Having difficulty finding a headlight assembly for my Life Like Sw9/1500. Does anybody no where I can locate one? Does Walthers stock this part for their version and will it be a direct replacement for my missing Life like unit?
Walthers does not stock parts anymore, other than parts made by parts makers to be parts. With all production in China, the receive pacaked items ready to sell and nothing more. I suppose they could buy parts, but they do not. Those would cost money with little return to them.
So NOW you get to try your hand at making your own parts, or making do with parts that are almost correct for your model. You can always say that there was a fire in the original head lamp and so your railroad installed a lamp from someplace else. Railroad do this, just like we do. What goes around comes around.
Get a 3d Printer, or find someone who has one and make your own parts this is now becomming easier than ever. They even have 3D scanners where you can place an object on the machine and it will make the necessary files to replicate the item on the printer.
Maybe Walthers should get such a printer, and have files for all of the parts for the equipment they sell, and then they can print the parts as kneaded.
ROAR
Lion is right about parts availability for Proto 2000 Walthers Loco’s.
On the other hand in HO scale Detail Associates has the dual headlight assemblies for EMD Switchers. Walthers 229-1011. They show as in stock. My bet is they should work but do not have the tabs present on the Proto 2000 ones. It will be glued anyway so this should not make a difference. Looks like you drill out the headlight holes.
Hope this helps. Chris
If you can buy a second SW1500 Locomotive
one to run, one to use for spare parts
that way if your first one is missing something, take the part of the other locomotive and use on the one you first bought
It’s the walthers way, spread the word