TRAIN TIME: Menard's #279-6748 M&M Hopper Car (Yellow) (2020)

I s'pose it's safe to say I'm a wee bit of a chocoholic with all the Hershey's and M&M's train stuff I have for my O-gauge trains (and all the goodies I have in the house)! 😄 This is the third M&M's railroad car Menard's produced in 2020. While it is normal for O-gauge hoppers to come with covers or tops, most often, the Menard's ones don't - likely a cost saving factor. The cars generally retail for ca$22.99 but actual out-of-pocket expenses are closer to $30 with tax and shipping. Still, when compared to comparable products from Lionel and MTH, that's less than half their going prices! Enjoy! Opa Fritz

TRAIN TIME: Menard's #279-4595 M&M Hopper Car (Brown) (2019)

Menard's is known for budget friendly train products. Cars like this go for $24.99 directly from their website (but actual cost with tax and shipping drives it up to nearly $40!). If you live near a Menards store you may find them on sale, but the nearest store to me is about three states away! Still, the retail cost is about half the going price for any car currently made by Lionel or MTH.  AND, when talking about past production M&M's train-related set, cars, and accessories, those made by MTH are expensive - they're friggin nutz! So yeah, I'm okay with Menard's.

All that being said, this was the third of three M&Ms cars offered by Menards back in 2019. By 2020, they would start offering more than just cars. Enjoy! Opa Fritz