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 Posted - January 10 2014 : 10:18:48 PM
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I got this in a junk box of HO railroad stuff at an antique store, priced to get rid of and then marked down 50% more  .
I added a few little details, replaced the original side frames with some off an old Atlas Austria locomotive, replaced the wheels with some off an Athearn BB dummy, and some new knuckle couplers.
http://tycodepot.com/
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Posted - January 11 2014 : 12:37:36 PM
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cool I has a few of these but they are gonna be sent to EM-1 for parts
IF he ever shows up online again GRRRRR
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Posted - January 13 2014 : 01:50:43 AM
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| Very sharp geep! The paint is superb on this one.
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Posted - January 13 2014 : 02:10:44 AM
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Jerry,
Nice job on that GP38-2!!!!! The paint as metalsmith said, is superb! I tell ya, the added number board lettering is ALWAYS a plus to any loco... cheap, or not!
~John
Many have tried to, and failed, ya just can't repair stupid...
Do NOT try to Idiot-Proof anything!!!! God, will simply create a better......IDIOT!
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Posted - January 16 2014 : 10:44:04 PM
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thanks guys - I get more enjoyment making something out of what some look at as 'toy' trains, or something I drug out of a 'junk' box!
And you're right EM, adding number boards goes a long way toward adding credibilty.
http://tycodepot.com/
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Posted - March 02 2014 : 4:16:49 PM
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I was curious to see what it would look like to add the yellow and black stripes to mine. I used a set of decals for a GP-60. I think it really makes the factory paint job pop!
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Posted - March 02 2014 : 4:40:22 PM
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I think you missed a spot on painting under the 3 in 3500
It looks white to me but not bad I likes it 
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Posted - March 02 2014 : 5:24:51 PM
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oh ben you are so critical of others,when we going to see some of your efforts ,ken
Edited by - catfordken on March 02 2014 5:25:41 PM
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Posted - March 02 2014 : 5:35:02 PM
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quote:I was curious to see what it would look like to add the yellow and black stripes to mine. I used a set of decals for a GP-60. I think it really makes the factory paint job pop!
Originally posted by metalsmith1Â -Â March 02 2014Â :Â 4:16:49 PM
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The yellow/black stripes make all the difference, looks great. Micro-b I think the spot you are referring to is light reflection off the silver paint.
It is a bit of a pain, but the other big improvement for these old LL is to find some decent sideframes for the trucks.
http://tycodepot.com/
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Posted - March 03 2014 : 12:51:20 PM
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That sure looks great! The red-and-silver warbonnet GP38-2 is one of my favorite Life-Like locomotives. There are only a few train sets out there that feature that locomotive, the Freight Runner (hi-nose version, I got this one) and the lo-nose version on the Super City Elevated Rails and Freightline U.S.A. (this one's been available since the late 1990s!)
I also remember my "Railroad Empire" set having one too. That one was renamed the "Diesel Driver" and used a Union Pacific GP38-2 loco and caboose (it DID bring the lo-nose UP GP38-2 out of mothballs, which is a good thing I suppose...)
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Posted - March 03 2014 : 4:39:31 PM
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that could be JNXT but it did look like it wasn't painted
Sorry, metalsmith1 I likes the loco anyway
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Posted - March 04 2014 : 01:45:38 AM
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I gave my Hi-nosed version the same treatment.
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Posted - March 04 2014 : 10:38:17 AM
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quote:I got this in a junk box of HO railroad stuff at an antique store, priced to get rid of and then marked down 50% more .
I added a few little details, replaced the original side frames with some off an old Atlas Austria locomotive, replaced the wheels with some off an Athearn BB dummy, and some new knuckle couplers.
Originally posted by JNXT 7707Â -Â January 10 2014Â :Â 10:18:48 PM
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That's probably because people don't like Life Likes that much. I think I explained this in another thread. Life Likes overall just aren't good engines in terms of quality.
-Steve
"A lot of modellers out there who go to these train shows see broken HO stuff and go, 'This is useless' when, in reality, they can still be used for modeling whether it's as a prop on your layout or a cool project to make something old new again."
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Posted - March 04 2014 : 3:31:22 PM
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quote:That's probably because people don't like Life Likes that much. I think I explained this in another thread. Life Likes overall just aren't good engines in terms of quality.
