# HOW OLD ARE YOUR TRAINS?



## time warp (Apr 28, 2016)

This is for everybody. What is your oldest IN SERVICE Locomotive or car? I'm not talking about stored or displayed collectibles, but equipment in regular use.

I'm in HO of course, and my oldest is my '59 vintage Athearn Hi-F GP 9. That old boy is pushing 60 and still runs fine. Original motor and all!
A good portion of my other "daily drivers" are just about 45 years old and still going strong, so what about yours? I can only imagine what some of you O scale guys might have! Please include pictures if you can.


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## FOURTEEN (Feb 16, 2016)

All my stuff is in storage, however I do have stuff from the late 70's early 80's that I did run when I had room for a layout.


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## time warp (Apr 28, 2016)

FOURTEEN said:


> All my stuff is in storage, however I do have stuff from the late 70's early 80's that I did run when I had room for a layout.


 Do you still have that ancient brass wheeled Mantua steamer?


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## Roger Hensley (Oct 29, 2015)

I still have an Athearn GP35 from 1982 in service as well as an Athearn F unit and an AHM RS that I rebuilt in 1984 and put back into use. Everything else is much newer. All of these are now DCC equipped.


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## NAJ (Feb 19, 2016)

I assume these are late 1970's/1980's vintage.
These are the only ones running on a daily basis at the present time.

AHM ALCO CENTURY 424









BACHMANN GP 40 (Really a GE B23-7)


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## mjrfd99 (Jan 5, 2016)

Lionel from the 30's to 60's
HO from 70- 90's mostly with a few newer items


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## highvoltage (Apr 6, 2014)

I'm still running my first train from when I was a kid, late 50's early 60's. Gears are a little noisy, but it smokes like crazy with pellets.


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## Lee Willis (Jan 1, 2014)

I guess it depends on "in service." 
My oldest train is my Dad's pre-war (mid 1930s) Marx wind up set. It runs but is display only. However, over time I have bought an exact duplicate set over time and I run that, wind up and all, on my layout once a year or so . . . . If that means in service, then 1937.

Otherwise, I've been in O-Gauge only about eight years now. My oldest "in service" loco is a very early MTH Railking Y6B that is about 20 years old - I bought it used eight years ago. It is run maybe three or four times a year, as are most of my locos - 130locos, and can run four at a time, so . ..


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## tkruger (Jan 18, 2009)

Prior to converting to DCC was a John English and a Varney steamer. Since converting to DCC it is an Athearn DD40 with the brass wheels. That one over the years has had flywheels added, new brushes and springs in the motors, LEDs added and duel decoders. I have a few other Blue Boxes that may be close to that in age.


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

My oldest stuff is the 'N' gauge Aurora Postage Stamp train set my dad got me for Christmas in 1968.....so it's 49 years old now! Stored away in the original boxes and the original large box set.


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## teledoc (Oct 22, 2014)

My oldest are two separate locos I got in 1953, which is a 2020/2020W combo, along with a 2056/2046W combo. That makes it 64 years. Since then, but not in service are a few Prewar basket cases that have now been restored to working condition.


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## Togatown (Nov 29, 2013)

I have one boxcar from about 1948, but all of my other pieces are from 1950-1959 exclusively. 
My 681, 6250 Seaboard, 2343 and 2344's are all 1951-1954. Although the 681 and 6250 are in outstanding original condition, they are all runners and not shelf queens.


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## Chet (Aug 15, 2014)

This is my oldest running active locomotive. When I started my layout over 30 years ago, Athearn locomotives were probably the best bang for the buck. Some modifications were made to it before putting it into service. The sintered iron wheels were replace with Nickle silver. I did not like the way the original Athears motor would surge and gain speed going down grade and lug down when pulling a train upgrade. The motor was replaced with a can motor from NWSL and it was hard wired to the truck towers. Constant/reverse lighting was installed also. 

This one and its sister #532 were the first locomotives that I custom painted for my freelance railroad. I wanted to have a family look for the locomotives and this was the final version that the rest of my fleet has which are the first Atlas Alcos that came out with the Kato drive. 

With the motor being replaced, it runs almost as smooth as the Atlas locomotives and also run at just about the same speed as the Atlas locomotives. 



















They are still in every day service ind still run like a Swiss watch. The time and effort modifying the locomotives was well worth it.

I was into N scale before moving to HO because back in the 70's, N scale locomotives in general, were garbage compared to N scale today. That is why I move on to HO scale, dismantling an N scale layout with over 11 scale miles of main line track.


