Tuesday and What is Old for You?

TomPM

Another Fried Egg Fan
Good morning folks

We survived another summer. The kids are ready to head back to school which they will in a few hours.

I am continuing to add trees, foliage, fine leaf foliage, and clump foliage to the area around the cement distributor. I also added some Woodland Scenics grass to the scene.

What is the oldest locomotive or piece of rolling stock you have? That still operates?

My oldest pieces come from the Lionel set that my father gave me for Christmas when I was three years old. The forty year old locomotive and tender are still used under our Christmas tree every year. My son is now at the controls. I have a Tyco HO Canadian National F7 that is my oldest piece of HO equipment. It is 37 years old. I had it running about a year and half ago and it needs a lot of work to get back into shape. Out of the equipment I use on the layout today, my Spectrum PRR passenger cars are the oldest at about 20 years old and I have a Spectrum Reading SD45 that is about the same age.
 

shaygetz

Active Member
I have an HO scale Marklin 4-6-2 O1 with 4 tinplate cars that are almost 60 years old and run like a top. Here's the lokey... Most of my Rivarossi, the Big Boy, 0-4-0 Docksider and Cab-forward are pushing 35+. My Bowser/Penn Line K4 is at least 43 years old.
 

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jetrock

Member
I think that my brass Birneys are 1950s or 60s vintage, while I have a couple of Athearn Geeps from the 70s.
 
My current oldest piece is an NS gp38-2, originally an Southern (could kick myself for defacing it:curse: ) Bought about 20 yrs back. I modified it on the rear with a high hood and bell, nathyan 5 chime, plow, mu hoses. She has sat in my box for a long time, until recently and compared it to the current athearn gp59 my son has, now has me wanting to turn my NW sd40-2 into a high hood alsosign1 . If and when I find ths :curse: wall1 camera, I'll post some pics of my projs.
I recently was looking at my hopper cars and discovered they wouldn't have any revenue without loads, so I have some extruded foam rubber laying around and cut it to fit, instant coal loads, looks like fine load or maybe asphalt. Can be painted any color and cut to fit any vehicle, so give me some sizes and an address and I can make you some loads from it. I fighure I can get about 80 loads per sheet, and I have 6 sheets of it.
2 pieces into a wood chip hopper and sprinkle some wood chips on top for looks, total weight about 4 ounces. Can stick any items on top of this stuff with some glue.:thumb:
 

MilesWestern

Active Member
My lil' bobber caboose frm the bachmann 1860's freight set is the only operating piece from that set, which sees occasional use on my 1950's era layout, because I rebuilt it and "modernized" it to fit the time frame, kinda.

On that note, do you know of any bobbers that lasted into the 1950's??

My most operated oldest piece, which is probably older than the bobber, is a Bachmann Combine I added oodles of details, and an interior too, sees daily service on my pike.

As far as Actual old as opposed to owning it the longest, I have to say metal-trucked Athearn PA's which are ??? years old. (can anyone fill me in on this??)
 

MasonJar

It's not rocket surgery
I have my "original" set that I got when I was 7 - 29 years ago...

It is a Bachmann set, but runs really well - the engine is an E-unit (I think) with 8-wheel pick-up and 8-wheel drive. Very heavy too - with a cast metal frame. Rolling stock includes a coal hopper (trucks came off), a box car, and a caboose. I also have a flat (lost the load) and a set of TOFC lettered for Sante Fe.

After 20+ years in storage, the loco ran perfectly first try...! I do not complain about Bachmann quality ;)

Andrew
 

ezdays

Out AZ way
Boy, that's a tough one. The oldest thing in my trainroom that still operates has to be me, :rolleyes: but that's not what you asked. :D

I have a large collection of engines and cars that I aquired when I bought an old N scale layout a few years ago. They date back at least 30 years and everything I have left runs (the last two steam engines were put in running order just last week by none other than my good friend Ray Marinaccio :thumb: ) . The one thing that I can confirm the date on is a Bachmann "Liberty Bell" commemorative box car for the 1976 centennial and it has a build date of 3-75.
 

Ralph

Remember...it's for fun!
I have some HO cattle cars and reefers that my uncle gaveme that are probably fromthe 1940s or 50's. As for my own stuff I have some Tyco freight cars that I bought in the early 70s. I gutted my Tyco locomotives and made dummies of them years ago.
Ralph
 

Gil Finn

Active Member
I have a working 1913 transformer.

A NYC electrict, maybe a #33 about that old and 3 coached from 1923. All standard gauge.

I have Bing standard ga. ites, semafors and switches but no age on them, before WW1 I anm sure.

I dont know if the engine and track/swiches survived the flood that took 90% of my collection.

Repainted Lionel coaches:

xxx1.jpg
 

fsm1000

Member
Mine are all less then a few months old just now. BUT, my dad has one that he got when I was a kid that used a rubber band from the axle to the motor shaft. It is over forty years old and he still runs it occasionally. :)
 

steamhead

Active Member
Hmmm,
The oldest pieces I have are from my ol' man's collection. In operation I have several HO metal box cars and a tanker and caboose(Athearn & Varney) from 1949-50. I also have two of his locos, Athearn 4-6-2 and 0-4-0, although they are no longer operable as the metal is suffering from "tin rot" - they are slowly crumbling away...
Also in the collection is an AF (S gauge) 0-8-0 with 6-8 cars from 1957 (almost 50 yrs old!!!). Santa brought that one to me...

Gus (LC&P).
 

Ray Marinaccio

Active Member
Don,
That Minitrix 4-6-2 I repaired for you may be older.
They were introduced in 1970 and produced untill 1999. No telling when that paticular locomotive was built but I would guess it saw one of the early ones.

As for my oldest, It is a toss up.
It may be the clockwork Marx CV or the Unique Art set. Both made in the early 40s.
 

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Marxed

Member
Ray Marinaccio said:
Don,
That Minitrix 4-6-2 I repaired for you may be older.
They were introduced in 1970 and produced untill 1999. No telling when that paticular locomotive was built but I would guess it saw one of the early ones.

As for my oldest, It is a toss up.
It may be the clockwork Marx CV or the Unique Art set. Both made in the early 40s.


Awesome Marx!:thumb:
 
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