$200 vs $2,000 Model Train! 

Menards is very smart. Not everyone can afford a $2,000 engine! At least at $200 more people have a chance at buying trains, that's why I bought the Menards Union Pacific engine.

It is great to see that Menards offers entry-level trains at an affordable price. Helps to recruit new model train people.

Although it’s almost unfair to compare them, it’s great for someone starting in the hobby to be able to get such a big and nice looking engine at a reasonable price. 🚂 Great vid! Happy railroading friends!

Chris, as you clearly point out, they’re both the winner. Each pulls their own in the battle and when price point is included, they are an even match. Thanks for the video and keep them coming.

The dialogue from the Menards engine is definitely closer to railroad communication than the generic lionel crew talk

The Menards UP is actually the first train that I bought new; all my other trains are used Lionel. With the price point and features of Menards, I have a hard time spending the cash on a high end Lionel. Plus, Menards has improved their trains dramatically in just a few models; I suspect they'll get even better as time goes by. Both are great in their own right but if you're on a budget, Menards can't be beat.

You can see the improvements that menards made to their UP diesel from the first one they released. Personally the menards diesel is a great locomotive to get into the hobby and we need more things like that.

Thankfully there are still some "entry level" offerings these days. I see a lot of people that complain about the price but when you compare the cost of locomotives, at least on the low end, vs inflation and salary averages over the decades they're still as affordable as they ever were. Now myself, I tend to prefer the middle of the road. Either a decent quality DC or even DCC locomotive rather than the entry level stuff but I still do run and enjoy the entry level offerings from companies like Bachmann, etc. because the quality of those compare far more favorably than the same names did 20-30 years ago as far as mechanism reliability. I still have yet to get into the higher end of N or HO scale with something like Scaletrains Rivet counters, fancy brass locomotives, etc. but It's hopefully not too far off on the horizon. I need/want to level up my actual modeling skills before I get into all that. If you've seen the videos on my rescue layout it could definitely use some love in the scenery department. lol.

Last Lionel set I bought was the Polar Express in 2008. Old school Lionel, as in the couplers have to be manually operated. The tender has a whistle feature but my cat tinkled on the set and the whistle no longer works. These newer sets you have are amazing but if I wanted to build the layout you have and collect the trains you have, it would cost more than my house. You rock, Chris!

The Lionel is spectacular but, in all categories, the Menards is "good enough". I like to run trains and Menards fits the bill at a very reasonable price. I am a bit biased due to my experiences over the last 20 years or so. I have purchased several modern engines and absolutely love the new features in sound, details and control but a couple of them have become bricks due to failures in the electronics. The cost of repairing those electronics is too high and you can't always get the parts, especially as more time goes by. My old post war Lionels, however, will easily outlast me. Now, it will be a much heavier lift for Menards to come out with a steam engine ... Thanks, Chris. You gave us a lot to think about.

I love these comparison videos, really shows that for many casual train hobbyist that the less expensive offerings out there can certainly be just as interesting and entertaining in many ways. I have a modest collection of Lionel trains where most of my pieces are "set grade" from the late 40s to the mid 90s. I love 'em all!

There is no comparison but I applaud Menards to have models in an affordable price range.

it's amazing how much more effort and skill goes into lionel's O scale sets than some of their HO scale sets

My max price point is Lionchief Plus 2.0. I will always consider Lionel the overall winner. That Bernards gave the Legacy a tight win. Again thanks for your knowledge and sharing the hobby.

Dollar for dollar, I think they both deliver what you are paying for. My bet is the Menard's units will last longer and require less maintenance. It's a win/win. I think Menard's is doing a great service to the hobby.

Great video Chris! As a person without the space or funds for the layout of my dreams (don’t know who among us does), it’s nice to know I could potentially go pick up some sidewalk salt, puff corn, and a solid train set all at one store without spending 1.5 months of my mortgage.

Love seeing spotlights put on the entry model brands. Sure, they won't ever have the features of fancy modern lionel, but as long as the entry brands exist so to will new people to the hobby and that's honestly the most important thing. Love it!

I feel like Menards is the saving grace for anybody who wants to get into the hobby. Lionel has great stuff, however needs to be affordable. At some point, middle aged people will be gone, and no generation will fill the gap at Lionel prices….

