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 Posted - September 06 2012 : 9:31:04 PM
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Hi,
Im trying to date my first train set, that I got it around '87, but looked like had been waiting for a long time on the shop. It was a life like with a docksider 0-4-0 Sta. Fe, a UP coal gondola, a Swift box car and caboose. I see Life Like produced it for long time but I detected the transformer changed over the time, and probably can be the best clue about overal age of the set, here is a picture of one very similar to mine (mine was white and not blue, but maybe it was because it was 220V version and not 110V)
Any idea when this transformer was produced?
Thanks!
Joe
Edited by - littlejoe on September 06 2012 9:32:05 PM
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Posted - September 07 2012 : 06:53:59 AM
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I believe my Life Like set from '77 or '78 had a transformer like the one in the picture. It had the same consist as yours except the reefer was a Dubuque.
Glenn
Glenn
I was thinking of the immortal words of Socrates, who said, "... I drank what?"
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Posted - September 07 2012 : 09:29:10 AM
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Thanks Glenn,
Yeap, '77 makes sense, specially because I remember the picture in the box of the set, a father with his son and the guys were very much in the 70s look 
I even remember the guy had a fancy wrist watch of those that were all black until you pushed a button to light them.
I think I have a second question now, any idea how was that 0-4-0 docksider internally on those days? I remember it had an open frame motor, but I think at least 2 different versions came with that motor, one with the direct transmission from the motor worm to the axle gear and another with an "intermediate" gear. I would like to put together the original set as much as possible. I only keep the caboose and Swift car from the original set.
Thanks again!
Regards
Edited by - littlejoe on September 07 2012 09:30:00 AM
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Posted - September 07 2012 : 12:49:22 PM
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I think the LL Dockside switched to a big can motor in the early 80's. I think I saw them in Toys R Us back around '83, along with the Playart stuff. That one may have had the idler gear, IIRC, because the can couldn't be inclined like the open frame motor. A friend of mine had the open frame version, and it was from the very early 70's.
The Tyco Depot
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Posted - September 07 2012 : 6:57:25 PM
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I still have my original consist. I can open up the loco when I get a chance and take pictures. Then I have to figure out how to upload them to the forum. Any info on uploading images would be greatly appreciated!
Glenn
Glenn
I was thinking of the immortal words of Socrates, who said, "... I drank what?"
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Posted - September 08 2012 : 10:30:52 PM
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here are the photos (I hope!):
And just for kicks, the whole set consist:
Glenn
I was thinking of the immortal words of Socrates, who said, "... I drank what?"
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Posted - September 09 2012 : 2:05:26 PM
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Thanks for the pictures Glenn! I'm 99% sure mine was exactly the same as yours.
Nice to see that little boy inside's again. The one I bought recently is the newest version with the can motor and I just missed an ebay lot of several life like docksiders, including one of the same version as the one you show.
About the rest of the cars, only the boxcar was different, all the rest is exactly the same!
Regards!
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