What does everyone have against lifelike?

[Anonymous]

well alexander13, i'm sorry for jumping the gun and calling them junk- you can live w/ them for a while, but i wouldn't buy very many of them, but it's a great way to start. I didn't mean to almost scare you out. after all they call it a "starter" train set.

[Don Gibson]

WE ALL buy what we can afford - until we can afford sometning better, so wait your turn..

Unreaistically, our taste for something 'better', often conflict's with present reality. It used to be called 'Champaign taste's on a beer pocketbook'. I take it THOSE complaining, haven't been married, - yet.

[Anonymous]

I have nothing against them per say that what got me back into the hobby about 13yrs. ago.I purchased a LL trainset for my oldest son then he got disinterested in it after a month so I took up the hobby joined a club found out how to redo the rolling stock w/athern wheels & kd couplers got rid of the engines start purchasing p2k & athern loco's have no problem since.I have about 6p2k that run very well.Their trainsets are to get you started in the hobby.

[Budliner]

why did they sell out !!!!

[trainfreek92]

I have a N scale HOBBY QUALITY Sw8 B&M switcher loco it has not got that much running because i have only started my layout about 2 months ago. It runs good the detail is great and is not a bad price. I would not hesitate to buy another if they had one i liked. I would suggest not investing to much in LL trainset stuff but some is ok. a $15 doller loco might not run as good or be as detailed as a nice Kato, Atlas but its also $15.!!! by the way the series of my loco is Proto Hobby quality series. Happy modeling!! Tim

[ICRR1964]

Good news everyone, alexander13 has emailed me and is talking to his parents about me sending him a loco.

[dinwitty]

LL as made some great new and detailed engines, as far as fixing problems,
give the help departmaent an email.


I had good luck getting some extra parts.

Dont send them the engines right off, get the parts and see if you can work it yourself or have a local LHS do it for you.
so you dont lose anything.

[Anonymous]

I can remember my first train set and it was a Life Like with the D&H GP38-2 D&H #7301. I loved it and I still like it, even though it has been gone for 20 some odd years. I like it because it got me started, now I have over 100 locomotives all from Kato, Atlas, Proto and Athearn. This hobby is like everything else, no matter what you do or buy there is someone out there that will put it down. It is a sad fact but I have lived with it for many years in this line. If you want to buy life like that is great, lets keep this tradition going.

[Anonymous]

I think life-like makes alot of good stuff in their trainset line for "serious" modelers. They're buildings are every bit as good as those from walthers I picked up a 7-11 convenience store kit at a trainshow a couple months back and st8ill have most of my old buildings from my trainset days. They also have a great line of detail goodies like figures and benches etc. Their vehicles however on the other hand are more background quality. I'd say save those for modeling parking lots and traffic jams.

[Chris_S68]

QUOTE: Originally posted by alexander13

To all of you who pointed out that i am 13 years old, with maybe $30 bucks in my pocket, you are quite right. i know that the realisiam is not that good, but i don't exaimine my locos with a maginyfing glass. i have already had extremely generous realitives gige me over $250 in presents at christmas. to those that say they are cheap, weell i can not use the junk. oh, i only realised, all my locos are junk. better leave the hobby. itf all the young kids leave, and you all die, the hobby dies out. i won't do that, but you must realize that.

13 with 30 bucks? You're doing a whole lot better than I was doing at your age. Heck, doing better than I've done all too recently.

The important thing is that this is a hobby. If it works for YOU, and brings YOU happiness, forget all about the naysayers. It's been said here before, it doesn't matter which hobby, or how far you get in said hobby, there's always someone who's got "better", and far too many who feel it important to point that out.

So, run what ya got and have fun. If you want, weather your trains - a touch can make a huge difference. Create some scenery for your trains to run through. Look around your house and, especially, your own yard. Think about how everyday items can be used to replicate real life in miniature. It's amazing what you can accomplish if you get creative.

[Anonymous]

You get what you pay for. I love my Photo 2000 loco's. A little more money you can much better. Trainset's are great for the beginner, but alots of us are past that here.

[loathar]

As far as the cheap trainset stuff goes, my LL locos ran a lot better than the cheap Bachman or Tyco stuff I have. I've got an old F-7 that's a better puller than anything else I own.

[Anonymous]

thank you to all of you who have helped me out. it is my understanding of the situation thaty my life like equiplmet will get me goung untill i can get better stuff.

[Anonymous]

Yes it will.

[jacon12]

I only own six locomotives, three LifeLike Proto 2000s, two Broadway Limited and one Kato. While all are good engines, (I'm not the fond of the BLI diesel I have), the P2K models are the best detailed and the best runners AND the best sound of any of them. I can't speak for their other lines.
Jarrell

[Wdlgln005]

LL in Nscale has been very good the past 5-10 years. They have improved their quality tremendously. They could have been the 3rd best mfr, right behind Atlas and Kato. From the GP20, BL2, SW's, Alco FA1/FA2's, Erie builts, Cliners, they have some excellent locos. I'm looking forward to their new PA's and DL109's. Mising from the Nscale lineup is any passenger cars. They only have a few freight cars, but their NE style caboose was great. New paint scemes on some of the box cars & hoppers. THeir super cheap Industrial freight cars were perfect for repainting projects. They had a nice line of plastic kits.
LL has had some problem with their Nscale steamers. At least they look right. What they need is a way to use traction tires on some steamer drivers for better traction & TE.