My favorite is Menards because I like that it doesn't go slow and has less detail. It gives me nostalgia for my Lionel Postwar trains.

Of course there is more detail and better electronics in the Lionel Legacy units, but for those of us out here in the real world, many of us can't afford Legacy anything, so the Menard's units are a very welcome addition to the model train world! And as for the detail, detail parts can be had to bring the Menards units up to par, and from the looks of it, thank God Menard's didn't try to pass off the old Lionel post war shell as some kind of F unit!

Nice vid. I love and admire your passion towards trains.

Thank you for adding the hobo camp. The hobo union is happy, and will be back, to take over your layout..

Awesome video Chris. Informative and yet fun, always waiting to see what you come with next. I would have to say you are an ambassador to the hobby and inspiration to all and inspiration to me to make better videos and promote the hobby.

Another great video chris..I really enjoyed your commentary; especially when you talk to yourself. And lionel won the horn wars.

Lot's of people bash the Menards stuff. For the price point they are at, I think they have good features and are a good choice for someone new. I would have to give the horn win to Lionel

As a frequent viewer of your channel, I find it very non-one-sided in which you present the model train hobby in a positive overview of all manufacturers. Your Menards and Lionel overview was great. As your reviews on Weaver engines, and of course, MTH. Again, great review!!!🙂

Hey Chris! Great review, thanks for the side by side; I agree with the rest of the comments saying they are both winners! Also I’m digging the new haircut

Hey 200 vs 2000, you can always repaint the menards locomotives without worrying about losing their value and heck maybe make it go up in value depending on how well you are at painting lol.if I had the money I would repaint them into CSX style F7 locomotives or maybe just give the locomotive the touch up it needs to look better. Ahhh the joy of building model kits, everything looks like it could be a new project with a little paint xD

Menards is definitely going for more the toy end of the market. And that is perfectly fine. The hobby definitely needs more reasonably priced toy trains that can be sold at department and big box stores. That said I have concerns on whether or not the Menards set can stand up to the rough treatment a kid playing will put it through. I would love the blue warbonnet engine to go with my set of post war Santa Fe blue stripe coaches though.

Thanks for the really well done comparison, Chris. I was only surprised that you didn't compare their pulling power using the same consist of cars for each. Still a great idea.

Lionel IMO has the best sounds but the Menards I has the best cab chatter. Menards might not be prototypical, however the one thing I love about their products is that they don’t go too crazy with their attention to detail. I’ll be keeping my eyes open like a hawk at York this October for a set of those Menards F-units Both engines really sliver around the layout like two slugs. Great video Chris!

Always love seeing the Texas Special in the background....need a whole video on my favorite train....recently I was able to get the Station Sounds and 2 car pack add on to complete the set

Love the fast trains!!! F units are my fave!!

The horn in the beginning sounds amazing 😮. Looks like my diesel engine that I had when I was a kid it was an Emd F7 a and b unit.

I like the simplicity of Menards. I would love a Menards in my collection! 😊

you have the ability to make any video. No matter if we want it or not be worthwhile lol Keep it up, Chris! You have the power!

Love the rotating Mars light!

Lionel wins the horn battle. Love the video!!

Great idea for a video. I really enjoyed it.

Great video. I have to say I like them both, for very different reasons. I love all the details and features that you get with Lionel engines. But I Love that Menards is offering engines and cars that are more affordable. Great for people just getting into the hobby. Now I have to say I am not happy with you Chris. I am going to have to start collecting the UP orange and black freight cars.😁

I love Lionel’s train!😄

Good video Chris

Just stumbled into this channel. I loved your video and energetic style! Wish I had the time/space to do model trains.

Great video. My two year old granddaughter watched the whole thing!

Well done!

2:00 Lol this is- *The Guy!* I think of when I think ‘Model Trains’ 😄

Its like comparing in 1955 a new Chevy to a new Cadillac. Guess which one is more valuable now? I like the Menards horn best. Thanks Chris for the video. You always do a great job

Lionel is certainly the top of the line. Manards is great for someone that doesn't want to spend all their hobby money on one loco set. My grandkids love to run them and at that cost I don't worry about it. I must say, again NO toy (model) train should be run without a caboose! Manards even made one to match the UP set! Great video, and I have been waiting on someone to say something about the light bleed on the nose. I found some silver paint or aluminum foil placed inside would make it not bleed through and look better. Keep em coming Chris, fun stuff!

