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[Anonymous]

So what do you think is better 30 year old trix or rapido locomotives
or 2003 life-like locomotives?

[DSchmitt]

It depends on which locos you are looking at and their physical condition.

Minitrix were considered very good 30 years ago, and so were Rapido. I still like the
Minitrix U28, it looks pretty good and is a decent runner. The Rapido Alco switcher, which isn't 30 years old, is a very nice loco. I think both are still available new, but at too high a price.

Until a few years ago Life Like locos were basically 1970's technology. Then they decided to improve the line. Their first GP18 issue looked great except for the truck mounted couplers (easily fixed by a MicroTrains converson) but were still basically 1970's under the hood. They are OK, but not up to modern standards. The GP20 and SW's and recently re-released GP18 are real improvements.

[espeefoamer]

I was into N gauge from 1966 until the mid 90s when I went over to HO.The other day,I was looking at the N scale locos at my local hobby shop,and the detail on them blew me away.The engines I had,from 20-30 years ago, couldn't even come close.
Rapido engines were top of the line then.They always looked and ran great.A lot of the engines at the time ran like junk[:(!].

[Wdlgln005]

The 2003 LifeLikes are getting closer in quality to Atlas/Kato units. At least they have similar splitframe/flywheel design, with an easy to convert coupler. Conversion to DCC holds them back. Mechanically, their cab units are great pullers that can pull a house. I'm talking about FA, FA2, Eriebuilts, PA's and new E's. GP's have comparable performance to their Atlas GP's. The GP 18-20 fills a gap in model rosters.

You might find cheap old TRIX units on sale. Since Marklin bought TRIX, these units are out of production. They are very easy to convert to MTL, and fit thru any tight corners. They will be very difficult to convert to DCC. A pair would look good pulling the Atlas track cleaning car.

[bluepuma]

Since I have a 30 year old Arnold FA2 which still runs, but makes noise like a concrete mixer, and a LL FA2/FB2 set that runs very well, it's no contest. Nearly every LL I've got is better than the Arnold in Penn Central I bought December 1969, even my GP38 runs better and quieter, so I bought two more, and since have bought other LL. Found a couple of old LL "F7" units, they run very nicely, quietly, I can only fault them for being
FA2 length, having no B unit, and only a single headlight. But they run much better than the B-mann F7A/B set which sounds about like the Arnold. The Kato F7A/B rules. I think you can't go wrong with any Kato unit, although the Atlas paint is better, they are spotty, some good, some I can't stand to run for the noise. I'm lucky that my 3rd N scale loco was a lifelike, if I'd bought the wrong Atlas, I'd have put my trains away again or maybe tried HO. My Lionel never sounded bad, ran nice.