First Impressions of Menards Tubular Track (2025)

I just received two cases of Menards O-36 tubular track. I haven't run anything on it yet, but I do have some initial observations. First, THIS STUFF IS HEAVY! It probably weighs three times what similar sized piece of Lionel tubular weighs. It has the appearance of poorly done galvanized steel. It is grey and spotty, not the shiny stuff we are used to seeing in brand new track. The pins are not tight and the receiving (female) ends will need to be crimped to insure any type of pin grabbing. I plan to splay the outside rails which should help getting a good tight connection. The track is oily and will need to be wiped clean prior to use.

I bought this track because I thought it would be a good fit between an O-42 and an O-31 line. I am pretty sure it will do the job I expect it to do.

I think if you are looking for nice, new and shiny track, you may be disappointed. I think you could run some pretty heavy equipment on it with a good support at each track joint and not anything else. It is very strong, that is for sure. I ordered it on Wednesday, and it arrived today. Pretty fast shipping.

I look forward to a second impression to come. The Menards track has me quite interested as I plan on using tubular on my future layout. The wide variety of curve sizes is awesome to me so I'd like to hear how it works out. If the fit is solved by crimping the rails I don't see that as a problem, as I'm already pretty used to that when buying used track.

Actually stopped by a Menards today to look at the stuff but they only had a couple of O31 curves in stock, and I got distracted chatting with a family looking into buying their first O gauge train.

Bob,

Can you post a picture? I was planning on purchasing this evening, Perhaps I should wait until you post additional info.

Thanks,

Sunrise

John: It may be a couple of weeks, but I can tell you this. Crimping with a pair of track pliers didn't do the job as well as I would like. I think the pins are a bit undersized for the track. I do know when I splay the outer rails just ever so slightly, it ALWAYS works. I use a strong set of needle-nose pliers and apply firm pressure, but not enough to make a visible bend. Just enough to get a couple of degrees of splay. This puts tension on all three pins and the track joints become firm.

Sunrise: I'll try to post a couple of pics tomorrow. As I said, the O-36 (requires 8 for a full circle) very normal looking except for the galvanized appearance.

Bob Severin posted:

John: It may be a couple of weeks, but I can tell you this. Crimping with a pair of track pliers didn't do the job as well as I would like. I think the pins are a bit undersized for the track. I do know when I splay the outer rails just ever so slightly, it ALWAYS works. I use a strong set of needle-nose pliers and apply firm pressure, but not enough to make a visible bend. Just enough to get a couple of degrees of splay. This puts tension on all three pins and the track joints become firm.

Sunrise: I'll try to post a couple of pics tomorrow. As I said, the O-36 (requires 8 for a full circle) very normal looking except for the galvanized appearance.

I checked this track out a few weeks ago at a local Menards and the track joints is a issue. They are not tight at all.

I guess I am happy with "cheap junk" Please keep making all the cheap junk you want, Menards. Folks that don't like it have plenty of choices for over-priced junk.

Seriously, though, when it comes to the track, it doesn't bother me at all to have to pinch the rails with a pair of pliers if it means paying 1/3 the going rate for brand new track. I've paid more for well-tarnished used track. Now, if you are the sort that wants hand laid track anyway, why would you ever even look at using "O" profile, tubular track?

I'm sure a bit more expense in manufacturing could make the product better, but honestly, I would rather have the low cost option stay as low cost as possible and take a few extra minutes to pinch the rails tight or fiddle with the couplers on a boxcar to get them working smoothly. Leave the expensive choices to folks that want the "100% accurate" rolling stock, or the "flawless operation" of the big names. There is plenty of room in the hobby for all sorts of options and the wonderful thing about capitalism is that no one can force you to buy a product you don't want to. There are plenty of folks with cash to spare in the hobby, but there just might be a lot more people into O gauge if it didn't cost so **** much for 10 inches of steel and card stock.

JGL

"Howard Roark laughed." - AR

I've seen the track. While it has a mottled galvanized steel appearance (not as shiny as Lionel) its not all that bad. Actually, great for the price.. However, since I already have more track then I could use, only the 96" curves would interest me for a possible future expansion.

My only concern is not how it looks, most of it will be under ballast, but how well it performs. Especially so with its loose pins and how well theDCS signal gets through it..

Joe.

Seen the track in person- If I needed more track this would fit the bill perfectly. I may look into purchasing this for use in our Public layout. I don't want shiny new track...

I do want affordable options and I have been nothing but happy with the cheap junk I have purchased & have on my layout. There is one in every crowd...

If you like the look of the track, buy it and get the ST384 Track Pliers for tightening the pins and track.

Anyone who has reused lionel tubular track knows that both the track and pins loosen up over time. Regular pliers don't always do the job.

Olsen's Toy Train Parts sells them for $ 9.00

http://pictures.olsenstoy.com/partsbybin/bin031/page.html

Sean

Sean007 posted:

If you like the look of the track, buy it and get the ST384 Track Pliers for tightening the pins and track.

Anyone who has reused lionel tubular track knows that both the track and pins loosen up over time. Regular pliers don't always do the job.

Olsen's Toy Train Parts sells them for $ 9.00

http://pictures.olsenstoy.com/partsbybin/bin031/page.html

Sean

Hi Sean007, Thanks for posting the link, I've been thinking about getting these pliers so I clicked through and ordered them!

Best...Rich

I goofed up, I thought the K-Line SuperSnap track I had was 0-96, turns it is was a size between O72 and O96, I think O-81.

The big issue with SuperSnap is trying to find long straights.

Hmmm, maybe I should just go back to O-72 curves, I could put the wye back in then.

