Move those boxes: The O Scale Schneider Freight Building
The basics: The Schneider Freight Building is a freight loading facility designed to serve trucks or freight cars. The structure is a fully assembled and decorated building, and it has an 11-1/2" x 14" footprint. It rises 5-3/4 inches high. On each side there are three open doorways for transfer of cargo. There are three employee figures, an animated forklift, a hand truck, and several crates. Jack the German shepherd is keeping an eye on one loading dock.
The building and office are illuminated by 45 LEDs. For power, this requires a Menards 4.5 volt power supply, Menards SKU# 279-4062, or 279-4050. You may wish to consider the 8- or 9-piece Plug & Play accessory kits (SKU# 279-4035, 4681) and to serve multiple structures and vehicles. All are available separately.
Why you need this: If you’ve driven down the Interstate you have probably seen the bright orange trailers of Schneider National. The Green Bay, Wisconsin-based trucking company first hit the road in 1935, and they have evolved with the times. Today, they are a key player in the transport market. Whether the job calls for local or long haul trucking, less-than-truckload jobs, intermodal movement, or international cargo, Schneider can handle it.
While trucking is certainly a competitor to rail traffic, chances are there is a trucking company based in a town near you. Therefore, there should be a spot for it on your O gauge layout!
This is a great freight transfer facility, permitting you to place freight cars or your favorite O gauge trucks on either side of the building. There is a simulated brick foundation and a narrow loading ramp on the rear, with a wider dock on the front.
The front has some freight action with an employee with a hand truck of cargo, and a forklift with a crate on the tines. Additional crates are placed at-the-ready for pickup or delivery. The empty warehouse is a great location for you to place a second forklift, or some of the crates, pipes, and other cargo bits and pieces that you may have accumulated over time.
But there is a surprise inside! The standout action feature of this building will be lost if you don’t power it up. What might that be? When the lights come on, the forklift moves forward and then backs up. So if the lights and color weren’t eye-catching enough, the moving freight will be a delight.
The sides of the structure simulate a steel industrial building and are decorated in a vibrant orange. The roof is a simulated corrugated steel design. The base has a sidewalk, grass texture, and two shrubs on the office side.
The office side of the building features a wood staircase riding to the office door. The office has a doorway and four windows. There is a large Schneider sign above the entry. There are two employees chatting near the office.
The nature of the building is a great spot to place your favorite tractor-trailer rigs or box delivery trucks. The bright orange paint scheme will draw attention to it anywhere on your layout and the lighting package is superb. You will want this for a freight yard near you.
Dimensions: 14”W x 11-1/2”D x 5-3/4”H
Features
- Fully assembled
- Prelit with over 45 LED lights
- Features an animated forklift that travels forward and back
- Includes four workers, three crates, two pallets (one with load), two bushes, and Jack the German Shepherd
- Approximate Power Draw: 750 mA
- Requires 4.5-volt power source (sold separately, Menards SKU# 279-4061, 4062, 4050)