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## doneuald (Jan 2, 2016)

I have the same model power E7 CP that I had when I was 15 (about 42 years ago) and have since collected 5 more of them at yardsales and such. I actually chipped an E7 for DCC use


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## Shadow001 (Dec 15, 2016)

four months. I have some others I bought of Craig's list, but I have not gone through them yet.


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## AFGP9 (Apr 8, 2015)

My first train set for Christmas in 1954 was an American Flyer. It was ran for years then packed away as other interests took over. Things like girls and cars. I still managed some train work in HO in the late 60's mostly because it was cheap. I still have it all stored away. So all of my Athern blue box stuff is that old. Conversely, when I started collecting American Flyer around that same 60's era, I have locomotives from 1946, as most every Flyer collector has. All run well. The newest Flyer locomotive I have is 1956.


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## time warp (Apr 28, 2016)

doneuald said:


> I have the same model power E7 CP that I had when I was 15 (about 42 years ago) and have since collected 5 more of them at yardsales and such. I actually chipped an E7 for DCC use



I can remember when those E7's came out, they were really something. I've always liked them but for some reason never owned one. World's largest HO motor!



Shadow001 said:


> four months. I have some others I bought of Craig's list, but I have not gone through them yet.


 N scale is a bit different as far as history. Would the original Rapido stuff be considered very old? I remember Postage stamp trains and maybe Trix, but my memory isn't that good. Nearly all of it was imported in the early years I think. Correct me if I'm wrong.


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## Dano (Aug 26, 2012)

My oldest is CPR 2317 that is a regular runner, built from a pre-war Lionel 225e.


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## Shadow001 (Dec 15, 2016)

time warp said:


> N scale is a bit different as far as history. Would the original Rapido stuff be considered very old? I remember Postage stamp trains and maybe Trix, but my memory isn't that good. Nearly all of it was imported in the early years I think. Correct me if I'm wrong.


I have no idea, I just learned the other day what the numbers on steam engines mean. I have so much to learn, but am already enjoying the journey. I got some rolling stock from that guy with Rapido (i think) couplers.


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## time warp (Apr 28, 2016)

Dano said:


> My oldest is CPR 2317 that is a regular runner, built from a pre-war Lionel 225e.
> View attachment 294977


 Very nice!:thumbsup:


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## Shadow001 (Dec 15, 2016)

very nice. which scale is the oldest?


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## time warp (Apr 28, 2016)

I'm no expert, but Standard Gauge goes way back. It is larger than 'O'.
I may be off a little here, but when you get back to that old Dorfan, Bing, and Hafner, just to name a few, I don't even know what scale or gauge they are.


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## FOURTEEN (Feb 16, 2016)

time warp said:


> Do you still have that ancient brass wheeled Mantua steamer?


 yes still have it, waiting on decals to finish it.


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## teledoc (Oct 22, 2014)

Shadow001, Your question of what scale is the OLDEST is a broad question. Are you wondering with only assuming the U.S. produced items, or including the European market as well, which included Marklin, and others? ON the U.S. side you missed Carlisle & Finch, which predates the ones you listed. The gauges also run the gamut.


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## Shadow001 (Dec 15, 2016)

time warp said:


> I'm no expert, but Standard Gauge goes way back. It is larger than 'O'.
> I may be off a little here, but when you get back to that old Dorfan, Bing, and Hafner, just to name a few, I don't even know what scale or gauge they are.


This is very cool, guess it is time for some more research.



teledoc said:


> Shadow001, Your question of what scale is the OLDEST is a broad question. Are you wondering with only assuming the U.S. produced items, or including the European market as well, which included Marklin, and others? ON the U.S. side you missed Carlisle & Finch, which predates the ones you listed. The gauges also run the gamut.


I meant world wide. I would imagine that model railroading is in just about every country now.

Sorry slightly off topic.


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## teledoc (Oct 22, 2014)

Shadow001, Although this thread got hi-jacked from the original intent, I thought I would give you a very good Website to check out, for research purposes only. It covers a multitude of little known U.S., and European manufacturers, with their given history from inception, to their respective demises. It will give you some great insight to the various gauges.

Remember one critical thing with "GAUGE" and Scale, which are two totally different things, that many get confused with. Scale is the comparison of how many small units it would take to equal a real life size unit. 0 scale is typically 1/48 meaning it would take 48 6017 (toy cabooses) to equal a full size 6017 real life caboose. That is the SCALE reference. 

