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Post by david1 on Feb 15, 2024 21:28:15 GMT
I was looking at some of my MPC cars, especially the box cars and the 4 bay hoppers. If you put them side by side with Menards cars they are identical. Same with the intermodal cars from Menards. They are identical to the ones Right of Way (ROW) made back in 1995.
What does this mean? Number one it means I'm old because I remember these cars from the past and now they are being remade. Number two it means that the old saying owners come and go, "but tooling is forever "
Dave
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Post by Adam on Feb 15, 2024 22:17:32 GMT
Wouldn’t surprise me at all if they bought tooling from one of the defunct manufacturers.
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Post by Traindiesel! on Feb 16, 2024 3:25:44 GMT
I’m not sure if Menards bought any tooling. They may have contracted with a manufacturer somewhere in the Orient that has the tooling/molds.
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Post by curtis on Feb 16, 2024 9:19:53 GMT
This brings to mind the question of who really owns the tooling? If you pay for the tooling and a manufacturer gets it but will not release it back to you as has been said about some of Lionel and others tooling, do you still own it? Seems like it was an issue a few years ago.
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Post by rtraincollector on Feb 16, 2024 10:22:18 GMT
This brings to mind the question of who really owns the tooling? If you pay for the tooling and a manufacturer gets it but will not release it back to you as has been said about some of Lionel and others tooling, do you still own it? Seems like it was an issue a few years ago. Do you still have ownership to the point of who can use it or not?
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Post by dlagrua on Feb 16, 2024 10:29:04 GMT
I would venture to say that once your tooling is located in Communist China, you will never see it back here in the USA. China must be loaded with O gauge tooling from defunct companies such as Industrial Rail, K-Line, Right of Way Industries, Weaver and I would not rule out that even MTH tooling would be used to supply other importers. If a company has money to spend I'd say anything goes over there.
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Post by seayakbill on Feb 16, 2024 10:30:57 GMT
I agree with Brian, I don't believe Menards Trains owns any tooling. I am guessing that their freight car manufacture is Golden Gate Diecast who I believe is located in Hong Kong, also manufactures freight cars for RMT. When that manufacture acquires additional tooling we see something new from Menards Trains or RMT. Whoever the manufacture is, between Menards Trains and RMT, the production line is kept very busy.
I would not be surprised that the mystery manufacture has been in touch with Kadar Industries ( Williams by Bachmann parent company ) of Hong Kong that owns a significant amount of K-Line tooling acquired from the Sandi Kan Bankruptcy.
Bill
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Post by firewood on Feb 16, 2024 18:01:05 GMT
Original tooling is likely worth keeping by a central manufacturer who has a network of interested companies. I guess the Chinese manufacturer now holds the tooling and the hobby companies of the world say, “What have you got? We want to produce X type of rail cars.”
I notice some Williams trucks have the identical appearance to some Menards trucks. The uncoupler tab mechanism rides on the axles and the sideframes are fastened by machine screws to the crossbeam.
There must be some old tooling out there. I just saw a post on British Kitmaster plastic railroad kits from the late 1950s. The tooling was bought by Airfix after Kitmaster’s bankruptcy and the tooling found its way into the British Dapol line of static kits still available today. I have no doubt many US items have a similar history.
Dave
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