# Newbie question about Life-Like/Walther's Proto 2000 series



## punchy71 (Dec 1, 2014)

Greetings,
My understanding is that Walthers now manufactures and distributes (both ?) the old Life-Like Proto 2000 series and (I assume by osmosis) Proto 1000 series also? Is this correct? Also, I remember seeing serveral Proto 2000 series diesels from many years ago and thought highly of them. I am wondering if Walthers is putting out this same top notch level of production that Life-Like did and also what ever happened to Life-Like anyway and when did they make the switch-over to Walthers from Life-Like? Inquiring minds would like to know...
Thank you


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

I do believe that the Walthers Proto line is the old Proto 2000 line from Lifelike....I think that Walthers bought the line....

Here is what I could find:



> Life-Like Products LLC (now Life-Like Toy and Hobby division of Wm. K. Walthers)


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life-Like


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## jesteck (Apr 15, 2014)

Considering how many fingers Walthers now has in the model railroading pie, it's more likely that they bought the rights to the names and designs (and in most cases some or most of the molds) and consign the actual manufacturing elsewhere- sometimes back to the original manufacturer (Walthers/Shinohara track, for example). The quality seems to not have changed much, if at all. They just get to put their own name on it.


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## riogrande (Apr 28, 2012)

punchy71 said:


> Greetings,
> My understanding is that Walthers now manufactures and distributes (both ?) the old Life-Like Proto 2000 series and (I assume by osmosis) Proto 1000 series also? Is this correct?


As far as I know, thats true. I haven't followed the evolution of the Proto1000 line which was pretty limited (F3AB sets, Alco RS diesel and a few freight cars)



> Also, I remember seeing serveral Proto 2000 series diesels from many years ago and thought highly of them. I am wondering if Walthers is putting out this same top notch level of production that Life-Like did


After acquiring the LL Proto lines, Walthers has improved on the Proto2000 line and upgraded them, and the price has been upgraded too. Prices have basically doubled since LL produced the same diesels. By way of example, P2K GP60 was about $70 street price when LL produced them - I bought one of the LL versions. Walthers did some upgrading and sold them street price for $150, the Walthers upgraded GP60 was first produced about 2 years ago.



> and also what ever happened to Life-Like anyway and when did they make the switch-over to Walthers from Life-Like? Inquiring minds would like to know...
> Thank you


Honestly I haven't followed the standard Life Like line of products because they were "toy train" quality and of no interest to me.


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## punchy71 (Dec 1, 2014)

riogrande said:


> Honestly I haven't followed the standard Life Like line of products because they were "toy train" quality and of no interest to me.


I always thought it was interesting that they put out such cheap, shoddy, low quality products and then they went to the other extreme and started producing some of the highest quality, most detailed and accurate, top-notch and worth-while model's I've ever seen all within a relatively short period of time...


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Walthers acquired LifeLike (the whole company) in the early 2000's (if anyone really cares, I can look it up). For a while, LifeLike division continued to operate its former offices and factories, but no longer. Walthers has rebranded everything in the locomotive department. 

At the budget end is their Trainline series, which was always a Walthers line. In the middle is Mainline, which was formerly known as Proto1000. At the top of the line is Proto (formerly Proto2000). The latter two are the ones acquired from LifeLike. Mainline locos run for about $150, $250 with DCC, Proto upwards of $400, but they are some of the best locos on the market.

Items sold under the "LifeLike" brand are aimed at casual hobbyists who don't mind the toylike quality. The higher end LL products became part of Walthers SceneMaster line.

Hope that clears things up a bit.


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

punchy71 said:


> I always thought it was interesting that they put out such cheap, shoddy, low quality products and then they went to the other extreme and started producing some of the highest quality, most detailed and accurate, top-notch and worth-while model's I've ever seen all within a relatively short period of time...


I think it was they either did that, or go the way of the DoDo......the standard Life-Like product was the next best thing to crap, and they just couldn't compete with other manufacturer's quality products.....


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## rrbill (Mar 11, 2012)

Interesting info, CTValleyRR. Thanks for sharing it.


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