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 Posted - June 10 2013 : 11:01:50 PM
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As some of you may know, I have always liked Life-Like's line of model train products, because Life-Like was where I started my model railroad! So I thought I would share the different train sets I knew that were available over time, from my various "Basics for Beginners" booklets and Life-Like catalogs from the late 1980s until 2000...
MAINLINE EXPRESS
According to Life-Like, "our lowest priced train set delivers value without sacrificing quality." It has the Santa Fe GP38-2 lo-nose locomotive, two freight cars and caboose, a 45x36 oval of track, bridge and trestle set, and signs and utility poles. A pretty good starter set, actually.
CANNONBALL 88
This set features the Mehano 8-wheel drive Santa Fe Alco Century 628 locomotive that Life-Like rebranded in the '80s, three freight cars and caboose, a large figure-8 track layout (using a 90-degree cross track), grass mat and railroad signs.
COAL HAULER
Another nice 45x36 track oval train set, with a Union Pacific 0-4-0 steam locomotive and tender, three freight cars (including coal hopper) and caboose, a blinking bridge and trestle set, and operating coal tipple.
BIG STEAM
This includes their 2-8-0 PRR steam locomotive and tender, three freight cars and caboose, 45x36 track oval, signal bridge, signs and utility poles.
FREIGHT MASTER
This was a somewhat higher-end offering Life-Like had in the late 1980s, with a Chessie System GP38-2 locomotive, five freight cars (including pipe dump car) and caboose, a 54x35 track oval layout (can also be set up as a 61x36 oval if one wished to), bridge and trestle set, train station and trackside shanty building kits, pipe dump station, signal bridge, signs and utility poles.
BURLINGTON BULLET
Introduced in 1990. As the name implies, the train has a Burlington Northern GP38-2 lo-nose locomotive, four freight cars and caboose, a 54x36 track oval, blinking bridge and trestle set, signal bridge, signs and utility poles.
BRANCH LINE (1990)
A pretty good starter set, introduced in 1990. It included a Southern Pacific F7 locomotive, two freight cars and caboose, 45x36 oval of track, signal bridge, signs and utility poles. In 1991, the Southern Pacific locomotive and caboose were replaced with Santa Fe equivalents.
MOUNTAIN RUN
This was Life-Like's top-of-the-line train set of 1990. Not only did it include a Union Pacific GP38-2 lo-nose locomotive, three freight cars and caboose, but it also had a 51x44 over/under track layout with bridge and trestle set, lighted yard tower, town church and general store building kits, signs and utility poles and a whole set of landscaping materials including a grass mat, lychen, earth material, mountain and lake paper and trees!
TRAIL BLAZER
Introduced in 1991, this set included the 0-4-0 PRR steam locomotive and tender, three freight cars and caboose, a 45x36 track oval, a signal bridge, signs and utility poles.
THE ROCK EXPRESS
From 1991, this set had a Rock Island F40PH locomotive, three freight cars and a caboose, 45x36 track oval, blinking bridge and trestle set, autos, trees and figures, signs and utility poles.
HEAVY HAULER
Introduced in 1991, this was a double-header set with two Santa Fe GP38-2 lo-nose locomotives (one powered, one dummy), four freight cars and caboose, over/under figure-8 layout, blinking over/under bridge and trestle set, autos, trees and figures, signs and utility poles.
FAST FREIGHT
This set had a GP38-2 lo-nose locomotive (usually Chessie or Santa Fe), three freight cars and caboose, 45x36 track oval, bridge and trestle set, autos and figures, trees, signs (including little plastic BURMA-SHAVE signs) and utility poles.
MAIN LINE
This set featured a Santa Fe GP38-2 lo-nose locomotive (usually the blue-and-yellow version), two freight cars and caboose, 45x36 track oval, bridge and trestle set, signal bridge, and signs and utility poles.
THUNDERBALL HAULER (1990s)
This one was very similar to Tyco's "Railroad Empire II" set of the early 1990s, with a Santa Fe GP38-2 lo-nose locomotive, five freight cars (including an auto carrier, log and pipe-dump cars) and caboose, an over/under figure-8 layout with bridge and trestle set, dumping station, crossing gate, signal bridge, autos and trees, signs and utility poles.
