My oldest Loco. Please post yours, too.

[unionpacificchuck]

i don't have a picture but i have the box to my 1961 lionel HO NYC hudson. Best runner i have,it can pull 80 cars before the wheels start to slip(i think thats because of the weight), but anyway thats mine oldest loco/

[wm3798]

The oldest member of my fleet that is still operable is a 1984 vintage RS-3 by Atlas/Kato.

This is it in a very early iteration of my Laurel Valley Ry. paint scheme.  It has been very reliable over the years, having been repainted into WM livery back in 2001, and a decoder installed just last summer.

It's the lead unit in this consist.

I have many older locomotives (I've been at this since about age 8) but they are mostly in the boneyard box, occasionally coughing up a gear or a chunk of handrail for a scenery project.  I never throw anything away!

Lee

[CP5415]

The oldest in my fleet is one of the following, all of which were me dads!

My AHM 4-4-0 V&T Reno

My Mantua 0-6-0T undec

My Rivarossi 0-4-0t B&O

Gordon

[hardcoalcase]

My oldest (surviving) lokie is a circa 1958 Gilbert (HO-American Flyer) Gas-Mechanical Switcher, which looks like a small diesel body on a 0-4-0 arrangement since the solid drivers have side rods. It's lettered "Industrial Transfer Service".  The mechanism is pretty wobbly now but it runs well enough to be the Master-of-Ceremonies at the golden spike awards. 

Sigh!  

 

[twhite]

Oldest original locos: 

1959:  Pacific Fast Mail 1950 series ATSF 2-8-0.  Bought new.  Still running.  Dropped a NWSL can motor it it two years ago.  Running better than ever. 

1960: Akane USRA Pacific.  Bought new.  Dropped NWSL can motor in it ten years ago.  Still running.  Trailing truck disintigrated (okay, became un-soldered) in a minor accident last month.  Ordered a new Cal-scale truck to replace it.  Due in next week. 

1964:  Akane M3/4 (can't tell which) Yellowstone.  Bought new (birthday present) Dropped a big NWSL motor in it 15 years ago, still pulls anything that can be put behind it.  Popped some new Cal-Scale castings on it about 5 years ago.  Still just spectacular. 

1964:  Another Akane M3/4.  Same year as original.  Bought used 4 years ago.  Original open-frame motor.  Pulls the paint off of the walls.  Quiet, smooth.  Did some casting changes with PSC (replaced Worthington FWH with Elesco, changed out front pumps).    Incredible locomotive, I don't DARE pair it up with the one I got in 1964, the two of them would pull the garage out into the street!

Anyway, if it will post, here's a picture of my two big 2-8-8-4 Hunkers.

 

 

 

Tom

[jeffrey-wimberly]

The white loco in this pic is my oldest. It's a Bachmann GP40 that I bought in Germany in 1977. Recently I ripped out the old open frame motor and shoe-horned in a a PPW can motor and fitted a new GP40 shell. As of February it has been in my possesion for thirty years.

That loco looks like a SD40. My eyes might be fooling me.

Your eyes are fooling you. The SD40 has 2 fans in the dynamic brake housing, the GP40 has one.

Is the green one a custom paint?

Yes. That's a GP50 and it will eventually be in MKT livery.

[Virginian]

Well, I can't find my FTP program, so no pic, but mine is a brass Sunset N&W Class J, custom painted over 30 years ago.  Still runs like a good watch.  Still my favorite.

[jecorbett]

The oldest one I own is a Model Power switcher that was in the trainset that got me back into the hobby as a young adult. To the best of my knowledge, it has no prototype. Its a Rock Island and I don't even no if the paint scheme is accurate. It is a pale blue. It is now over 30 years old. I also have an Athearn UP F7 that I bought used that might be even older, but I have no way of knowing. Now if we are talking about a model of the oldest prototype, I have a John Bull steamer that was part of another trainset I received as a gift.  

[Anonymous]

my oldest engine is one of the models produced 1939 and 1945-46 engine but i dont know which one. the number model is 224.

[GAPPLEG]

Hers's my oldest , I think . A pair of Tyco GP-20's. I got them used from a friend in 1970. Not sure how much older they are. The shelves are three tracks deep, I don't even know whats on the back track. Or in the storage boxes under the layout.

[SD60M]

Mine is a Bachmann spectrum SD45 in Burlington Northern its my oldest engine i have and my favorite. At only 5 years years old it still runs great but when i was a kid my friends always had accidents with my engines and freight cars so there not around anymore to pull my trains.

[MisterBeasley]

The lead F7 is somewhere around the half-century mark.  I got it in a yard-sale box-o-trains as an early teen, and it was used then.  I'm 60 now, so the math puts it around 50.  It's an Athearn gear-drive, and it is still running.  Sounds like a garbage disposal, but it will pull this whole train with no problems.  I replaced the original incandescent with a LED, put on a pair of Kadees and even gave it a decoder.  The dummy B-unit came from eBay, and the A on the back is a dummy, too.  That one was one of my original belt-drive Athearns.

FYI, the whole passenger train is of the same vintage - early Mantua.  Two came from that same box, and the other 3 were picked up on eBay a year or so ago.

