thanks for the comment 👍
@jamesdenny47342 ай бұрын
How long is your layout? 😃
@charliestrainset-wx6zz2 ай бұрын
@@jamesdenny4734 6x10
@johnbutler13232 ай бұрын
The Menards diesels are modeled on the EMD FP7, the passenger version of the F7. It's actually slightly longer than a standard F unit and the Menards model is scale accurate in length.
@charliestrainset-wx6zz2 ай бұрын
@@johnbutler1323 cool thanks for the info 👍
@therosejewelrailroad4892 ай бұрын
I like Menards stuff. If you get a package of those small rubber bands people use for braces. They work great on those annoying couplers. I like the ledge on your layout. I have about the same thing on my layout. Definitely has saved some trains from going over the edge over the years.
@charliestrainset-wx6zz2 ай бұрын
@@therosejewelrailroad489 thank you 👍
@mikebrzostowski8183Ай бұрын
For the $ I think they are ok.
@steamrailwilly2 ай бұрын
I just zip-tied the couplers shut on my Menards rolling stock, and slide them together.
@charliestrainset-wx6zz2 ай бұрын
@@steamrailwilly that works 👍
@railchief743 ай бұрын
Menards Engines are much bigger than the original Lionel F3 engines. Marx locomotives are also bigger than Marx locomotives
@richardnelson-ux1zz3 ай бұрын
Menards trains rolling stock and locomotives are based on 027 like marx are
@richardnelson-ux1zz3 ай бұрын
I have to admit the menards couplers really do suck I normally change the couplers out to kadee 150 knuckle couplers 90. Percent of my rolling stock is menards I really like the locomotives I have both marks and menards I have one lionel steam locomotive thebpolar express
@charliestrainset-wx6zz3 ай бұрын
@@richardnelson-ux1zz it's kinda a hit or a miss on them some bad some good
@PhilBender6123 ай бұрын
(Red-in) = Reading company
@joeystrains.93163 ай бұрын
Great video, much better trucks than Menards.
@EngineerEd-xt2qu3 ай бұрын
Nice video thanks
@charliestrainset-wx6zz3 ай бұрын
@@EngineerEd-xt2qu your welcome thank you
@TwistedMacGyversTrains3 ай бұрын
I removed the rivet the same way you did. I changed all of my Menards cars with Lionel trucks that I bought off of eBay. eBay used to have them for five dollars for a pair. Needless to say I purchased a ton of them. Great video!👍
@charliestrainset-wx6zz3 ай бұрын
@@TwistedMacGyversTrains thank you 👍
@TwistedMacGyversTrains3 ай бұрын
Really looking good Charlie! What size is your layout? I just found your channel and I have subscribed! Keep up the great work! (Frank)👍
@charliestrainset-wx6zz3 ай бұрын
@@TwistedMacGyversTrains thank you it's a 6x10
@TwistedMacGyversTrains3 ай бұрын
@@charliestrainset-wx6zzThat’s a good size! Have a great day!
@charliestrainset-wx6zz3 ай бұрын
@@TwistedMacGyversTrains thanks you to 👍
@garypetreskysr49473 ай бұрын
I had recently purchased a set of (4) Lehigh Valley box cars, a single green LV box car and a single Reading box car and all of them had issues with the trucks. I had to remove the box from the frame, remove the truck from the frame and tighten the (4) screws on the truck that hold the wheels. I used blue Loctite on the screws to make sure they stay put. On the Reading box car one of the wheels were pressed on crooked and wobbled when rolling. Look OK in my opinion but the truck/wheel quality is poor at best. Took amount an hour to get them road worthy.