I hope the purchase of LL by Walthers dosen't put an end to this development. Walthers seems to be replacing ConCor in the vaporware department. They keep ignoring the Nscale market at their peril. Athearn seems to have done a better job at renewing the MDC line, with improved trucks/couplers and new paint schemes. I'm waiting for the Athearn/MDC Mogul to go to work on my line. THe Athearn/MDC Consolidation may be the best Nscale steamer on the market!

[Anonymous]

Thank you to all who have helped me out.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by dinwitty
local LHS

A Local local hobby shop?
just thought i would point this out.

[ICRR1964]

Yes alexander thats what LHS means, Good luck to you on your start in MR, it will be fun and enjoyable.

[Darth Santa Fe]

I don't have anything against the cheaper LL engines. My first HO engine was in a LL train set I got at a garage sale for $5. It's a GP38 in the SF Warbonnet. I now have a lot of Spectrum and some other high quality engines, but I still use that old GP38 once in a while. It runs pretty well for $5, and I'm not about to get rid of it.[:D]

[okonite]

the reason everyone hates LifeLike is that the weights in the cars are inferior to those of bachmann(and cause the cars to derail) but that's a bad reason, because, to their credit, the trucks on LifeLike cars are better(no stupid screws), their details on the cars are better, AND LIFELIKE BUILDINGS ARE ALSO BETTER THAN BACHMANN'S

[Packer]

Life-like buildings are better.

As for the screw, I perfer them with, since I can adjust them to tweak the cars performance.

The newer bachmann engines that are around 30 bucks are alright; it was an F9 that got me seriosuly into the the hobby. Now I hav SD9s GP9s and GP30s, all P2K, all had for under $50 a pop.

[Bapou]

avoid L-L turnouts too i bought a couple and they are crappy -one of them something broke and it doesn't change posisiton anymore, alexander13 -at www.trainworld.com they have a life-like PROTO 2000 (high-quality) alco pa for $29.99 that's what you'd pay for a "train-set" engine. there are deals on quality stuff- you just have to look

2 Things

1 He is in austrailia it says, so shipping is 24.95 minimum from Trainworld.

2 Original post 2 years ago. 

[MisterBeasley]

Let's see - LifeLike started the Proto line.  I've got 2 Proto GP-9's, and a Proto RSC-3.  I've got a set of Proto subway trains.  Then, Walthers bought LifeLike, and continued the Proto line.  I've got a Proto 0-6-0, and another set of Proto subway trains.

So, what was the original question?  "What does everyone have against LifeLike?"  Gee, I dunno.  Maybe they don't like good stuff for a reasonable price?

Seriously, LifeLike used to be one of those bi-polar companies.  They produced low-end stuff that really wasn't very good, but also the Proto line that was excellent.  Walthers has continued the Protos, and, to my knowledge, has let the junk disappear.

[Anonymous]

Ahh.... Just so everyone knows, as of before the first post on this page, all the previous posts are from 2006. DNFTT!

[dale8chevyss]

I like the idea of an affordable way of getting the younger generation in the hobby and I myself have started with Life Like.  Once you start getting some Athearn/Roundhouse/etc products you will discover how wonderful Life Like products really are. 

[NSlover92]

I have to say i would take a L-L trainset model over my athearns i have had, I tell you I dont like L-L trainset but Athearns do nothing but take craps for me, I feel for you though i started out with a bachmann, But i tell you save your money and buy a good P2K, BLI, PCM, or atlas and you will love it, but dont go with athearn, but i feel for ya. Mike

[Autobus Prime]

Seriously, LifeLike used to be one of those bi-polar companies.  They produced low-end stuff that really wasn't very good, but also the Proto line that was excellent.  Walthers has continued the Protos, and, to my knowledge, has let the junk disappear.

MB:

Walthers is still making the trainset line.  I think they may be discontinuing the single-packed cars in that line.  I suspect this stuff sells in a lot higher volume than the better-grade merchandise does.

The pancake-truck locos, to be fair, do run if you keep the wheels clean.  They're waaay above the Tyco Powertruck drive which used roughly the same principle and was aimed at the same market.  They also, in my experience, run a lot better than Bachmann's very similar drive.  They're fast, and noisy, but they do run.  I have an old F which I pull track-cleaning cars with.

I'm using mostly LL trainset cars at present, and I have 2 LL brass Atlas-clone switches.  These switches are probably the best Snap-Switch clones I have used; they work about the same as the Atlas ones, though the ride may be slightly rougher.  They are very old, so some of this roughness may be due to age.   The cars are what they are, but they're usable; my biggest problems with them are the light weight, truck-mounted couplers, and high axle friction, in that order.  The weight is by far the biggest problem, but that's easily fixed with a handful of pennies and some glue, and the other problems aren't so hard to fix, either.

I wouldn't have bought these cars new, but at trainshow prices of up to $2 each, they were worth it.

 

[dr.bones]

Well my first train set is an lifelike set and it still runs after 30 years the only thing that I have modified are the couplers and metallic wheels, and the transformer i still use to check on  any locomotive thats in my blacksmith shop, so i can't complain about lifelike my F7 CN zebra stripe scheme, and it's right beside my  second trainset a bachmann with  an old 0-6-0 CP engine,  from there i have moved  up on the food chain and have bought athearn, Bowser, Atlas and some Mantua.

It got me back into the hobby.

They help me relax.

Sooo..... remember your supposed to have fun and relax with this hobby

[jeffrey-wimberly]

The Life-Like trainset stuff, compared to what's available in other affordably priced lines, is pure-dee junk. Many other companies got smart and got away from single power trucks and pancake motors.