My oldest is a Con-Cor E-L PA1. It will be pulling my version of the Phoebe Snow when my layout is completed. It still runs super and has flanges that work fine with the Atlas code 55 track. If I can find a newer body, I'm going to swap the body for a Life-Like E-L PA, as the current coupler is one the front truck assembly and the engine number is non-prototypical. Bob
In my case, my oldest n-sacle loco and the one I've had the longest are two different things. Still have the first loco I bought - a ConCor/Kato PA1 in SP Daylight paint. It still runs smoothly too. The oldest n-scale loco I have is an Atlas/Rivarossi Light Pacific I bought mail order a coupel of years after I got into n scale. It was new but old store stock. It runs very nicely since it was remotored. My oldest loco is a Louis Marx 2-4-2 steamer in O-27 gauge I received for XMAS about 1958. Still runs despite a zillion miles on it.
My oldest from date of purchase is the original Rowa 2-8-8-2 Y6b, from the early 70s. It still runs, although it was remotored with a Sagami 1220 after I dropped it. I do have a Minitrix F7/F9 somewhere in a box. Oh, I have lots & lots of dead Atlas steamers--one operates. Most of them are slated for the Altoona-like dead steam track.
Evening, I just joined the trainboard, looks like a really good place to garner information and pass the same along. My oldest N scale engine is an Arnold Rapido German 0-6-0T in red and black livery. I received this engine in 1962 or 63 as a birthday gift from my dad and was the first engine and the start for getting into N scale. We were living in Stutgart Germany at the time. The engine is great shape and still runs like a champ, in fact it has less than 2 hours running time on it. I have never tried to change out the rapido couplers to MT's it has a special place in my N scale collection.
My oldest N Scale loco is the venerable Atlas "First Generation" 0-6-0T, the famous "147" of which there are only about a zillion copies... I received it in a train set, Christmas 1969.
It's a tossup. I have the first loco I bought in a set in '71. It's an Atlas Burlington GP40. There's also a couple of SD45 GM demos, E-8s, 0-6-0s, 0-8-0, Pacific, Mikado, SW1500s and C-Liners aquired along the way. Last year I went on a repair/ rebuild binge and got all my old stuff up and running. The old Geep runs as well as it ever did and although the older stuff doesn't see much track time it's nice to know I can run it whenever the mood strikes. Here's a great liink if you're interested in the first generation Atlas locos. http://members.aol.com/dgosha/ Jim
That is great! You have never know the "old days" when N scale had much less than desirable running characteristics... Harold
Wow EC... you should come to one of our shows,,,, You'll be amazed at how smooth modern N scale runs, especially on DCC Harold
My oldest is a Kato U30C given to me as a birthday present in 1990 - I think. It was originally Pensy but I repainted it for SP. It still runs beautifully even though the paint has discoloured over the last 15 years. That loco's arrival on the roster was also the beginning of the end of all my previous N scale Bachman stuff. All my 13 locos are Kato or Atlas now. [ July 15, 2005, 10:31 PM: Message edited by: JBT ]
Inspired by this thread, I located my oldest engine, the c. 1970 AHM version of a green and yellow Reading GP-30, number 2535. I remember how excited I was to get it. At that time, after having Lionel as a kid, even HO seemed small, but this new N scale was fantastically tiny. I first saw it running around a track (or perhaps stationary, so the motor wouldn't burn out) in a department store window, late November on a "first snow" afternoon. The miniaturisation of it fascinated me, and I went nuts. Never got over it. So I brought out the old GP-30, and it still runs, at age thirty-five, after having to spend ten years at a time never being run, but only in sentimental storage. It is very primitive, with a headlight that illuminates the cab as much as the track, with oversize silver wheels. It won't run at slow speeds. But now that I've dug it up, I wouldn't part with it, not even for a generous offer.
I think Atlas (or Atlas/Kato) also released those GP30's... probably a better runner than yours. Harold
My oldest still running locos are: 1. Atlas 0-6-0. It came with my first trainset, the "Mighty Mike". 2. Trix FM - Home Road repaint 3. Trix U30CG Amtrak Colors 4. 2 Model Power FA's - rear drive only. We've come a long way! Russ