GAUGE is the distance from outside rail to outside rail on given track, so youn have various gauges, such as 2 7/8", Standard gauge is 2 1/8", 0 gauge is 1 1/4", and so on.

Check out this website for some research:

http://www.tcawestern.org/manufacturers.htm


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Mine are old enough to know better, young enough to remember how.


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

time warp said:


> N scale is a bit different as far as history. Would the original Rapido stuff be considered very old? I remember Postage stamp trains and maybe Trix, but my memory isn't that good. Nearly all of it was imported in the early years I think. Correct me if I'm wrong.


I think Rapido only referred to the type of 'N' scale couplers, as noted here:



> The very first N-Scale models were designed to be nothing more than toys so it should be no surprise that they came to market with a very crude "hook and loop" coupler. The originator of N-Scale, the *ARNOLD-RAPIDO* company quickly found out that these couplers just wouldn't suffice so they quickly developed a new coupler which they dubbed the Rapido coupler. The Rapido coupler loosely resembles a square with one side cut out. While it may not look anything like a coupler on a real train, it has remained in use virtually unchanged for the last three decades. This speaks for itself in regards to it's reliability. The Rapido coupler is still in use today although it's days are numbered as most manufacturers are now offering knuckle couplers as standard equipment. Perhaps the best thing that ARNOLD-RAPIDO did was to allow any N-Scale manufacturer that wanted to use the Rapido coupler on their equipment to do so freely. This was a very smart move on their part since it quickly standardized things and allowed equipment from different manufacturers to work together. If not for this single gesture on the part of ARNOLD-RAPIDO, N-Scale may not have gotten as far as it has today.



Today's "Rapido" company didn't exist back when 'N' scale first came out.

Aurora Postage Stamp trains were actually MiniTrix, marketed and packaged as Aurora.

here is what I found:



> Minitrix
> N gauge models under the Minitrix brand were made from the late 1960s mostly of European prototypes (German and British primarily). North American prototypes were also manufactured and marketed under the Aurora "Postage Stamp" brand; later these items were sold under the American Tortoise, Model Power and Con-Cor brands. Trix sometimes utilized North American consultants to aid in the design of this portion of the product line. The "Hornby Minitrix' brand was used in the 1980s for a short lived range of British outline models using the earlier product tooling


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## rrgrassi (May 3, 2012)

BAck on topic, I have pieces from the early 60's all the way through present day.


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## JNXT 7707 (May 5, 2013)

Technically I don't have anything "in service" right now, being layout-less :laugh:

But I think the oldest running loco I have is a Lionel switcher, guesstimating 1960. After that would be some AHM BL2s in that same era of the 60s, some C-Liners that would be 60s-70s. 

I have quite a few 80s to 90s locomotives, anything newer than that I could probably count on one hand.

I do have a couple of 50s Mantua freight cars my dad had :smokin:


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## dsertdog56 (Oct 26, 2014)

Oldest functioning engine, my dads Roundhouse Atlantic. 2nd oldest would be a Tyco/Mantua 0-4-0 that I built in the late 60's

Oldest car...hmmm. I have an embossed cardboard sided 50' boxcar. I think it's a globe? It could be up and running in a couple hours. I have it's brother still unbuilt in the original box. There's a bunch of metal sided Atheran and Varney stuff still in use.


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## D&J Railroad (Oct 4, 2013)

I had one passenger car that was a prototype made by Moses. He really had some insight. It was made of wood and stone but I don't know what happened to it. It was pretty close to S scale.
The next oldest is this Lionel, HO scale nuclear waste flat car. It has a light bulb inside the grey container that flickers. A partial brass wheel makes it do that. Sprung trucks. Still running it. It's the favorite car of all for the kids who visit.


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## NAJ (Feb 19, 2016)

D&J Railroad said:


> I had one passenger car that was a prototype made by Moses. He really had some insight. It was made of wood and stone but I don't know what happened to it. It was pretty close to S scale.
> The next oldest is this Lionel, HO scale nuclear waste flat car. It has a light bulb inside the grey container that flickers. A partial brass wheel makes it do that. Sprung trucks. Still running it. It's the favorite car of all for the kids who visit.


Radioactive Waste, I am Lovin that.


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

Shadow001 said:


> which scale is the oldest?


I'm going out on a limb here, but.......1:1.....


