One of the earlier posters commented about using a variable electric source for their buildings. I would agree. That sucker is BRIGHT! Small trainset power packs can be had cheaply on eBay or train shows. I have an MRC 2800 that I use to control with lighting on both industrial sites and smaller commercial buildings. If those are standard 1.5 volt LEDS, I found a AA battery holder that I wired into a switch on my control panel for some exterior LED lighting.
One of the earlier posters commented about using a variable electric source for their buildings. I would agree. That sucker is BRIGHT! Small trainset power packs can be had cheaply on eBay or train shows. I have an MRC 2800 that I use to control with lighting on both industrial sites and smaller commercial buildings. If those are standard 1.5 volt LEDS, I found a AA battery holder that I wired into a switch on my control panel for some exterior LED lighting.
I have a few walll warts lying around. I’ll probably knock it down to 9V or a little less. I don’t turn it on that often, only when guests come and see the layout for the first time and at night.
Neal
Yes, dimming the lighting would likely benefit most RTR buildings. Using a lower voltage power supply than recommended is one way, as you can’t hurt LEDs by giving them too little power, although they quit eventually. You can also simply add suitable resistance via resistors in the lead to the power supply.
In the case of a powerplant, they ARE often lit brightly, in large part. You may be able to proeserve that look, while dimming other circuits. That variance in lighting levels is really effective at making a building look more realistic at night. Since I haven’t had a chance to look closely at the internals of any of the Menard’s buildings, I’m not sure how viable an idea that is, but we’re crafty folks, right?[swg]
I’m not sure where you looked on eBay, but currently the highest priced one is $119.00 and ALL the sold listings are around $105.00 Perhaps the $200 selling price was Canadian? Smokestacks aside, most of the photos of the Menards buildings I have seen posted, show an item that is poorly assembled.
Okay I will try to check a Menards building out on my annual trip to the midwest in April. But a power plant is too big for the SI. Then again the Con Ed plant by The West Shore Expressway is rail served by coal I think.
If you search for o gauge menards buildings on eBay the second one down just sold for 199.99. And there are plenty more selling for 200
I think they are decent looking buildings but so far I have only found a use for one of their houses. My only gripe is the grass borders they put around a lot of their structures are really phony looking but that is easily remedied with some WS ground cover. I would rather they not have bothered with the borders.
Dave Nelson, the power plant in your link should generate real power for the price. Seriously, it suffers from some of the same compression issues as the Menard’s power plant model. The stacks are too close together to justify the type of ductwork to the stacks. To most modelers neither models would raise any questions about appropriateness but to those who have worked in the power generating industry, they present issues.
Spartan,
In your original post you said you were buying an HO scale model, so I looked up HO scale sales on eBay. Why quote $200 O scale sales if you are buying HO? Usually O scale items sell for more than similar HO scale items. Obviously the Menards offerings are selling, but because some are more toy-like they appeal to one segment of the hobby and not to other segments.
mlehman Wrote O in his post I was responding to. Looks like I read it wrong. Still holds up that someone is buying them as they are selling far above what they are sold for in the stores regardless of gauge