# Some of Life-Like's train set offerings in the mid/late 1990s...



## wiley2012 (Dec 8, 2012)

A while back I found my old "Life-Like Basics for Beginners: 10th Edition" booklet that came with my "Railroad Empire" Life-Like HO-scale train set that pretty much started my railroad layout (a deluxe top-of-the-line set, same as the "Diesel Driver" currently offered but with a Santa Fe GP38-2 lo-nose locomotive and caboose.)
For those unfamiliar, Life-Like would usually include these "Basics for Beginners" booklets in many of their new train sets (IDK if they still do), mainly geared toward anyone who is starting out in building a model railroad layout. The last few pages would show the many products Life-Like would have available at the time. The last page would usually be "MORE GREAT LIFE-LIKE TRAIN SETS."

There were two N-scale train sets offered: the Little Joe and the Diesel Charger. Little Joe offered an 0-4-0 saddleback ATSF steam locomotive, two freight cars and caboose, a country store and church building kit, three trees, some small signs and utility poles, an oval of conventional N-scale track and the usual Life-Like control pack.
Diesel Charger had a double-header diesel freight train with two Conrail GP38-2 locomotives (One powered, one dummy), three freight cars and a caboose, an oval of track, railroad crossing, signs and utility poles and power pack.

Life-Like had many more offerings in HO scale. They used to have a LOT in conventional Code-100 track back then (I believe they may have been nickel-silver by this time...

SUPER CHIEF








36" track circle with a Santa Fe F7, two freight cars and a caboose, and signs and utility poles. A somewhat basic starter set.

RAIL MASTER








Same as above, but with a Union Pacific F40PH locomotive and matching caboose. It's actually still manufactured today, but with a 47"-38" oval of Power-Loc track, and a SANTA FE F40PH and caboose!

MAIN LINE








45-36" oval of track, Santa Fe GP38-2 lo-nose locomotive (usually the blue-and-yellow version), two freight cars and caboose, 17-piece bridge and trestle set, signal bridge, and signs and utility poles. It's pretty much no different from Life-Like's train sets of the mid-to-late 1970s and 1980s.

TRAIL BLAZER








The only steam set in the offerings. Again, 45-36" oval of track, with an 0-4-0 PRR steam locomotive and tender, three freight cars and caboose, signal bridge, and signs and utility poles.

FAST FREIGHT








By this point, the sets are starting to get a bit more featured with accessories. The track plan once again consists of a 45-36" oval, and the train's engine would usually be either a Burlington Northern F40PH(!), Chessie System GP38-2 or a red-and-silver Santa Fe GP38-2 locomotive (all mentioned trains with ATSF GP38-2 lo-nose locomotives are silver-and-red warbonnet, unless specifically noted), three freight cars and caboose, bridge and trestle set, plastic autos and trucks and figures, trees, signs (including little plastic BURMA-SHAVE signs) and utility poles.

THUNDERING RAILS








Not to be confused with the train set Life-Like is currently offering. This one has a slightly-bigger 45x45" oval, Santa Fe GP38-2 lo-nose locomotive, five freight cars and caboose, blinking bridge and trestle set, signal bridge, signs (including Burma-Shave signs again) and utility poles.

DIESEL MASTER








48-by-49" double-loop over/under track plan, Union Pacific F40PH locomotive, three regular freight cars, bi-level auto carrier car and caboose, the over/under bridge and trestle set, six autos for the bi-level carrier, signs and utility poles.

POWER HAULER
Over/under figure-8 track plan, Union Pacific GP38-2 hi-nose locomotive, five freight cars and caboose, the over/under bridge and trestle set, signal bridge, stock pen with farmer/pig/cow figures, operating rail crossing gate, two plastic autos and pickup truck, three trees, signs and utility poles.

HEAVY HAULER








Another over/under figure-8 track plan, two Santa Fe GP38-2 lo-nose locomotives (one powered, one dummy), four freight cars and caboose, over/under blinking bridge and trestle set, cars and trucks, trees, signs and utility poles.

THUNDERBALL HAULER








Not to be confused with another set of the same name Life-Like is currently offering. This was basically Life-Like's version of Tyco's "Railroad Empire II" sets of the late 80s and early 90s, with an over-and-under figure-8 track plan and plenty of action accessories. It included the track, Santa Fe GP38-2 lo-nose locomotive, two regular freight cars, a log-dump car, pipe-dump car, bi-level auto carrier car and caboose, over/under bridge-and-trestle set, operating dumping station (for both the pipes and the logs), operating rail crossing gate, signal bridge, trees, signs and utility poles.


There were also five Power-Loc sets mentioned as well:

RAIL RIDER








Starter set with 56-by-38" oval of Power-Loc track, Santa-Fe GP38-2 hi-nose locomotive, two freight cars and caboose, signal bridge, signs and utility poles.