This is so beautiful i can't wait to get another train since i have the o gauge Polar express

That was demonstration of comparison that I find helpful. It was fun to see the difference between the two. It was not clear if the Menard had smoke unit or not.

Lionel is obviously the best. I'm just watching and learning.

The most I spend is 650 and that's the NS OCS ABA Train from MTH from 2008.

Both sets are nice and have different things to offer, the Menards is better priced but is not as detailed, Lionel on the other hand is much more detailed but is a lot more money. I prefer the Lionel version since its more realistic and has more features, but I like both. Lionel took the win in today's horn battle. Great review Chris!

Hello Chris my internet train friend thanks for inviting me to your train room great video GOD BLESS ;-)

Extraordinary locomotives the lionel horn sounds awesome 👍🏻✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️

Amazing video

Nice Train set up fun to have

In my opinion, the Lionel A-B-B-A won the battle of the horns. And I like the Lionel one more so Lionel wins... also cool video!

The Lionel and Menards crewtalk both kill it for me. The Lionel horn is 10/10. I'll stick with my Williams chassie'd Marx 21's

First, let me say your videos are excellent! I just came across this one and had to leave a like and comment. Second, your layout is magnificent! I am truly in awe! As for the content, I use to run Lionel trains back in the 70s when I was a kid. The old stuff was very low on detail and eventually, like many other folks back then I switched to HO (my current scale of choice). This new Lionel stuff is amazing! If I didn't have so much time and money invested in HO I would definitely switch! (still don't like the 3rd rail thing though 😐) The Menards unit is admirable and my hats off to them for marketing a more budget oriented product! But there is no doubt the Lionel is tiers above the Menard! Thanks for a great comparison!

I have no clue how RU-vid recommended your channel. My last video was Bruce Rivers CLR. Instant sub. What content! Edit. Figured it out. I looked up the cog trains at Mt Washington and Pikes Peak.

Great that 200 dollar sets are availible with this great quality for the price. We need this for the continuation of our hobby. Cheap sets get kids in on uor hobby. We need that

Just sitting back, I like the Menard's chatter, overall sound and horn was ok. I don't like the bleeding light through the body. They can fit that on a two hundred model. The horn on the Lionel sounded like a ship horn, so they didn't hit it either. So, not bad for either. Also, run the trains as fast as you want! I ❤ it! Good review!

Good comparison Chris. If you just want a no frills locomotive to start Menards is great. Then maybe graduate into the more prototypical items. Great way to start.

Yessssss more trains my friend. I just got a new o scale train set. I still have to make a video of it. Ur the best my friend. Any recommendations for new o scale engines. Linol is the best to get and the whistle is amazing.

Those Lionel F-Units are darn sweet, Chris. Thx for posting!

I like the horn and sound of the Lionel A-B-B-A, sounds more realistic.

Wow, great video thank you… The Lionel is definitely awesome in every way, except the price I suppose… And the Menards is fantastic. Also, I just wish it had smoke but I would end up buying a Menards. It looks great runs great and it’s just so much less expensive.

Gotta love a guy who loves model trains. Why grow up!! 🎉

Great review/comparison. Hey, I kinda like the horn on the Menards loco 👍🏻😱 Sure, for the price, it seems to work pretty good, to bad they could’ve put an off/on switch on the dummy unit to shut off the headlight. Maybe a coat of paint on the inside of the body would’ve stopped the lights from shining through? It kinda looks like the first buildings I ever built back in the 60s then later tried to light it, see through building 😂

I love that you have LEGO modulars in your city. Fantastic! Imo, Lionel is better overall, but Menards is a far better value.

I was finally able to get a Menards F7. Now that I’m retired I can’t afford the big dollar Lionel train anymore. But Menards. I’ll looking forward to the next release and I’ll get another.

Lol, this has to be the funniest video you have made! Menards puts out some great cheap products! Bought some for my wife and her O scale layout. Yes I said O scale. Me I’m an S Scale guy and prefer the American Flyer and American Models and S Helper Service trains over anything. As far as the horns go I like the Proto 3 F unit horns on my S Scale trains. But all in all a great video!