@charliestrainset-wx6zz3 ай бұрын
@@garypetreskysr4947 they definitely do need better quality control but it's still a pretty good deal considering they're only 25.00 each
@chasesrailwaylinesrr64473 ай бұрын
I like the menards rolling stock And they have recently And they have really released all the rolling stock with Proper springs on the trucks, I don't usually swap out the trucks because they're compatible with lionel
@richardnelson-ux1zz3 ай бұрын
I have used mth lionel and atlas die cast trucks a knuckle couplers
@charliestrainset-wx6zz3 ай бұрын
@@richardnelson-ux1zz as long as it works that's all that matters👍
@EngineerEd-xt2qu4 ай бұрын
I have a few locomotives from Menards and I like them very much. I believe that Menards are going to improve all the cars with better trucks with springs I think they are waiting to run out of the old stock to run out but they are improving. I did subscribe to your channel.
@charliestrainset-wx6zz4 ай бұрын
@@EngineerEd-xt2qu thank you for the info and the subscription 👍
@EngineerEd-xt2qu4 ай бұрын
@@charliestrainset-wx6zz your very welcome
@joshuacampbell99904 ай бұрын
Someone before you may have had the wheels off at some point and when they were pressing them back on they may have squeezed the frame a tad harder than they should have and that could be why the e-unit is hard to get out of the frame. That could also be the issue with it sticking occasionally if the frame is putting too much pressure on the assembly. As far as I know I don’t think there are any side frames for trucks available and in all honesty it would probably be just as cheap to find a replacement truck. They call them ‘Baby Hudsons’ because they are close to the 726/736/700E/773 locomotives just smaller. The 726/736 being what they are closer to as they are slightly larger. Great job cleaning it up!
@charliestrainset-wx6zz4 ай бұрын
@@joshuacampbell9990 the e unit just had a wire hanging. Thanks for sharing the information 👍
@danielkane87524 ай бұрын
Never NEVER use a sharpie for touch up. Any satin black paint will be better.
@charliestrainset-wx6zz4 ай бұрын
@@danielkane8752 👍
@johnandrus39014 ай бұрын
Very nice! The Menard's engines are pretty good, really. They run fairly well and look quite decent. The nylon gears are no big deal and will last almost forever, with just some basic care. The only comparison to Marx should be in the affordability of the locomotives. Marx was the value buy, with very simple drive trains, compared to Lionel. Many of the later Marx offerings were basically S scale, running on O gauge track. As far as the cars go, I think that they are a good buy. I believe that the box cars are old AMT tooling, which, over the years, made its way through Williams and K-Line and eventually, Menard's. All of the cars are of pretty good quality. I've never been a fan of the 'thumbtack' uncoupling mechanism. If you have an uneven spot on your layout, they can come uncoupled if the thumbtack makes any sort of contact with the center rail. Tiny rubber bands or those for braces, will fix the problem. You can get K-Line or Williams trucks on eBay, fairly cheap. Either way, Menard's is to Lionel and MTH what Marx was to Lionel, back in the day. An excellent video, for sure.
@charliestrainset-wx6zz4 ай бұрын
@@johnandrus3901 thank you
@richardnelson-ux1zz4 ай бұрын
I'm sorry you're not happy with menards rolling stock I use kadee o gauge model number 150 knuckle couplers I agree all of menards rolling stock should have metal frames and diecast trucks with steel wheels menards trains are more close to 027 gauge post war lionel trsins all my trains are made by menards including all my buildings and rolling stock
@charliestrainset-wx6zz4 ай бұрын
@@richardnelson-ux1zz I think there boxcars are good and so is the caboose. The plastic trucks don't bother me it's the fact the knuckles want stay closed.
@johnandrus39014 ай бұрын
I don't think that there is anything wrong with plastic trucks. They work quite well and roll nicely. The couplers can be an issue, though, but it isn't limited just to Menard's. I've used rubber bands on couplers on cars from the post-war period onward.
@charliestrainset-wx6zz4 ай бұрын
@@johnandrus3901 there not that bad I think it's the way the knuckle is made they bind up in curves
@trainman53234 ай бұрын
F7’s and FT’s are not the same size pro-typically. FT’s are shorter. I’m not sure the Menards products will hold up over time. I don’t imagine that engine will be operational without issues in 10 years. I run trains that are over 60 years old.
