# Road Kill Train Set



## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

A life Like Rail Master Set with a f40ph engine. I have to admit this is a first. An acquired train set from a road kill. A coworker was on the way to the transfer station and spotted a box on the side of the road and made his wife stop. Thinking of me he picked it up.

All it needed was a little oil and a tire.

One car missing but all the track was there,transformer too,




















It's also the first time Maine Bumpy roads paid off!


----------



## Smokinapankake (Sep 8, 2011)

I'm continually amazed at the things people will throw away. 

But I guess that's the society we live in today - everything is "disposable" because most people are either too lazy to try to figure out the problem, or so gullible they believe all the marketing and hype that tells them that whatever they have isn't nearly good enough. 

Or they've got so much disposable cash that it's just easier to throw it away and get another one. 

Either way, good for you!


----------



## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Lucky train ... very lucky train ...

:thumbsup:


----------



## New Berlin RR (Feb 11, 2012)

at least it found a better home


----------



## shaygetz (Sep 23, 2007)

Sweet...:thumbsup:

I remember years ago as a kid exploring the road that led to the campground we were staying at. Just off the road into the woods, someone dumped a load of track in a pile. I managed to work some of it into my layout at the time...pretty cool find to a low budget 12 year old...


----------



## jjb727 (Apr 13, 2012)

T-Man said:


> A life Like Rail Master Set with a f40ph engine. I have to admit this is a first. An acquired train set from a road kill. A coworker was on the way to the transfer station and spotted a box on the side of the road and made his wife stop. Thinking of me he picked it up.
> 
> All it needed was a little oil and a tire.
> 
> ...


very lucky!


----------



## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

There is some age to the set. The tracks are steel. The rubber tires are dried out. The first one that broke off was found in a bag. Placed there by the previous owner.


----------



## jjb727 (Apr 13, 2012)

is the train still operational though? you can always buy super detailing parts to cover what it lost


----------



## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

I don't think the couplers were installed on the engine. Unless they fell off. 

The engine works and being a Life Like has a very simple design. No detail parts to break off.I needed two traction tires and a truck for the caboose. The freight car is missing. 

I call the motor a pancake motor, if there is a more correct description let me know. It is a very basic motor and included a picture for a description. If you ever clean one, the springs are notorious for flying out when removed. I prefer a ball and socket drive motor.

I really have no big interest in diesels but if one is threaded, the only thing I want to see is the motor. The same at train shows, I only look at the engines that I have the ball and socket drive.

How can I complain? The price was right. Free.


----------



## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

*Photo essay*

You can never take enough pictures.


----------



## jjb727 (Apr 13, 2012)

great pictures!


----------



## tkruger (Jan 18, 2009)

That was my second locomotive as a kid. The first was a Life Like GP35 Santa Fe 3500. You defiantly have the kit caboose. I bought the loco / caboose combo pack. The difference was that the caboose in the combo pack had the roof painted silver. Back in the day when Kiddy City and Toys R Us sold trains.


----------



## jjb727 (Apr 13, 2012)

tkruger said:


> That was my second locomotive as a kid. The first was a Life Like GP35 Santa Fe 3500. You defiantly have the kit caboose. I bought the loco / caboose combo pack. The difference was that the caboose in the combo pack had the roof painted silver. Back in the day when Kiddy City and Toys R Us sold trains.


ucks that toys R us no longer sells trains


----------



## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

Getting back to Life Like trains, is the stamping on the bottom the date of manufacture????


----------



## jjb727 (Apr 13, 2012)

the good ol' times lol


----------



## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

Just when you thought this tacky thread was done, I got the last boxcar. Appparently misplaced in the confusion of many parts and pieces to the untrained eye.

Nice condition too! I wish I could look that good after falling from a truck!


----------



## x_doug_x (Jun 21, 2010)

lmao, whose truck did it fall out of? and how did you find it?


----------



## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

x_doug_x said:


> lmao, whose truck did it fall out of? and how did you find it?


Post #1 here


A life Like Rail Master Set with a f40ph engine. I have to admit this is a first. An acquired train set from a road kill. A coworker was on the way to the transfer station and spotted a box on the side of the road and made his wife stop. Thinking of me he picked it up.


----------



## x_doug_x (Jun 21, 2010)

big ed said:


> Post #1 here
> 
> 
> A life Like Rail Master Set with a f40ph engine. I have to admit this is a first. An acquired train set from a road kill. A coworker was on the way to the transfer station and spotted a box on the side of the road and made his wife stop. Thinking of me he picked it up.




If you read the whole thread, he said it was missing a freight car.... Later in the thread he says the freight car was found, it's in good condition for falling out of a truck. I found it amusing that he found the car after it had fallen out of his or his co workers truck if that is what happened. (after the set was already picked up)


Just curious if he happened to ride back by it on the side of the road after he got the set home and he went out again. If that's the case, someones got a good eye to spot a boxcar laying in the road. Unless it was laying in the middle of his driveway no one else comes down or something.


----------



## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

x_doug_x said:


> If you read the whole thread, he said it was missing a freight car.... Later in the thread he says the freight car was found, it's in good condition for falling out of a truck. I found it amusing that he found the car after it had fallen out of his or his co workers truck if that is what happened. (after the set was already picked up)
> 
> 
> Just curious if he happened to ride back by it on the side of the road after he got the set home and he went out again. If that's the case, someones got a good eye to spot a boxcar laying in the road. Unless it was laying in the middle of his driveway no one else comes down or something.


OH

I think what he meant was, falling out of the original truck that was on the way to the transfer station.

Edit, By the way I did read the whole thread, 
I was wondering if you did.


----------



## steam chaser (Feb 21, 2011)

Sweet,nice find,great shape


----------



## T-Man (May 16, 2008)

Thank you Ed for the explainations.

The original drop was a mess and picked up. So all of the pices were not recognised. I got a bag od pieces and the box. The boxcar was misplaced and found later. I hope this straightens out the story.


----------



## Guest (May 23, 2012)

You are very lucky to find toy train in such a way.I agree that such costly toys shouldn't be thrown out.Have you started playing with it?


----------



## New Berlin RR (Feb 11, 2012)

jjb727 said:


> ucks that toys R us no longer sells trains


I know if they did id be a kid in a candy store....oh wait i already am, its the local train shop LOL...yea it sucks they stopped selling model train sets 

oh if you ever decide to get rid of that train set (F40PH) please would you send it my way, I just hate to see trains wind up in garbage...I did find a set while scrapping but sadly it was too damaged...I considered it a BER set...(beyond economical repair) tho...woulda been good if it was a fixible thing but oh well...


----------



## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

erricsimmons457 said:


> You are very lucky to find toy train in such a way.I agree that such costly toys shouldn't be thrown out.Have you started playing with it?



The T-MAN doesn't play with his trains he dissects them and put them back together. 
Then they might get a run around the track.

And if they need fixing he fabricates up some parts and maybe with a little epoxy they are good as new.:thumbsup:
Then he might play with them.


----------