GOLDEN FLYER (1998)
A very basic starter set with a Union Pacific F40PH locomotive, two freight cars and caboose, and a 36" circle of track with Trac-Loc fasteners (similar to Tyco's "Quik-Clik" fasteners of the early 1990s).
SUPER CHIEF
A somewhat "classic" starter set with a Santa Fe F7 locomotive, two freight cars and caboose, 36" circle of track with Trac-Loc fasteners, and railroad and street signs.
RAIL MASTER
Similar to above, but with a Union Pacific F40PH locomotive and matching caboose, and the addition of utility poles. A Power-Loc version was offered some time around 1996-1997 with a 47x38 oval of track instead of a circle, and by the time Walthers bought Life-Like, the Union Pacific locomotive and caboose were replaced with Santa Fe equivalents. The Power-Loc version is still available for purchase!
THUNDERING RAILS (1990s)
Not to be confused with another set of the same name Life-Like is currently offering. This set included a Santa Fe GP38-2 lo-nose locomotive, five freight cars and caboose, blinking bridge and trestle set, signal bridge, signs (including Burma-Shave signs) and utility poles. This set was still available until 2001-2002.
DIESEL MASTER
This was a rather impressive set featuring a Union Pacific F40PH locomotive (when will they learn F40PHs are not meant to be used as freight locomotives?), three freight cars, an auto-carrier car and caboose, an over/under 48x49 double-oval track layout with bridge-and-trestle set and Trac-Loc fasteners, autos, signs and utility poles.
POWER HAULER
This set featured a Union Pacific GP38-2 hi-nose locomotive, five freight cars and caboose, over/under figure-8 track layout with bridge and trestle set and Trac-Loc fasteners, stock pen with animal and worker figures, crossing gate, signal bridge, autos, signs and utility poles. A somewhat top-of-the-line layout for its time.
These are the following POWER-LOC track sets offered...
RAIL RIDER
This set used a Santa-Fe GP38-2 hi-nose locomotive, two freight cars and caboose, 56x38 oval of Power-Loc track, signal bridge, signs and utility poles.
BLAZING RAILS
This featured a Santa Fe GP38-2 lo-nose "Bluebonnet" locomotive, four freight cars and caboose, 47x38 oval of Power-Loc track, bridge and pier set, signs and utility poles.
BRANCH LINE (1998)
A basic starter set with a Santa Fe F7 locomotive, two freight cars and caboose, and a 38" oval of Power-Loc track.
FREIGHT CHARGER (1998)
This set featured a Conrail F7 diesel locomotive, two freight cars, a log-dump car and caboose, a 47x38 oval of Power-Loc track, log dump station, figures, signs and utility poles.
IRON HORSE
This was Life-Like's Power Loc steam set, with a Union Pacific 0-4-0 steam locomotive and tender, three freight cars and caboose, 47x38 oval of track, bridge and pier set, signs and utility poles. This was still available for purchase well into the late 2000s after the Walthers buyout.
GREAT RAILS
This set featured a Union Pacific GP38-2 hi-nose locomotive, four freight cars, auto loader car and caboose, a 74x38 oval of Power-Loc track, signal bridge, autos, signs and utility poles.
DIESEL BLASTER
This included two Santa Fe GP38-2 lo-nose "Bluebonnet" locomotives (one powered, one dummy), four freight cars and caboose, 74x38 oval of Power-Loc track, bridge and pier set, signal bridge, stock pen, trackside shanty building kits, figures, trees and autos, signs and utility poles. Some time later in the set's life, a boxcar was replaced with a different roadname version and the dual crossing gate was added.
Some time prior to the Walthers buyout, the set was re-introduced and renamed as "Diesel Thunder," with identical contents to the original version, though a version with Santa Fe GP38-2 hi-nose locomotives was offered as well.
(SUPER) POWER CHARGER
Similar to the Power Hauler train set from above, this set had a Santa Fe GP38-2 hi-nose locomotive, five freight cars and caboose, an over/under figure-8 Power-Loc track layout with bridge and pier set, stock pen with animal and worker figures, dual crossing gate, signal bridge, trees, autos and railroad signs. For some reason, it was later renamed the "Super Power Charger" around 2000-2001, and dropped the signal bridge. A version is still available for purchase as the "Freight Runner," but with a 90-degree cross track instead of the bridge and pier set, additional signs and utility poles, and their Snap-Loc train station building kit. Everything else from the Super Power Charger is included!