@mikemiura77404 ай бұрын
Awesome intro to these Menards units! I noticed the gap between the A and B is real wide. But no prob. I purchased lots of Menards rolling stock and have been happy(for the price- shipping is high though). Had wheel issues and had to relocate the air tank on the belly of the box cars
@charliestrainset-wx6zz4 ай бұрын
@@mikemiura7740 yeah shipping is pretty high I hope one day menards will be everywhere
@spacetruckerrob4 ай бұрын
I like it , but should have painted Brunswick Green for PRR
@charliestrainset-wx6zz4 ай бұрын
@@spacetruckerrob that would look good I hope they make a NYC next
@spacetruckerrobАй бұрын
@@charliestrainset-wx6zz 👍 Difinitely
@RixTrax4 ай бұрын
I believe the Menards Diesel are modeled after the F-7s, while the Lionel’s are FTs. The Lionel FTs are scale in size as the FT diesels in real life were shorter than the F7s. As far as the quality issues, in my experience, the Menards products look in expensive. The use of decals instead of printing really put me off. I have two of the Lionel FT diesels. A Super Chief and a North Pole Central. They both run great. I recently installed a Lionel Base 3. The Base 3 can be programmed to run Bluetooth locomotives using the Base 3 app or a Legacy remote. I was happily surprised to experience measurable improvements in the speed controls of the Bluetooth locomotives using the Base 3. This is a very informative video. Thank you.
@charliestrainset-wx6zz4 ай бұрын
@@RixTrax Thank you and you're welcome
@johnandrus39014 ай бұрын
Also, those look like passenger F7's. They have the steam generator section on the rear, including the stack. I think that they are quite nice looking locomotives. They are the value buy, for those who can't afford Lionel or MTH, but want some decent trains. They are a fine way to start your O gauge journey.
@michaelhband4 ай бұрын
👍👍👍❤❤❤🚂🚂🚂
@joshuacampbell99904 ай бұрын
For the money, I feel the Menards trains are great!
@charliestrainset-wx6zz4 ай бұрын
@@joshuacampbell9990 for sure 100 percent agree👍
@DJBREIT4 ай бұрын
I agree with this. It is the best-priced "O" gauge train out there.
@danshobbies134 ай бұрын
That’s the model I want to get. If Bachmann would have invested into Williams trains, this is what they could have made. But Menards took over where Williams left off.
@charliestrainset-wx6zz4 ай бұрын
@@danshobbies13 I like pennsylvania stuff that's the main reason I got it
@johnandrus39014 ай бұрын
Bachmann killed Williams and Lionel killed K-Line. They were two affordable alternatives to the more expensive Lionel and MTH offerings. Menard's has filled that gap superbly.
@cecilyoung50424 ай бұрын
The Menards diesel locomotives are F P 7 diesels ( F Passenger diesel 7 ) and the prototype was much longer that the freight F 7 diesel locomotive ,as modeled I am very happy to see this diesel version of the F P 7 diesel locomotive is being modeled in O gauge .
@charliestrainset-wx6zz4 ай бұрын
@@cecilyoung5042 cool 👍
@DRCRailroard4 ай бұрын
Cecil, I believe you have your manufacturers confused. The F7's were built by GM's EMD division primarily for freight service. They never made an FP7. They were 4 axel diesel electrics. GM EMD( General Motors Electro Motive Division), the car manufacturer, also built E units like the E7's, E8's for passenger service. They were twin engine 6 axel diesl electric locomotives. GM is credited with the first successful diesel road engine that led to the demise of steam engines. The F units were even called car body design. The FA, freight, and PA, passenger diesel electrics, which looked similar to the GM EMD designs from that same period, were built by Alco (American locomotive company). They were the only successful steam engine builder that successfully made the transition from steam to diesel before their demise when General Electric parted ways with them to build their own diesel electric locomotives. Gm dominated the diesel electric engine market from 1940 to 2012 before selling off to Caterpillar who promptly killed it off. Because General Electric became the dominant engine builder by then. Primarily because of their EPA compliant diesel engine design untill they sold off to Wabtec in 2019. As far as I know there are no engine builders left in America anymore. All of the engines used for freight and yards today are older rebuilt GM and GE engines.
