# A little dissappointed by Walthers



## jjb727 (Apr 13, 2012)

So I posted a comment on their FB page and at first it looked like they had deleted my question about upgrading my life-like diesels with knuckle couplers and providing me with coupler covers. I'm not sure if everyone receives late responses from Walthers, but I felt a little let down. If you have an idea as to where to find what I need, please let me know!

What I asked for:
1. Coupler box covers for a GP38-2 SF War Bonnet (high hood)
2. which type of knuckle coupler to use for said loco


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## Grabbem88 (Feb 24, 2012)

I always get the kadee #212 talgo truck adapters and some #148's 

Don't need the tool just push and twist with your fingers

Or make your own with kadee box and covers and measure shim then mount on the shell


Hope this helps


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## jjb727 (Apr 13, 2012)

Grabbem88 said:


> I always get the kadee #212 talgo truck adapters and some #148's
> 
> Don't need the tool just push and twist with your fingers
> 
> ...


cant i just directly attach a #148 and just put the coupler cover on? i HAVE to have the 212 talgo?


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

Pictures are worth a thousand words!
Show what your trying to convert.


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## jjb727 (Apr 13, 2012)

These


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## jjb727 (Apr 13, 2012)




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## Grabbem88 (Feb 24, 2012)

Ok that style..lol I got a few life-likes with the tongue and tab like there rolling stock

Now the one I got like that I couldn't use #5 springs...wouldn't fit 

A 148 worked but had to trim whiskers a tad... Then later on figured out it was the front of the box where you see a tiny square window looking tab.. So I took my smallest drill bit and worked it back till the 148's flicked back and forth like it should 

Hope this helps


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## spicercars (Sep 12, 2012)

Kadee's website has a conversion chart and pictures if that helps.


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## cv_acr (Oct 28, 2011)

Those are all old Life-Like engines that have never been produced by Walthers. I know Walthers bought Life-Like, but they're just not going to even have anything remotely applicable for you for these. 

Unfortunately even if you get a response you will not be able to expect to get anything. Especially since this isn't a case of a new engine under warranty missing parts.


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## jjb727 (Apr 13, 2012)

Grabbem88 said:


> Ok that style..lol I got a few life-likes with the tongue and tab like there rolling stock
> 
> Now the one I got like that I couldn't use #5 springs...wouldn't fit
> 
> ...


 i still need the coupler covers, though...and i can't find it


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

Your either going to have to buy some old loco's with the same setup and rob from them or make your own covers for them.
There is no "standard" replacement for them.
And like cv_acr noted, I wouldn't hold your breath about wathers getting back to you.


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## jjb727 (Apr 13, 2012)

NIMT said:


> Your either going to have to buy some old loco's with the same setup and rob from them or make your own covers for them.
> There is no "standard" replacement for them.
> And like cv_acr noted, I wouldn't hold your breath about wathers getting back to you.


alright, thanks. I guess Ill just have to run them with stand alone trains I set up. Thanks though! But its a little more work than Im able to do...mostly due to lack of experience and the fact that I rather not mess with things that I might end up breaking


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

Take me a picture of one of the coupler pockets without the cover or coupler, Maybe I can come up with something that will work for ya.


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## jjb727 (Apr 13, 2012)

There


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## Southern (Nov 17, 2008)

Pick a rail car that you like to pull right behind that loco and put a hook horn on one end and a knuckle coupler on the other end.


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## RUSTY Cuda (Aug 28, 2012)

I think he means the ones that lost the coupler to see what the base looks like.

I had only one life like & it already had KD's on it, I took some pics, hope it will help? Rich.


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## Grabbem88 (Feb 24, 2012)

That's how I did mine rusty... I think I have a few boxes left to get ya started with some kadee #5's jjb727.. Atleast you can see if you like it or not?

But you only need lid covers so I'll check for those as well... I throw nothing away


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## cv_acr (Oct 28, 2011)

Rusty: that looks like an Athearn frame and drive train (and definitely Athearn style flat wire handrail stanchions) and is definitely completely different from the old Life-Like engines that jjb is showing.


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## Grabbem88 (Feb 24, 2012)

My early p2k's look like that as well and only writing is life-like so I can see the confusion

The really old life-likes remind me of tycos


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## cv_acr (Oct 28, 2011)

The proto2000 drive train has a lot in common with the Athearn design, it's essentially a copy of it (to the point where the best cure for the infamous cracked axle syndrome on early proto2000 units is to use Athearn axle gears). Proto2000 units never had Athearn style metal handrails though, so that engine in rusty's shot is definitely Athearn.

Jjb's engines are definitely NOT Proto-series though; they're older trainset Life-Like. So they're not going to really have anything in common.


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## Grabbem88 (Feb 24, 2012)

We know this bud just saying his pop could have kitbashed metal rails cause I have done it.. And without seeing the whole frame I won't say either way..