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## mopac (Feb 24, 2011)

My oldest locomotive is from 1952. My dad worked for a company
that sold these. My dad sold his mom this loco for a Christmas
present for my dad's brother, my uncle. In 3 years my uncle grew tired of trains. In 1955 he gave it to me. I have had it since. Not a daily runner but I don't run S gauge daily. Has been under my Christmas tree many years. She is getting a little tired
and I think I am going to do a DC can motor conversion on the
old girl. I remember playing on the kitchen floor when I was 5
with this train. Still smokes and chugs like a champ.


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## MacDaddy55 (Aug 19, 2008)

My four AHM 2-8-4 Berkshires were made in 1972 and are used on the layout on a regular basis. The 4-6-4 Lionel Hudson was made in 1953 and is our Under the Tree Christmas Train...she has been overhauled and runs great.
View attachment 295329


View attachment 295337


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## Lemonhawk (Sep 24, 2013)

So is there a nice glowing red or blue light inside the radioactive container. I'd sure put one in, even if it was not realistic!


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## D&J Railroad (Oct 4, 2013)

Lemonhawk said:


> So is there a nice glowing red or blue light inside the radioactive container. I'd sure put one in, even if it was not realistic!


yeah, a red light bulb and the little windows on the block have a red cellophane over them on the inside. It flickers while going down the track.


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## thedoc (Oct 15, 2015)

I guess the oldest units I have are the Knapp/Bowser 4-8-2 mechanisms that I intend to use for B&O T-3's with an extended Mantua 4-6 2 boiler. I have several of both and have done the conversion before, so it's nothing new to me.


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## Dieseler (Jan 29, 2014)

Oldest is a lionel156 electric have 2 both run, from there its lionel from the 30s and up all run on small layout.


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## A&NRR (Aug 2, 2015)

Last time I bought an engine was about 6 years ago. My oldest is my brown box Tyco rolling stock and engines from the late seventies to early eighties.


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## njrailer93 (Nov 28, 2011)

my earliest is a lionel 154 prewar somewhere about 1916-1917 i believe. i did restore it it does run just a little fussy


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## prrfan (Dec 19, 2014)

I collect the old Penn Line and Bowser steamers from the 50s. Here are a few. All run regularly.


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## A&NRR (Aug 2, 2015)

It just hit me, my Tyco trains isn't my oldest as I previously mentioned. My oldest is my brothers Marx Big Rail train set he got for Christmas back in 1969. Still complete, runs great and in the original box. He didn't want it so I took it over in the late 70's. I also still have my Mighty Casey set that I got for Christmas in '72 I think it was. the one you could ride on. Still have all the track and the engine and one gondola car. Yes that one also still works.


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## time warp (Apr 28, 2016)

You need to post some pictures of the mighty casey, talk about time travel!


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## A&NRR (Aug 2, 2015)

I can sure do that, Have some when I was a kid riding it when it was new. I'll drag it out and take some of it now, it still looks like 1972, lol.


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## time warp (Apr 28, 2016)

I would suggest posting them in the G/#1 scale forum


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## A&NRR (Aug 2, 2015)

Thanks for the advice, I'll do that. I need to go thru the old picture albums I'll find them, scan them and post them there.


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## rogruth (Mar 6, 2012)

Oldest loco is a Lionel 671 from 1946 and a 675 from 1947. The 675 gets more use than the 671 because it just plain runs better.


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## Mr.Buchholz (Dec 30, 2011)

Most of my locos and rolling stock are about ten years old at the very most. I believe my switcher engine is older than that (bought it used at a show a couple years back). I prefer to buy pieces that are not too old, so that I don't have to worry about reliability too early.

-J.


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## rogruth (Mar 6, 2012)

J, 
Old Lionel and American Flyer trains are pretty reliable.
The worst problem with them is zinc pest.


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## teledoc (Oct 22, 2014)

Zinc pest was most predominant with items made in early 1930's, because it was a new process. It took a correct balance of components to eliminate the impurities, which caused the swelling of wheels, and body parts. By the mid to late 1930's, the die casting process was much improved and the dreaded zinc pest was mostly eliminated. Zinc pest still shows up in more modern things, but it comes down to better quality control which isn't always followed.


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## rogruth (Mar 6, 2012)

I have seen the pest in model trains from the late 1930s and early 1940s especially
in American Flyer 3/16th scale.


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## emmetd (Aug 1, 2012)

mine a 253 from 1924


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