Originally posted by kovacste000Â -Â March 04 2014Â :Â 10:38:17 AM
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Low-end Life-Like locomotives like that can be pretty cheap, but at least their steam locomotives use small can motors instead of those "Power Drive" pancake motors seen in the diesels (similar to Bachmann's pancake motor of the 1980s and 1990s.)
But the Proto 1000 and 2000 locomotives are WAY better. I have a Proto 1000 F3A Santa Fe diesel locomotive and I really enjoy using it with my trains (it's even DCC-ready for when I eventually make the upgrade!)
Walthers is still apparently keeping low-end Life-Like the way it is because I will admit, the Life-Like train sets are really good for starting out. My first layout began with a Life-Like train set, and look how much that grew since then!
As for the hi-nose GP38-2, that looks great! Maybe I'll do that with mine, and also add "BNSF" labels under the loco numbers on the sides!
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Posted - March 04 2014 : 4:00:33 PM
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Wiley,
Your are not entirely correct. The older Bachmann steam engines had a flat pancake motor and were not the best runners. The bad news is that the older units in many cases look just like the newer units with the can motors. So Beware! The pancake motor units have a small half round gear enclosure on the bottom plate, as described in this post.
http://www.tycoforums.com/tyco/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=11848
Regards, John *************
You can always count on Americans to do the right thing - after they've tried everything else. <> Winston Churchill
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Posted - March 04 2014 : 7:28:47 PM
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quote: quote:That's probably because people don't like Life Likes that much. I think I explained this in another thread. Life Likes overall just aren't good engines in terms of quality.
Originally posted by kovacste000Â -Â March 04 2014Â :Â 10:38:17 AM
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Low-end Life-Like locomotives like that can be pretty cheap, but at least their steam locomotives use small can motors instead of those "Power Drive" pancake motors seen in the diesels (similar to Bachmann's pancake motor of the 1980s and 1990s.)
But the Proto 1000 and 2000 locomotives are WAY better. I have a Proto 1000 F3A Santa Fe diesel locomotive and I really enjoy using it with my trains (it's even DCC-ready for when I eventually make the upgrade!)
Walthers is still apparently keeping low-end Life-Like the way it is because I will admit, the Life-Like train sets are really good for starting out. My first layout began with a Life-Like train set, and look how much that grew since then!
As for the hi-nose GP38-2, that looks great! Maybe I'll do that with mine, and also add "BNSF" labels under the loco numbers on the sides!
Originally posted by wiley209Â -Â March 04 2014Â :Â 3:31:22 PM
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They are good for starting out but in terms of buying them just for regular models, no. At least they make the Proto 1000/2000s to fit that need for high quality products.
-Steve
"A lot of modellers out there who go to these train shows see broken HO stuff and go, 'This is useless' when, in reality, they can still be used for modeling whether it's as a prop on your layout or a cool project to make something old new again."
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Posted - March 04 2014 : 11:13:21 PM
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quote:Wiley,
Your are not entirely correct. The older Bachmann steam engines had a flat pancake motor and were not the best runners. The bad news is that the older units in many cases look just like the newer units with the can motors. So Beware! The pancake motor units have a small half round gear enclosure on the bottom plate, as described in this post.
http://www.tycoforums.com/tyco/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=11848
Regards, John *************
Originally posted by JRG1951Â -Â March 04 2014Â :Â 4:00:33 PM
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I said the LIFE-LIKE steam engines had the can motors, not the older Bachmann ones. That I know; I am actually trying to find a Santa Fe Consilidation steam locomotive, but preferably the Bachmann Plus version from the early-to-mid-1990s.
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Posted - March 05 2014 : 02:46:26 AM
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| They are what they are and I am Ok with that. These have sentimental value for me and they aren't going anywhere. I keep them clean and run em for a few laps every now and then. They are loud and that's fine. If I want to entertain the kids, I go for the noisy ones that are entirely too fast. I save the good stuff for my own use....it seems to bore everyone else.
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Posted - March 06 2014 : 1:13:29 PM
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Wiley209,
I stand corrected, pardon my old age.
Regards, John *****
When you become senile, you won't know it. <> Bill Cosby
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Posted - March 06 2014 : 1:47:03 PM
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quote:oh ben you are so critical of others,when we going to see some of your efforts ,ken
Originally posted by catfordken - March 02 2014 : 5:24:51 PM
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Thank You, Ken. Saved me from the seemingly useless effort of ending these needless comments...