@johnandrus39014 ай бұрын
@@DRCRailroard EMD offered the F's with steam boilers for passenger trains. You can see the boiler section on the Menard's units, with the stack on the rear. Santa Fe was a big buyer, as they liked the F's, because of their wheelbase and better tractive effort, due to the lack of an idler axle. You can find examples on the internet.
@DRCRailroard4 ай бұрын
@johnandrus3901 Yes John, the early EMD F units were a dual service road engine. They had steam generators because the passenger cars were heated by steam. The passenger cars at that time were equipped to function with steam engines and remained the primary source of heating passenger cars long after the end of steam engines. The role of EMD's F units had more to do with it's paint scheme. It's understood that the early red and silver Warbonnet paint schemes, as used on the early F units, were used for the Super Chief and El Capitan passenger service. Which passenger service was the pride of all the roads as it was their primary source of revenue at that time. They even had washing stations and washed the engines down between excursions and touched up the silver paint on the trucks. The early Bluebonnet F units were considered freight engines, but I'm sure both engines were likely used in both roles as passenger service was slowly dying off along with the role of steam engines. My point was that EMD's early system for identifying locomotives had nothing to do with it's role unlike Alco. EMD's. FT simply stood for fourteen hundred twins. F3 stood for fourteen hundred, the third rendition, and they were only rated at 1350 HP, not even 1400. Go figure. Later, E units were 1800 hp as they had two 900 HP diesel prime movers. F did not stand for freight, and E did not stand for express as some people will tell you. On the other hand, Alco's FA 4 axel units, the F stood for freight A stood for cabbed A unit. Their PA, 6 axel diesl, the P stood for passenger, and A stood for an A cabbed unit. EMD's early identification system had no direct corelation to it's purpose until the introduction of their BL units which was a direct response to their competitor Alco, who came out with the first ever successful road switcher engine at the request of some of the major roads. Up untill that time engines had specific designs for specific roles, likely due to steam designs for road, freight, passenger, and switching tasks. Hence the need for round houses and turn tables so a particular engine could easliy be put into service. Alco came out with their RS-1 which literally stood for road switcher, by extending the frame on their switcher engine to add a steam generator with road trucks. They literally tacked on a short hood to the back of their alco S-2 switcher that EMD ridiculed Alco for the design and wa la the first ever dual role, multi purpose engine. It's a cool looking engine. I have an Atlas O model of it. It's the precursor to Alco's more successful RS-3 design. EMD's less successful BL unit, which stands for Branch line, was the precursor to their very successful GP units and stands for general purposes better known as geeps. It wasn't my intention to suggest that the F units weren't used for passenger service but that EMD never produce an early FP unit like the Menards model that was used only for passenger service, but that Alco's PA was designed for passenger service and that the EMD's and Alco's are two different builders that made similar looking engines in the same era.
@johnandrus39014 ай бұрын
@@DRCRailroard Just like the C and W stood for cast and welded, respectively. The original S stood for six hundred hp and the N stood for nine hundred hp. They ended up just naming their switchers S-Series and dropped the hp designation.
@mikeandlucky4 ай бұрын
I have a 1948 675 that I received (second hand) in 1961 at age 9. I am getting ready to do some maintenance work on it so I very much appreciate this video. Do you know if there are any remaining independent train stores in North Carolina? I see the one at Spencer is closing.
@charliestrainset-wx6zz4 ай бұрын
@@mikeandlucky thank you I really don't know
@joshuacampbell99905 ай бұрын
Good job building 1 out of 2 more or less junkers. I’m right there with you on converting them to liquid smoke units. It’s easily reversible if one wants the original pill unit but it amazes me how mad some folks get when they hear that someone has upgraded one lol. To me it’s worth it to do the upgrade!