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 Posted - May 29 2019 : 3:24:41 PM
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I got a copy of the new Walthers flyer in the mail today, and was pleasantly surprised to see Walthers is reviving another Life-Like product, for their Trainline brand...
Yep, the Power-Loc roadbed track that connects without the need for joiners! It comes in nickel-silver rails with a more realistic-looking gray roadbed and brown ties! Of course it will come with the Walthers Trainline sets (replacing the steel Bachmann E-Z Track they currently come with) and be sold separately. So far I saw just 9" straights, 18"-radius curves and the adapter tracks listed to be sold, but they will also make a track expander set including manual left and right turnouts, four 9" straights, four 18"-radius curves, two lighted bumpers (with LEDs!) and even two adapter track sections! Hopefully they start also offering remote turnouts, 3" straights and 22"-radius curves as well, like they did during the Life-Like days.
I also saw that as part of this, Walthers discontinued the older steel-rails Life-Like -branded Power-Loc track (which Life-Like first introduced in 1996.) That makes a lot of sense, as nickel-silver rails are definitely superior to steel, and how Walthers has been phasing out the Life-Like brand name, even if they have some of the old Life-Like products still being made (nowadays under Walthers's own brands, like the old Life-Like figures being sold under the Walthers SceneMaster brand, or some of the former Life-Like Proto 1000 and 2000 locomotives being sold under the Walthers Mainline and Proto brands.)
Now it's worth mentioning Life-Like actually used to make nickel-silver Power-Loc track, introduced in 1998 and then discontinued earlier this decade, but it wasn't as realistic-looking as the new Walthers version (the roadbed and ties were all the same light gray color.) They often included this with their Proto 1000 train sets.
I for one am glad to see Walthers reviving the Power-Loc track. Even though I don't use it anymore like when I was starting out (my current layout uses Bachmann's nickel-silver E-Z Track, due to its' wide variety of lengths, radii and turnout configurations available), it would be good to see it included with the Trainline sets, especially since it would be a major improvement over the steel E-Z Track (the Trainline sets used to come with nickel-silver E-Z Track in the late 90s and the 2000s, but then they switched to steel presumably to cut costs.) This also puts the Trainline sets at a slight advantage over the Bachmann train sets; though they both use fairly high-quality locomotives (especially compared to the Bachmann locos of 30 years ago) along with including body-mount knuckle couplers on the locomotives and rolling stock and being similarly-priced, most of the Bachmann sets except the DCC or E-Z App sets still come with steel E-Z Track, presumably to make it easier and less expensive for consumers starting out.
This new and improved Power-Loc track is expected to be made available this upcoming October.
Edited by - wiley209 on May 29 2019 3:25:38 PM
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Posted - May 29 2019 : 6:21:40 PM
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Glad it's back. It works good with a minimum of fuss. Like you said,
it's very good for getting new modelers into the game.
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Posted - May 30 2019 : 4:11:02 PM
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| I never liked it. Without the rail joiners, it would sometimes work loose and the rails wouldnt line up, derailing any steam locomotive. I had some cars that wouldn't work on it either. Bachmann's EZ-track is much better IMHO.
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Posted - June 04 2019 : 9:32:12 PM
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quote:I never liked it. Without the rail joiners, it would sometimes work loose and the rails wouldnt line up, derailing any steam locomotive. I had some cars that wouldn't work on it either. Bachmann's EZ-track is much better IMHO.
Originally posted by chevelle454Â -Â May 30 2019Â :Â 4:11:02 PM
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Oh yes, I remember those problems during my final years of using Power-Loc track. I then went with Atlas Code-100 nickel-silver snap track, and while it was nice and also looked good, sometimes it was hard to keep the track aligned just right when nailing and ballasting them. My current layout uses Bachmann nickel-silver E-Z Track, and so far it's great stuff to use. I especially like how it comes in a wide variety of lengths, radii and turnout configurations compared to Power-Loc track. And since the E-Z Track uses rail joiners, it made it easy for me to use the track with my old Bachmann, Life-Like and TYCO action accessories (like the Prestomatic platforms and such.)
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Posted - June 05 2019 : 01:26:09 AM
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Thanks for posting this news. I am pleased to see it back, even though the mk2 or 3? version will be alien to my black based steel stuff.
I think it is a good product for beginners!
James
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Posted - June 05 2019 : 11:58:11 AM
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Interesting to hear Walther's is phasing out the "Life Like"
brand. Even back in the '70's it sounded absolutely
preposterously corney (part of the reason I rather like
it, when I can find an interesting piece). Maybe I should
do a commercial for the Life Like Brand: "Life Like, or in
the general ball park..." tag line.
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