FREIGHTLINE U.S.A.
Still available for purchase! This is a top-of-the-line set that has somewhat of a Tyco look and feel to it, with a Santa Fe GP38-2 lo-nose locomotive, five freight cars (including a gravel-unloading car) and caboose, an over/under 49x76 double-oval Power-Loc track layout with bridge and pier set and manual switch tracks, gravel unloading station, crossing gate, coal tipple, trackside shanty building kits, signal bridge, figures, trees and autos, street signs and utility poles. HIGHLY recommended for those who want to make the most out of starting a model railroad! (Though Life-Like figures it'd be played with on the floor, it can easily be set up on a piece of plywood with scenery right away to start a decent model railroad empire!
DOUBLE TRAIN EXPRESS (1998)
This set was a super-deluxe set of some sort with two trains. It had a Santa Fe F7 locomotive, a Union Pacific (later PRR) 0-4-0 steam locomotive and tender, five freight cars and two cabooses, a 90x46 Power-Loc track layout with a large over/under figure-8 and inner 38" circle of track, bridge and pier set, crossing gate, trackside shanty building kits, autos, signs and utility poles, grass mat, path mat, lychen, mountain and lake paper! Very similar to some of their deluxe sets that were store-exclusive and came in those white boxes. This was still available until the Walthers buyout, when it was replaced with the Super City Elevated Rails and the City Express sets.
RAIL BLASTER (1999)
This set had a Chessie System GP38-2 lo-nose locomotive, four freight cars and caboose, 56x38 Power-Loc oval of track, gravel unloading depot, snap-loc train station building kit, autos, signs and utility poles. This was still available until some time after the Walthers buyout.
Hope this all helps 
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Posted - June 11 2013 : 11:02:00 AM
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I have the Burlington Bullet set. A gift from my wife when we were dating. One of my most prized posessions!
Glenn
I was thinking of the immortal words of Socrates, who said, "... I drank what?"
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Posted - June 12 2013 : 5:25:10 PM
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Yeah, the Burlington Bullet was a good starter set too. It's also from a time when Tyco's train line was getting REALLY cheap, and Life-Like was starting to emerge and steal Tyco's thunder.
Also in a 1999 catalog, it shows bench tests revealing Life-Like's GP38-2 and F7 outperforming Bachmann's GP30 and F9 and Model Power's GP9 and F3! It showed the GP38-2 could pull up to 65 cars and the F7 up to 64, while Model Power and Bachmann were significantly lower (Bachmann's GP30 could only pull up to 26.3 cars!), and that they could climb steeper grades than theirs too. Of course they did not count Athearn, as this was probably only for entry-level model trains...
I may scan the catalogs for HOseeker's literature collection...
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 Posted - June 12 2013 : 6:11:44 PM
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| how about pics of these sets?
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Posted - June 12 2013 : 10:29:15 PM
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quote:how about pics of these sets?
Originally posted by microbusss - June 12 2013 : 6:11:44 PM
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Once I scan the catalogs, for most of them! Until then, here are some to tide y'all over...
/tyco/forum/uploaded/wiley209/lifelikeset06.jpg
/tyco/forum/uploaded/wiley209/lifelikeset07.jpg
/tyco/forum/uploaded/wiley209/$%28KGrHqV,!lEFD%29eZzTqBBRM9dO3+Og~~60_35.JPG
/tyco/forum/uploaded/wiley209/FreightCharger_21416_Lg.JPG
/tyco/forum/uploaded/wiley209/LLT8623AAxx.jpg
/tyco/forum/uploaded/wiley209/8644.gif
(On some, the packaging was changed, but the contents are the same.)
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Posted - June 12 2013 : 10:47:24 PM
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ah cool thankies
I do have some pieces of these sets & still want a few of the freight cars 
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Posted - June 21 2013 : 5:04:18 PM
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The 1990 and 1993 catalogs I scanned and submitted to HOSeeker. You can see them here:
http://hoseeker.net/lifelike.htm
The 1998 and 1999 catalogs should be up soon. They have a lot of products that are still available today!
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