Lionel Buys K-Line.... your thoughts? - The Whistle Post

TallDude · #1 (**permalink**) 02-24-2006, 09:23 PM

Just read a few days ago that Lionel is buying K-Line..... what are your thoughts on this?? Good/Bad?

http://www.lionel.com/CentralStation...cfm?newsID=124

ak-milw · #2 (**permalink**) 02-24-2006, 10:46 PM

Kevin,
It's like Walthers buying out Life-Like, your compitition gets to big, buy them out!!

Boss Boomer · #3 (**permalink**) 02-25-2006, 01:11 AM

I don't know...in both the cases you guys cite--K-line and Life-like--they weren't really anybody's competition because they were rather inferior to the companies they were going against.

I'm no expert, but what I've seen of K-line, it was a long way down the scale of decent gear compared to Lionel. And Life-like...they were always toys of not very good quality for as long as I've known of them. They couldn't even be considered in the same class as Walthers vastly superior model works...unless Life-like has dramatically improved in the last 10-13 years or so that I was away from the hobby. I know I've walked past those sets in TRU but without noticing any significant "eye-catching" improvements that I know about.

I know Bachmann has made amazing strides at quality improvements--seen 'em in the hobby shops--but Life-like and Tyco always were "two-week Christmas-tree fodder." Ya buy them for the old obligatory "train under the Christmas tree" and about the time you throw away the dried-out tree, ya also toss the now non-working, broken bits and pieces that used to be a Tyco or Life-like set. Have things changed so much?

Not trying to offend anybody's sensitivities, if ya happen to admire Life-like or K-line, but that's just my opinion.

ak-milw · #4 (**permalink**) 02-26-2006, 01:23 AM

Hey Boss,
You have to check out Life-Like Proto 2000 stuff, for detail and great running they are up there with Atlas and Kato!!

Billman730 · #5 (**permalink**) 07-02-2006, 08:33 PM

Boss it is how I remembered it also. Tyco was cool to a kid of 12. Now Lionel O is cool to a kid of 50's.

Trainman1965 · #6 (**permalink**) 07-02-2006, 10:44 PM

Welcome billman Nice to have you here with us. And i have to say i agree with andy the Proto 2000 is some of the best on the market.

ak-milw · #7 (**permalink**) 07-03-2006, 12:34 AM

I also would like to welcome Billman to the forums, I model HO but you will find out we all sort of jump around and see what everyone is doing! On the Lionel subject, I modeled O scale Lionel for years as a kid and well into my teen years. Back then all you had was three rail and tinplate which always seemed to look like toys no matter what you did to them. Nowadays The two rail O is much , much better. You can actualy make a realistic layout and proto model to scale, but only if you have enough room!