Life-Like locomotives

[Anonymous]

I just bought this http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3173887180 (Life-like N Gauge BN EMD GP-38 Diesel Locomotive), and am wondering if anybody has any ideas what to expect. It was basically bought on a whim as a B-day present to myself to help me get back into the hobby.

Please be honest. Is it junk? Is it average? Is it a good find?
Any input is greatly appreciated.

[Anonymous]

See page one"Opinions on Lifelike".

[Anonymous]

Yep, already did. i actually ran across that thread soon after posting this one.

[Anonymous]

Is it a Life Like Proto locomotive? If so, it's great! My opinion only now.

[Roadtrp]

QUOTE: Originally posted by doccm9

I just bought this http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3173887180 (Life-like N Gauge BN EMD GP-38 Diesel Locomotive), and am wondering if anybody has any ideas what to expect. It was basically bought on a whim as a B-day present to myself to help me get back into the hobby.

Please be honest. Is it junk? Is it average? Is it a good find?
Any input is greatly appreciated.

Your purchase is probably standard Life Like... I don't believe they make a BN GP38 in their Proto line (at least I wasn't able to find one). I purchased this locomotive yesterday from my LHS, and I am satisfied with it. It runs smoothly, is pretty quiet, and has good low-speed operation. It is not very detailed, but then I didn't expect that it would be.

I'm not experienced enough to know if it is a "good find" or not, and you didn't say what you paid for it. I paid $24.99 for it (list price of $47.00) at my local hobby shop if that gives you any indication.

Edited to add...

I just followed your ebay link, and see that you paid $20.49 plus $3.95 shipping. That totals to about the same as what I paid, and I thought my purchase was a pretty good value. (Also, the locomotive is for certain standard Life Like... the picture was exactly the same as the one I purchased, down to the number on the side.)

[Anonymous]

I have a couple of these, found them to be good, quiet, smooth runners. They did seem to be lacking in haulage abilities though - needed both of them to shift a single Walthers 5-unit well car (unloaded). In HO, my Athearn GP60 has no trouble with a fully loaded 5-unit double stack car, guess there's nowhere to put extra weight in N