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bnsfIA
Big Six
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 Posted - January 02 2015 : 10:35:07 PM
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How are LL 8 wheel drive engines?
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Posted - January 02 2015 : 10:59:30 PM
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bnsfIA,
A few of the older units that were 8 wheel drive were built by Mehano, and are OK runners. Most of their older models are 4 wheel drive pan cake motored units built in Hong Kong. I try to avoid these units, unless I need to steal detail parts from them.
To be safe I would only buy their later units that were sold under the Walther's ownership. These are the Proto 1000 & 2000 Lines. These are good locomotives. The new units are a bit on the pricey side.
What engine are you looking at?
Regards, John
> Watch your thoughts; they become words.
> Watch your words; they become actions.
> Watch your actions; they become habits.
> Watch your habits; they become character.
> Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.
>Unknown
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Posted - January 02 2015 : 11:22:42 PM
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John is spot on! The Mehano's are ok. Limited pick up and high geared. Better than the pan cake junk job. Proto 1000 and 2000 are silky smooth machines.
" Heck with counting 'em rivets, TRAINS ARE FOR FUN! Not called the Mad Scientist for nothing either!"
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Posted - January 03 2015 : 03:02:07 AM
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Remember some of the diesel loco's that have the "split axle" gears.
John
I don't have a one track mind. It depends on the turn-out.
"I love your catenary!"
Is that a power-trip or just another pick-up line?
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Posted - January 03 2015 : 08:12:20 AM
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John,
You are right. I had forgot about that. The units that I had problems with were Proto 1000 F3s. They used copies of Athearn drives. Such close copies that I repaired them with Athearn parts. Not all new Life Like use this typt of drives. This brand generally is to rich for my blood, so I have very few of their engines.
Regards, John
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bnsfIA
Big Six
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Posted - January 03 2015 : 09:11:04 AM
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Alright,
Here''s the ones I was lookin' at:
http://tycotrain.tripod.com/lifelikemodeltrainscollectorsresource/id34.html
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Posted - January 03 2015 : 09:30:08 AM
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Those are Mehano 8 wheel drives. Between that and cutout pilots, plastic handrails and clunky looking details, you're much better finding an Athearn blue box FP45 IMHO.
IIRC, they're also shorter than scale length.
The Tyco Depot
Edited by - NickelPlate759 on January 03 2015 09:30:53 AM
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Posted - January 06 2015 : 11:41:00 PM
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I have a Mehano Alco Century 628 that came in Life-Like packaging. Like this:
Pretty good runner. I may need to do a little cleaning and lubing on it soon, and replace the bulb. It comes with a nice little reliable can motor, and it has eight-wheel drive (guess the other four are pickup-only, but I remember many of the Mehano four-axle diesels had eight-wheel drive as well.) Though if you intend to replace the horn-hooks, you'll need undershank knuckle couplers on these Mehano locomotives.
I know Model Power also sold this version, and A.H.M. in the red-and-silver Warbonnet scheme. TYCO even included the latter version in their Railroad Empire II train set in the early 1990s, meaning you got a much better runner than TYCO's own Alco Super 630.
I believe Life-Like also sold this exact model in the early 1970s, when they were starting out in selling locomotives (along with a few other Mehano and ex-Varney models).
Believe it or not, I've seen Life-Like also sell Mehano's 2-8-2 Mikado steam locomotives in the 1980s under the "SceneMaster" brand name! I guess they knew at the time that type of locomotive was a better runner than many of their own. And this was before they came out with their Proto series and began making REALLY good locomotives. (I have a Proto 1000 Santa Fe F3A diesel and a Proto 2000 Santa Fe GP9.)
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Posted - January 15 2015 : 8:55:10 PM
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quote:John,
You are right. I had forgot about that. The units that I had problems with were Proto 1000 F3s. They used copies of Athearn drives. Such close copies that I repaired them with Athearn parts. Not all new Life Like use this typt of drives. This brand generally is to rich for my blood, so I have very few of their engines.
Regards, John
Originally posted by JRG1951Â -Â January 03 2015Â :Â 08:12:20 AM
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I have replaced axles on all of my Proto 2000 Gp9, Gp20, GP 18, BL, FA units. All at one point cracked their axels. It's not a matter of if they crack the axels but when. On the Proto 1000 side, I've had to replace them in f3 units only so far.
If you are not having fun, you are not doing it right.
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Posted - January 15 2015 : 10:12:17 PM
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Believe it or not I think I have had as many Athearn BB locos have cracked axle gears as I have had P1K, P2K and Bachmann. Got to where I was keeping an extra supply of Athearn axle gears on hand.
http://tycodepot.com/
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Posted - January 17 2015 : 6:37:01 PM
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quote:
You asked for LL loco's and we sent you most of the Proto pros & cons...
You're looking at the early stuff...
They can be good pullers... but they HOWL!
Slick wheels, but in most cases, quite dependable motors. Investigate any rattling if these are ever dropped.
I've yet to see a 6 axle driven early LL locomotive.
Happy 'rails!
John
I don't have a one track mind. It depends on the turn-out.
"I love your catenary!"
Is that a power-trip or just another pick-up line?
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Posted - January 17 2015 : 9:57:38 PM
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quote: quote:
You asked for LL loco's and we sent you most of the Proto pros & cons...
You're looking at the early stuff...
I've yet to see a 6 axle driven early LL locomotive.
Happy 'rails!
John
Originally posted by zebrails - January 17 2015 : 6:37:01 PM
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That's probably because either collectors are keeping them in their closets, they're so good no one wants to get rid of them, they're not in your area, or they were so bad that they just stopped working within days.
-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 - January 18 2015 : 09:38:35 AM
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I think this IHC is the last version of the Mehano/Life-Like/AHM/et al Alco C628 that was sold. I bought a pair of them still new in the box off ebay a few months ago. Got them out to try them and haven't done anything with them yet (need to install knuckle couplers). I was very impressed though, they ran quiet and smooth...very Proto 2000-like you could say. Good low-speed runners too. Were almost exactly speed matched.
The only thing that I don't like about this drivetrain is the construction of the power trucks - they hold together with fairly large plastic clips and with age the plastic tends to get brittle, and if you are not careful - can snap on you.
http://tycodepot.com/
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