BACHMANN CONNECTED TO LIFE LIKE BRAND

Started by VOLTS, May 20, 2010, 11:06:24 AM

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VOLTS

greetings,

can tracks of bachmann HO be connected with life like brand HO tracks? same as for the speed controls.

thankyou
steve

ABC

Bachmann track cannot be connected to life-like track without doing some work. I believe Life-Like makes a transition piece to go from their track to standard conventional sectional or flex track, which in turn can get you to Bachmann track.

Joe323

Walthers which sells Life like track makes a piece called a power link which has the Power Loc (Life Like) connector on one end and a standard HO rail connection at the other.  If you are connecting to Bachmann EZ - track, you will have to cut the plastic connector off the end of the EZ Track to connect it to the power link or standard HO Track.  I have connected the 2 systems together without any problems.

Doneldon

Volts-

A little minor surgery on the connectors and some tight rail joiners should do the job for you.  If you feel the connection isn't strong enough you can glue some plastic across the joint on the undersides of the ballast of the track sections and maybe even solder the rails.  But none of that should be necessaryfor a permanent layout where the track is permanent.  I'd suggest the reinforcement and solder only if you will be taking the track up repeatedly and don't want to mess with an exotic joint every time you put it back up.

          --D

VOLTS

greetings,

thanks for the tips. can anyone send me diagrams on how to do it? will a bachmann loco run on the tracks of life like brand tracks?

thanks
steve

ABC

Yep, any HO loco will run on any HO track, with the exception of some older Rivarossi models which have deep flanges and have trouble on code 83 and 70 track.

Joe323

I have always used the adaptor but I think I'll try cutting the end off of one of the pieces of spare life like track I have plus a couple of ties worth of the plastic roadbed.  That should leave some exposed rail that I can join using standard rail joiners.  If it works it means I can cut the lifelike track to custom lengths if I choose by removing the plastic and cutting the rail with a set of Xuron rail nippers.  I'll let you know if it works.

Jhanecker2

I have several pieces of the Power-Lok transistion adapter and recall that the part should mate with E-Z track without cutting anything since the roadbed is hollow underneath. The reason I bought it in the first place was to connect the Power-Lok to E-Z Track to use up the track I had available.  John II.