BLAZING RAILS








47-by-38" oval of Power-Loc track, Santa-Fe GP38-2 lo-nose locomotive (blue-and-yellow version), four freight cars and caboose, 10-piece bridge and trestle/pier set, signs and utility poles.

GREAT RAILS








Another early Power-Loc set, featuring a 74-by-38" oval of track, Union Pacific GP38-2 hi-nose locomotive, four "regular" freight cars, bi-level auto carrier car with six autos and caboose, signal bridge, signs and utility poles.

DIESEL BLASTER








74-by-38" oval of Power-Loc track, two Santa-Fe GP38-2 lo-nose locomotives (one powered, one dummy), four freight cars and caboose, 10-piece bridge and pier set, signal bridge, stock pen with cow/pig/farmer figures, trackside shanty building kits, autos and trees, signs and utility poles. Later in this set's availability, one of the boxcars was replaced with a different roadname model, and the set would also include the operating dual-gate railroad crossing.

POWER CHARGER








Figure-8 Power-Loc track plan, Santa Fe GP38-2 hi-nose locomotive, five freight cars and caboose, 18-piece over/under bridge and pier set, signal bridge, operating railroad crossing with dual gates, stock pen with cow/pig/farmer figures, plastic autos and trees, signs and utility poles. Some time around 2000-2001, it was renamed the "Super Power Charger," featuring a UP-branded locomotive and caboose, and dropped the signal bridge, only to revert back from UP to Santa Fe a short while after!


Hope this helps. I also have the 12th edition and I may do a follow-up post on what train sets were offered in THAT.


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## jjb727 (Apr 13, 2012)

Today's sets look ok, but Im not sure if they provide as much fun as their earlier offerings.


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## wiley2012 (Dec 8, 2012)

Hmm, I know the Rail Master is still available, but is now like this:









Their current "Freight Runner" train set is very similar to the Power Charger...








...except it has a 90-degree crossing track section rather than the bridge and trestles like Life-Like's older figure-8 train sets had, and also includes their "Snap-Loc" train station building kit, but the rest of it is nearly the same (the stock pen, the railroad crossing, and the use of the GP38-2 hi-nose Santa Fe locomotive pulling the five freight cars and matching caboose.)

Their current top-of-the-line train set is the Freightline U.S.A.:








This set would be good for if you wanted to start a model railroad layout with it; you would just set it up on plywood with grass on it (either the green material glued on, or a grass mat stapled to the plywood) and it'd pretty much be a good start right there! This set does seem reminiscent of some of Tyco's top-of-the-line train sets of the 1970s...


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## MacDaddy55 (Aug 19, 2008)

*It started with Life-Like!*

Our first Layout consisted of in 1994 consisted of a Life-Like train set that my mother inlaw purchased on the Home Shopping Network. GP 38 SF diesel 6 cars and caboose with assorted trackside shanties, Telephone poles, tresle set & bridge, gravel pit,construction yard/site, working dual track crossing, 6 trees, mold a mountain and a lot of fugures. At the time Life-Like was the next Tyco....then Walthers purchased the company and have done a very nice job with their Train Sets. For someone starting out new in this hobby I can give this my seal of approval....we sold all of our rolling stock,track to upgrade and its been a blessing. So for those who are starting out and want to make it inexpensive..Give Walthers/Life-Like a shot.:thumbsup:


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## wiley2012 (Dec 8, 2012)

MacDaddy55 said:


> For someone starting out new in this hobby I can give this my seal of approval....we sold all of our rolling stock,track to upgrade and its been a blessing. So for those who are starting out and want to make it inexpensive..Give Walthers/Life-Like a shot.:thumbsup:


Exactly! Here's a good example of a model railroad that started out from a Life-Like train set...








I still do have a bit of Power-Loc for one of the sidings, but the rest is now mostly Atlas True-Track, and it is now controlled by an MRC Tech 4-280 power pack instead of those little blue ones Life-Like supplies with their sets; both of those really helped improve performance on this layout. Most of the landscaping material is also from Life-Like (I think that's how they started out, sort of like how Bachmann started out mostly with building kits.) There is also a bit of Tyco and Bachmann in the mix. I have also upgraded a few of my locomotives to knuckle couplers (like the Santa Fe GP38-2 hi-nose locomotive leading the freight train there), and plan to upgrade most (if not all) of the rolling stock and other engines as well. For the locomotives and certain freight cars I'm using Kadees; others I will use the SceneMaster knuckle couplers. I may eventually also introduce DCC to the layout (maybe with at least one ready-to-run DCC engine, I may also upgrade a few of the other locomotives.)


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