I never liked the athearn modles they seem to gruble to much for me and the newer units look like proto 2k copycats as for atlas I had bad Experience with the 3 aem-7’s I have its a fine line between junk and too much money thats why I have sooooo meny liflike proto 2000 locomotives , not unusual to see 5 or 6 pulling 23 or 24 proto boxcars and gons up my mountain layout (central midland thats now part city dweller)
I do love the few brass F’s what power I call them fools gold as people will gladly pay over $100 for the brass, but I find a few and work them in to shape and thanks guys for all the input, all be it good or bad it all gets in the mix and help us make the best choice for our own layouts I guess Because I have a mallet and a cab foward I only see the bigboy is the next train I need to get
B -
WOOHOOOOOOOOOOOO!
My first Star!!!
Sry
I havent had much experience with Life-Like’s repair department
But now Im just hopin my LL B&M GP38 wont go on me
It was the last one Walthers had!
I too, have a serious problem with Life Like. In Nov. 2003 I purchased a P2K C&O K-4. I got it home and put it on the track, and it jerked and bucked so badly that it derailed the cars behind. The literature included with the loco stated that it would run smoothly at less than 3 scale MPH. Mine would race ahead at 10 MPH for one driver rotation then bind-up. Several seconds were required to over power the bind, then it would race ahead only to bind time and time again.
I called Life Like the next day and was told to send it to them, and it would be fixed without charge. I did just that. (in the original box with all original contents). After two months, I began to inquire by phone, and by email, as to the status of the repairs. I was told each time that “It was still being looked at”. Finally in April of 2004 it appeared on my doorstep. I removed it from the undamaged parcel to find a note on the damaged box stating the entire mechanism had been replaced. I removed the loco from the box to find it in deplorable condition. Several parts (turbo-generator, air compressor) were broken off the model, and not to be found in the box. The paint was damaged in several areas, and to add insult to injury, it ran just as badly as before.
I called Life Like customer service at once, and they issued a call slip with UPS who picked it up the next day for return. Two months passed, and I again began inquireing as to repair status. I was largely ignored. When I was able to gain a response, it usually consisted of “I’ll check with service, and get back to you”. In December of 2004 I was finally connected with a manager who told me the loco had been returned to China for repairs. He had no idea when the repairs would take place.
To make a long story (yes it’s longer than this) short - The loco is still in China, I have filed complaints with the Attorneys General of OH and MD, and still I hear nothing. Small wonder Life Like’s profits are up, I have given them $200+ for nothing. How many others
sounds like the same few people at the factory feel like we are just trying to bug them ,
all we want is to have the best smoothest running trains we can .
after all when you think of all the time and effort that we put in our layouts, I bet the numbers would be staggering. you see the big clubs talking 100.000 200.00 300.000
and they count all the man hours parts trains and material to get the figurs and here at home we tend to only count the money we spend on the locos and rolling stock
thats why when one stops working, we miss it, and just want to get it rapaired back to working condition . so all you factory workers dont get mad when we send it back to fix its only becase we love trains
b liner