-------------------------------------------

Opinions are appreciated. Just don't get vicious.

Murnane posted:

Sean007 posted:

If you like the look of the track, buy it and get the ST384 Track Pliers for tightening the pins and track.

Anyone who has reused lionel tubular track knows that both the track and pins loosen up over time. Regular pliers don't always do the job.

Olsen's Toy Train Parts sells them for $ 9.00

http://pictures.olsenstoy.com/partsbybin/bin031/page.html

Sean

Hi Sean007, Thanks for posting the link, I've been thinking about getting these pliers so I clicked through and ordered them!

Best...Rich

I have that model and they work great if you're doing a small amount of track. Since all of my tinplate is either original Post War, MPC, early current or K-line and used; plus I have put most of it together and taken them apart enough times while revising my track plan that they always require a little crimping to get them tight again that doing a large amount with that version was murder on my hands. One of our forum sponsors sells a pair that makes it much less painful. They are more expensive but to me the price was worth not having the pain after a few hours of track work. Plus, he has other very useful tools for tinplate track. Here's the link:

http://tinman3rail.com/

Just my $.02

Mike

I am not experienced. I am only building my 1st layout. But I am the kind of person who does his homework because I am risk averse and time sensitive. At age 65 this first layout will probably be my last. So taking risks with CRUCIAL components seems like crazytown to me. I sure don't want to spend time re-doing trackwork.

The track systems available now are pretty amazingly good. To take any kind of risk on a track system is a bad decision IMHO. If I could afford Ross sectional and Ross switches, I'd doggone sure be using it. After that, if I could afford Atlas O then I'd be using that. Budget being what it is, I am using a mix of GarGraves flexible and sections. Mostly GG switches, but I buy Ross when it feels like a must-have-Ross situation like yard throats or curved turnouts. I looked closely at Lionel tubular and I like it. I'd be running that EXCEPT that lionel's turnout geometry is so **** big that you can only get 65% of the layout in the same space that you could put a 100% GG layout. Lionel track work just required me to give up too much layout given my space constraints (16x17 feet).

My advice, worth every penny you are paying for it, is to take no risks with track choices. That's a decision that could haunt you like a family curse.

Don Merz

E-UNIT-79,

The switches that I used were #5165 and #5166.

Bob Severin posted:

John: It may be a couple of weeks, but I can tell you this. Crimping with a pair of track pliers didn't do the job as well as I would like. I think the pins are a bit undersized for the track. I do know when I splay the outer rails just ever so slightly, it ALWAYS works. I use a strong set of needle-nose pliers and apply firm pressure, but not enough to make a visible bend. Just enough to get a couple of degrees of splay. This puts tension on all three pins and the track joints become firm.

Sunrise: I'll try to post a couple of pics tomorrow. As I said, the O-36 (requires 8 for a full circle) very normal looking except for the galvanized appearance.

Loose & undersized pins seems to be a common issue with Menards track. Tinman3rail also has stainless steel pins for 0 & 027 track which could help.

http://www.tinman3rail.com/pins.html

Three years ago, when I was getting back into "O" gauge after a long absence, I purchased two cases of Menards long straights and a case of O72 curves. As someone pointed out, the appearance leaves something to be desired, especially when compared to the Lionel and K-Line tubular track I had been used to. I found the pins were either too loose and the female ends of the track were too tight.

I was disappointed with the tie spacing on the long straights. For some reason I thought the ties would match 10" straights, i.e. three ties, short space, three more ties, short space, etc. I found out that when building a small layout, regular 10" straights are the better choice.

I started building a layout then quit. I recently restarted a new layout but I am not using the Menards track. I still have most of the one case left of the long Menards straights. The only place I am using them is on a long bridge for my trolley.

Bottom line, I won't purchase Menards track in the future. There just too much used track still in circulation.

Dec 2016 I purchased a case of Menards 0 42 curves. About half of the pieces had to be tightened to make a good connection plus the rails were not all tight to the ties and some of the track had excessive flex in it. After a couple of months of use I started to have stopping problems on the curves with the Menards track. Found the insulators over crimped or such as center track was contacting the ties in places. I took the rails loose and added 2 layers of grey electrical tape. problem solved. This past Dec I was making some layout changes and needed 4 pieces of 0 42 curve. Simplest solution was to pick up the 4 pieces at Menards. I started to paw thru the track and trial assemble to find usable pieces. What a surprise !!!! Every piece I tried was tight, no flex in the track when I twisted it a bit. They fit as they should. Purchased the 0 42 and several 0 54 pieces. Installed them and not one issue. Since I knew I was going to need more I ordered a case mail order as the store only had a small supply on hand. Quality of new case was the same as the pieces I picked up at the store, no complaints about the track at all.

Am wondering if perhaps you may have gotten some older stock. If I need more track in the future I will definitely consider Menards.

You can't argue with a real tool

Like Ron, I got a newer batch. of Menard's. I think the early production issues have been worked out.

Just a perfect circle of 0-36, it was tight as a drum without a tolerance out of place and given a stick I could have rolled it down the block. Assembled right out of the box and flopped on a card table. Price was great $30-something total. I figured I saved $25 and bought some cars and a clown burger on the way home. I ordered while at the store one evening and it was delivered to my door 2 days later, one earlier than expected.

I cant speak on today's Lionel quality on O or O_27, but I have to say that I had to do pins on every 0-27 Lionel starter set track I ever got after 68. Lots more on MPC track. MPC track with hollow, rolled pins with the seam was awful, and at this age if rusty, which is likely, those pins are dangerous with a pullmore motor's amp draw making some center rail pins red hot.

I'll try close up pics after a battery recharge.