Wow! A working Mars light at 1:14. I've never seen that on a model train before! But yeah, Lionel stuff is expensive. I dropped $1000 on two locomotives not too long ago: an Amtrak P42 and a Conrail SD70 both by Lionel. I also like MTH. Never bought anything my Menards, we don't have them here in New York.

Love the Lionel horn❤ Lionel is a winner for me.

I can't decide they both seem to be great models

Good comparison on the engines. As hoophil said, Menards is trying to fill that need for decent beginners and affordable trains. I agree Menards is smart. And as a side, I don't think you run your trains too fast. I like to have the impression that trains have a destination they have to reach, not just always meandering through a yard.

You can help prevent bleed throughout with some paint on the inside of the Maynards shell Ive seen a few techniques but doing so would definitely improve the look there.

lego looks great on the layout mate.

Hey Chris, in your next video you can make the steam locomotives that are not articulated run?

COOL VIDEO BROTHERMAN!!!! Very informative, keep them coming BRO>>AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA COOL 😃😄😁😮😯😲❤🤟🤘👍👍

I know a company that made some of the best $200 dollar trains in the o gauge market! And they are still cheaper than Lionel these days. But Menards also beats them too.

The price for the Menards Union Pacific set is a hands down winner, Chris. That alone means more collectors will be able to afford this model and enjoy it's features. But the Menard's horn sounds like a door bell buzzer compared to the Lionel more accurate diesel horn. I'm not much into cab chatter. It's of a fantasy, unless you own a communicator. The chances of hearing this kind of thing in a real situation are next to impossible, with all the safety restrictions keeping the general public at a distance, but if you say so, Menards has a unique feature here. The exteriors of both sets matches what I would expect, so no complaints. The Menards model seems to be a smooth puller, but the slow speed of the Lionel is just amazing. All in all, it was a fair comparison between two very different models. Lionel is a clear winner just because of the technology available, but price wise, the Menards model is an impressive model to able to own.

My son instantly recognized the Menards horn as the same one in his Lionchief RS-3.

The fewer bells and whistles, the less you have to break down. Sometimes, less really is more. Besides, you can literally outfit 10 Menard's trains for that one Lionel. And lastly, I'm no rivet-counter. I don't do model railroads; I play with toy trains! Much more fun!

If you're just starting out in this hobby and have a limited budget the Menards units is it good 👍👍

I remember when Austin Powers first came out in theaters. It was the same time as Titanic. The ads for Austin Powers said, “if you see one movie this summer….see Titanic. But if you see two movies…see Austin Powers”. Meaning, Austin Powers was not made with the intention to be an all time classic. It was made to be a good movie that makes you laugh and that’s ok. Same thing here with Menards. If you have $2k, buy the Lionel but a $200 Menards is still a lot of fun.

This isn’t related to the video, but I wanted to share that I just bought my first every Lionel legacy train!!! It’s the Southern Pacific GS2, and I got it because the local hobby shop was selling it for only $500… Also, they owed me a lot of money because of a set they gave me that didn’t work, so I only payed $180 for a legacy engine in perfect working condition!! I wanted to let you know, Chris, because you’re the one who inspired me to collect trains

Great video! I saw the notification and thought it was a Mr beast video lol

The alternative to either of these is move down in Scales so you can buy highly detailed modeled for under $1000.

Thanks for comparing the locomotives. I just starting out back in O scale again which I love. I’m doing n scale cos of the size of the room. But I eliminated a loop of n scale and I put O scale run and I love the O scale running O since I was a kid. Pls take a look and see what you think

I’d go with Lionel without the ‘B’ units. I’ll see if Lionel makes it for ‘S’ gauge. Great video thanks.

Nice 1

lol I think to myself, I'm to poor to buy what I want, so I will watch it and suffer hahaha thanks for all the reviews

The Lionel is much better but it is 10x the price...so you get what you pay for...and you don't get what you don't pay for!

Hi I love your layout and videos I was just wondering what you think about k-line trains Thanks Tom

Thanks!

I guess that it is really not fair to compare the two sets. If you are a purist then the Lionel set is the way to go but if you are a casual train enthusiast then the Menards set is your pick.I only set my trains up at Christmas time but I have my Lionels that my Grandfather bought for me when I was 2/3 years old. They are from the early 50s.

The view of the train passing on the big bridge at 10:03 is a calendar picture !!!!!❤

love that Hiawatha