railsquid Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 I was bidding on a bunch of foreign stuff on Yahoo Auctions, anyway there was an American "Lifelike" loco in Santa Fe livery going for a song. Not that I'm particularly interested in American stuff, but recently I did also acquire a Kato F3 in similar livery as part of a bulk lot so thought they could keep each other company (also I like acquiring examples of trains from different manufacturers). Anyway I was surprised when it turned up in a MicroAce box with localised packaging - I guess MicroAce used to import and rebrand? It does say "Lifelike" on the bottom. Going by the 3-digit postcode in the MicroAce address, this would have been mid-90s at the latest. \\ (FWIW box and loco are in excellent external and mechanical condition). 1 Link to comment
JR 500系 Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 Wow... While i'm not really into world wide trains other than Japanese ones, this one really really reminded me of my Lego Santa-Fe train locomotive... Link to comment
HantuBlauLOL Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 http://www.spookshow.net/lle678.html MA sold LL SD7 too. 1 Link to comment
railsquid Posted November 18, 2015 Author Share Posted November 18, 2015 Wow... While i'm not really into world wide trains other than Japanese ones, this one really really reminded me of my Lego Santa-Fe train locomotive... I mainly stick to British, German and Japanese stuff (the countries I've lived in), the American bits are more accidental curiosities. Link to comment
beakaboy Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 sounds like a good score! It got a good write up. Never realised the Microace association either. I must admit to a fondness for the E series and the F series locos. It was always fun to have a Kato 5 loco lash up of A and B F3 units pulling around 35-40 wagons on my layout several years ago now. Never had much issue with speed matching the Katos except when the wheels got dirty! Link to comment
railsquid Posted November 18, 2015 Author Share Posted November 18, 2015 Yeah, from the auction description I was actually expecting a piece of junk but for 1400 or so yen it's quite a bargain. Now if only I had something it could pull... Damn, where does this all end? Link to comment
railsquid Posted November 18, 2015 Author Share Posted November 18, 2015 Yup, 1400 yen :glasses9: Link to comment
HantuBlauLOL Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 my biggest shot was only 2400 yen for Tomix EF66 :( Link to comment
Welshbloke Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 (edited) I have the Lifelike E7 in SP Daylight livery. It was an absolutely incredible runner at first, thanks to two big flywheels and chunky diecast ballast weights which filled most of the body. Unfortunately it developed a problem I can best describe as "surging", where it'd lurch rather than running steadily. I'll get it out sometime and give the commutator/brushes a good clean with washing up liquid and water (a very effective but mild degreaser), see if that helps. I don't actually have any Daylight coaches, hence why it doesn't get much exercise. It used to run with a matching E7B and three random Con-Cor Southern coaches (two coaches and a sleeper). I keep an eye open for more Con-Cor coaches but it seems to be a case of those who have them not wanting to let go of them! I'm not attached enough to pay big money for the Kato Daylight stock. A British manufacturer (think it was TPM) sold a resin-cast kit to make a BR Class 60 from the Lifelike E-unit. You got a new mainframe, bodyshell, etched grilles and bogie sideframes. Kind of wish I'd bought one as the results would still be light years ahead of other British N in running quality. As for bargains, best so far would have to be the power and dummy pair of Kato KiHa 52s for £17. Nobody else bid! Also got a KuMoHa 115-1000 and a KuHa 115-1100 for another £17 from the same seller, which are proving slightly less useful due to the shortage of matching MoHa 114-1000s... Edited November 18, 2015 by Welshbloke Link to comment
HantuBlauLOL Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 (edited) 115 could run in 2 car set, just KuHa and KuMoHa.. Very common in Joetsu line The one in my profile pic also was running in 2 car formation Edited November 18, 2015 by HantuBlauLOL Link to comment
Welshbloke Posted November 18, 2015 Share Posted November 18, 2015 It might struggle a bit without a pantograph... Also the KuHa is the type without a toilet. I have a SaHa 115 sitting here too, so I'm thinking in terms of picking up random Kato 115 cars until I have a useful train (probably a three car and four car running together if I can find the extra stock, or a six car with the middle pair of KuHas swapped for the SaHa). No great hurry! I'm bidding on an older MoHa 115 (4101-1) at the moment but doubt I'll be successful, as someone popped up five days before the auction ended and had a prod at outbidding me. Link to comment
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