Jjb727 I got some oddball covers that might work if interested... But I'd run a dedicated car with horn and knuckle on either side..unless you really want the engines converted I'd do body mount.


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## jjb727 (Apr 13, 2012)

RUSTY Cuda said:


> I think he means the ones that lost the coupler to see what the base looks like.
> 
> I had only one life like & it already had KD's on it, I took some pics, hope it will help? Rich.


i wanna know how he did that


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## jjb727 (Apr 13, 2012)

Grabbem88 said:


> That's how I did mine rusty... I think I have a few boxes left to get ya started with some kadee #5's jjb727.. Atleast you can see if you like it or not?
> 
> But you only need lid covers so I'll check for those as well... I throw nothing away


Yes, it would save me a ton of work if I just had the covers. Im not good at doing custom jobs...at least not as a newbie


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## jjb727 (Apr 13, 2012)

I'm thinking of just moving towards becoming Athearn's main customer if Walthers is not gonna do anything to help theirs. I dont wanna support a manufacturer that ignores their costumers -____-


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## jjb727 (Apr 13, 2012)

Southern said:


> Pick a rail car that you like to pull right behind that loco and put a hook horn on one end and a knuckle coupler on the other end.


I tried doing that, but the success was far from "decent". Im still not good enough for making conversion cars. (the coupler box fell off and the coupler itself always ended up getting all broken somehow)


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## RUSTY Cuda (Aug 28, 2012)

Being a newbie myself I didn't know what I had, but it was the only life like that was not in a proto box, so I took a shot to see if it would help.
I'm pretty sure the metal rails were added, there's glue dabs at the bottom of each upright .
jjb, I actually did do one similar to that myself on a broken engine, if & only if the height is right you just set the #5 box over the spot, mark where the mounting hole is & drill & tap for the mounting screw, I had a big advantage though, a set of his mini screw drivers were already set up with the correct size bit & tap, I just rolled the drill bit driver with my fingers, in plastic you don't need a drill or dremmel, then tapped it.
This stuff looked like I could never do it either, but after diving in it's not too bad, the tiny size is what kills me, I got big clutzy hands!


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## jjb727 (Apr 13, 2012)

RUSTY Cuda said:


> Being a newbie myself I didn't know what I had, but it was the only life like that was not in a proto box, so I took a shot to see if it would help.
> I'm pretty sure the metal rails were added, there's glue dabs at the bottom of each upright .
> jjb, I actually did do one similar to that myself on a broken engine, if & only if the height is right you just set the #5 box over the spot, mark where the mounting hole is & drill & tap for the mounting screw, I had a big advantage though, a set of his mini screw drivers were already set up with the correct size bit & tap, I just rolled the drill bit driver with my fingers, in plastic you don't need a drill or dremmel, then tapped it.
> This stuff looked like I could never do it either, but after diving in it's not too bad, the tiny size is what kills me, I got big clutzy hands!


I would do that myself, but I got none of those tools...nor do I know how to use them. Never used power tools in my life -__- lol. That's why Im going around and trying to see if anyone is willing to spare some coupler covers for me. Someone HAS to have a few.


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## RUSTY Cuda (Aug 28, 2012)

Yea it's frustrating when such a small part becomes a major headache, I'm surprised that I could not find any in his spare parts, he must have over 200 of the plastic stock couplers, he saved those but none of the boxes or covers.
Only ones I found were the pics in the other post, nothing even close.
Good luck with the quest! Rich.


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## wiley2012 (Dec 8, 2012)

Ah, I have an ATSF GP38-2 hi-nose locomotive myself from Life-Like. I swapped out the horn-hooks with AccuMate knuckle couplers and they get the job done really well:


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## jjb727 (Apr 13, 2012)

What doesn't make sense to me is that they have these plastic knuckle couplers to upgrade the rolling stock but no freaking coupler box covers for engines. If Walthers is just gonna treat the Life-Like trains line like some sort of toy thing (don't know if they are or not) instead of trying to actually get people back into the hobby, then i no longer see the point in them even owning the life-like brand.


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## jjb727 (Apr 13, 2012)

wiley2012 said:


> Ah, I have an ATSF GP38-2 hi-nose locomotive myself from Life-Like. I swapped out the horn-hooks with AccuMate knuckle couplers and they get the job done really well:


This is the one i have as well! It seems to me that the details like the unused number board space and ditch lights can actually be modified. By this, I mean that you can take the shell off, do some fine custom cut job and add a nice lighted number board yourself. I, however, do not know how to do that, but I'm sure I'm not the only one with the idea. You may even be able to remove the bottom part that holds the motor and just provide a new one with a better motor as well as all wheel pick-up trucks (and score even further by getting rid of the grinding noise).


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