[C&O Fan]

This would be it.

a present from my wife in the 70's

She's gone now but it still runs quite smooth

 

[WCfan]

The white loco in this pic is my oldest. It's a Bachmann GP40 that I bought in Germany in 1977. Recently I ripped out the old open frame motor and shoe-horned in a a PPW can motor and fitted a new GP40 shell. As of February it has been in my possesion for thirty years.

Is the green one a custom paint?

[WCfan]

The white loco in this pic is my oldest. It's a Bachmann GP40 that I bought in Germany in 1977. Recently I ripped out the old open frame motor and shoe-horned in a a PPW can motor and fitted a new GP40 shell. As of February it has been in my possesion for thirty years.

That loco looks like a SD40. My eyes might be fooling me.

[dragonriversteel]

 

 A 1950's varney SW-1200. A real puller of a brute,after being rewired,oiled and painted in DRSC colors.

 

 

 Heavy die-cast frame,shell and trucks. I love this locomotive,one of the best switchers in the fleet.That is only used for steel mill service and only ventures out of the mill when needed.

 

 Patrick

 Beaufort,SC

 Dragon River Steel Corp {DRSC}

[jeffrey-wimberly]

The white loco in this pic is my oldest. It's a Bachmann GP40 that I bought in Germany in 1977. Recently I ripped out the old open frame motor and shoe-horned in a a PPW can motor and fitted a new GP40 shell. As of February it has been in my possesion for thirty years.

[simon1966]

I was about 8 years old when I got this Triang-Minic dockside loco.  It was part of a road-rail set that I played with and ended up destroying out of frustration.  Things just did not run well.

Affectionately known as "The funny little red one" by my sons, this little chap is pushing 40 years old.

It was actually a cool idea.  Small OO scale electric cars drove around on a slot car track.  I had an E-type Jag as I recall.  The cars could be driven up a ramp and onto a car carrier that was pulled by this little dock sider train.  Here is a link to a set that is much bigger than mine.

http://www.tri-ang.co.uk/Minic/layout.htm

I have to say that it was actually a good idea http://www.tri-ang.co.uk/Minic/loading.htm and with what  I know about track cleaning now, would probably work quite well.

This little loco came back into my life about 6 years ago when my Dad visited the US and carried it over with him.  I have repaired the brushes and got it running.  It has the deepest flanges I have ever seen on a loco!!

 

 

[ARTHILL]

English Yardbird. My dad gave it to me in 1950, my first engine. I added the valve gear. It never ran very well and I tried to fix the running gear in 1970. I found what was left of it in 2005 when I started over and I included it in my station scene.

[beegle55]

My oldest is a cheapie Tyco Sante Fe U boat, it still runs as good as a Tyco ever ran, but is not ever in service on the BMRR. I'm not sure how old, its an older Tyco, came in a set that my dad purchased for my brother years ago. I got a Trailer Train auto rack and some other cars that came in the set, the track however was brass and was disposed of. I should have kept the box, I don't know why, but I'd just be neat to see again... Nice story, and I would post pics, but the Tyco isn't worth the trouble of taking a picture of.

 -beegle55

 

[Anonymous]

I have essentially replaced all of the older equiptment. That being said, Im aware of some O gauge equiptment still operating after one or two generations.

I hate to say this but I think my BLI PRR m1a is currently my oldest locomotive.

[WCfan]

Mine was a WC GP9M. Trainline. It's pretty old. Not as old as yours! I got it around 1993. I can't rember. That was my first loco I got. This was back when I started my hobbie. After many happy years on my old layout, she was put into a box for 5 years. I found it not two long ago.  And to my suprise It didn't run any more. I also noticed my repars and my "painting" skills. I may just have to fix after reading the story above. I don't have a picture of it.

[VAPEURCHAPELON]

Sorry I don't have a photo (even didn't try to post one at this forum up to date), but I feel that my TENSHODO GN N-3 is one from the 1967 or 1968 run (I have no box and therefore no proof), making it my oldest engine. It still is unpainted, has heavy tarnish, and after some superdetailing work I want to regear and remotor it, and of course it will get a nice paint job.

Is it possible that your nice Hudson is a very early TENSHODO? However, it's very nice to know and see that such an old and nice piece is restaurated and still makes pleasure to someone. Thanks for that posting.

[selector]

What an interesting account...thanks for taking the trouble to write it up and to post it.  There certainly is a lot of history to this hobby, and there are many still-running locomotives and modelers with stories to tell.

That is a nice locomotive, too.  Nice to know that it is restored.

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

Hello model railroaders:

Here's a photo of my oldest locomotive. When I was too young to own a such a thing, my father returned from a business trip in Japan with this "souvenir". I operated it on the crude layout I had made back then. Unfortunately, the Hudson derailed on some bad track. (All of the layout was bad track!)  It bounced off the layout and onto the basement floor. I did the best I could to straighten out the damage and repeated the process. After about three or four trips to the concrete floor, the engine was not operable. I placed its pieces in its wooden box and went back to my Athearn Hi F engines. It spent a few decades in its box.  About 4 years ago, I decided to restore the engine. I bought replacement parts as needed. I removed its paint. Soldered or fastened on the new parts. I rewired it and connected the power. Away she went!  I repainted and relettered it. Headlight still works, too.

 Now the locomotive has a prime spot on a display shelf.  She's 51 years old and counting.

Perhaps other model railroaders will show us their oldest locomotives, too. I hopw so.