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Posted - March 06 2014 : 3:50:26 PM
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Well, as has been stated and accepted, the Life-Like drive mechanisms "are what they are", but the thing that struck me about them - and the reason I went to any effort on mine - was that the shells are pretty decent and respond easily to a little detailing. All the 'bones' are there, so to speak. metalsmith's examples show this plainly and really all that is noticeable if you're trying to find something are the larger-than-life handrails and those truck sideframes. All of which are fairly easy to address.
http://tycodepot.com/
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Posted - March 07 2014 : 01:40:25 AM
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| I would agree, the dimensions and details are pretty good and I think that there are plenty of collectors of larger scale items like three rail O that still get plenty of enjoyment from collecting and running their out of scale trains...why should they have all the fun? I tend to take an historical approach and see us as caretakers of little pieces of history that say something about the time when they were produced. What is great about what we do is that it is affordable compared to many other collections and pursuits. What I find the most interesting about our hobby is that each design represents different solutions to a particular problem. I think that I am more interested in collecting drivetrains and seeing how they are engineered than any other aspect of the hobby. I get the most enjoyment out of returning a broken drivetrain to service no matter who made it. I like a quote by the race engine builder Smokey Yunick who said " An engine don't know who's name is on the valve covers". His point was that there are principles that apply to any engine that will improve it's performance. I think his philosophy can apply to many things besides auto engines.
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Posted - March 07 2014 : 01:45:31 AM
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Impressive ingenuity! Strong work!!
JMcNeal
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Posted - March 07 2014 : 01:48:53 AM
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quote:They are what they are and I am Ok with that. These have sentimental value for me and they aren't going anywhere. I keep them clean and run em for a few laps every now and then. They are loud and that's fine. If I want to entertain the kids, I go for the noisy ones that are entirely too fast. I save the good stuff for my own use....it seems to bore everyone else.
Originally posted by metalsmith1Â -Â March 05 2014Â :Â 02:46:26 AM
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Forgive my poor taste, but I love what you are doing and enjoy my Tyco as much as ever. They are unique pieces of art from our generation and they make me smile. Thank you for visuals of some really great TML!
JMcNeal
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Posted - March 08 2014 : 02:13:12 AM
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Now this is strange, the high nosed version of Santa Fe GP-38's from Atlas came in the older freight scheme but shared the same road number as that on the Life -Like engines. To my knowledge, ATSF never had any high nosed GP-38's, so how did two competing manufacturers arrive at the same number? I did alter the last digit on the Atlas unit to avoid confusion when running them together.
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Posted - March 08 2014 : 02:22:06 AM
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Now this Life-Like GP-38-2 holds a real place of distinction. It was the first gift that my wife gave to me on our first Christmas together. She told me that picked this because she liked the cat. 
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Posted - March 08 2014 : 02:32:02 AM
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This is my last Life-Like GP-38-2and it is a real veteran. this one has the open frame type motor with a single power truck. It has Northwest shoreline wheels and NWSL universal joints in the drive. How does it run? bad, noisy, stalls a lot...bout the same as it did before I messed with it. Looks like I lost a couple of handrails over the years, may have to bend up some new ones. I might pluck out the open frame motor while I am at it and throw in an old computer motor. I promise to stop hijacking JNXT 7707's post now 
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Posted - March 08 2014 : 08:25:44 AM
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quote:I promise to stop hijacking JNXT 7707's post now
Originally posted by metalsmith1Â -Â March 08 2014Â :Â 02:32:02 AM
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No way! This is exactly what this post is for  Let's see more!
One of the personal favorites of the hobby to me is resurrecting/running these old warriors that a lot of snooty "model railroaders" (none here on this site BTW) thumb their noses at. This is what it's all about, all the history in these things, both known and unknown.
http://tycodepot.com/
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Posted - March 08 2014 : 4:39:36 PM
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Steve, those Life-Like open frames were very cheap, but I would think it would quiet down a lot and smooth out with a can replacement. Pickups on the driven truck would help eliminate stalling. I assume it doesn't have traction tires anymore, so can it pull anything?
The Tyco Depot
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Posted - March 08 2014 : 5:03:31 PM
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somewhere I has a pic of a GP in MP I took a pic of at the local UP yard
Boy was the logos faded Plus I think it had the MP shield & not the bird logo
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Posted - March 08 2014 : 5:47:07 PM
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| You are correct, without traction tires this thing will barely pull it's own weight much less any cars. I consider this one to be a powered dummy and it only gets run with another powered unit to keep it out of trouble. The Athearn unit it is coupled to is it's usual mate.
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