How many of us actually happen go have have A1G, B1G and B2G that actually run…which we have had from had start or have collected over the years? This means BACHMANN First and second Generation 1968 - 1999 . And A1G - ATLAS First Generation - is ATLAS / MEHANO, ATLAS / RIVAROSSI , ATLAS / ROCO. Whether it be a SD45 or a GP 40, GP30 and GP9 not forgetting about LIFELIKE's Mehano made GP40's and SD45's. All out of curiosity …, All out of curiosity …
Years ago I ran a lot of Atlas A1G, Bachmann from around 1973 (my 1st train set), Trix. Still run Atlas 4 truck whale belly tank car. Before hard core collectors have a stroke tank car was missing inner trucks when purchased. Dan Brown
I have an A1G FM C-liner that still runs as poorly as the day I got it in the 1970s. All my Mehano's got scrapped, and my Rogo GPs got rebuilt with Kato motors. I do have an Atlas Roco E7 and a Rapido FA (my first n-scale engine) that still work.
The only one I really think fits is a Spectrum C40-8W in CSX. Had some Bachman SD40-2's but, let's be honest, calling those dogs is an insult to our four legged friends.
I have quit a bit of stuff,wouldn't doubt I have over 100 pre 1985 locomotives...I scratchbuilt a lot of custom locomotives from the early 80's on,many from older stuff.Most were tuned up quit well,and actually run fairly acceptable.Now,if something better was available,like say,Atlas Fa's,I wouldn't bother with Mehano,but for C420's and other Alco's,there wasn't much besides Model Power,so I built a lot of custom 420's,C628's,RS36,RS11 low nose,ETC,from Model Power stuff.I have a few Atlas A1G locos,old solid frame Bachmann,lots of old steam,but all are remotored,ETC,other than a few that I have that I really didn't need,but were in one piece that just were still too nice too scrap.I even have a few old Lima's that actually run astonishingly well,I have a Lima GP30 that will pull 30 cars,runs like a watch,and an Atlas C-Liner that runs just as well..All the alcos in the pics are chopped up Model Powers,I had C628's in the early 80's,the C420's years before Atlas made theirs.I have Atlas 420's now,but these are too nice to mess with.They have Life Like GP38-2 chassis,with Model Power sideframes.Same with the RS11's,they're chopped up RSD15's..I cast the railings on the C-420's,all are custom painted but the LV FA's.I have at least 4 or 5 more of those RS-11's..The L&NE FA's are Arnolds,the B unit is two A's cut and glued together..
I visit it quite frequently. I just googled "Atlas A1g" and immediately got a link: http://www.irwinsjournal.com/a1g/ which opened right up. And with some new content.
“Still run Atlas A1g”? I have Atlas A1g I haven’t gotten around to running yet. And I buy A1g rolling stock on “that auction site” when it approximates a usable prototype if I can get it inexpensively. I have a couple of “new” Atlas Geeps I bought in the 1970s in Santa Fe blue and yellow only test run. Haven’t painted in zebra stripes or converted to MTL couplers yet for “real” operation. I run Atlas A1g reefers which I have modified. Need lots of reefers for my banana trains from Galveston. I am modifying A1g stock car KITS now that I have found prototypes that fit my region. I run helium cars on my Navy blimp base layout. One is an original Atlas A1g, one came under the Roco label, apparently the same tooling.
My site never left... http://www.irwinsjournal.com/a1g Doug Gosha's site with the A1G locomotives information was, along with all the other AOL Hometown sites, deleted without warning one Halloween Night. (I forget which year). Doug's pages are now hosted on my site: http://www.irwinsjournal.com/a1g/a1glocos
My introduction to N was via a Bachmann set, which is long gone now. Kinda wish it had been kept it as a souvenir! For several decades since then, I've kept but one, (grain hopper), of their cars on my active use roster.
And mine was an A1G set... thus the reason for my website. Only the Therm Ice plug door boxcar "refrigerator" survives from that original set, which was powered by the RARE! VINTAGE! HARD TO FIND! -- no, wait, I mean the UBIQUITOUS! 0-6-0 steam loco numbered "147." I've since replaced all of the original items from the set. The 'new' 147 runs as it ever did... with two speeds, "stop" and "fast."
Does a AHM Lima Minitrain set count? Or is only for Atlas and Bachmann? I also noticed on your web site you're looking for the ER Model 70113 Bay Window Caboose. If these two photos are of any help, Please feel free to use them on your site. The only alterations are the addition of the Micro-Trains couplers, Micro-Trains Caboose Trucks and the Microscale Kristal Klear windows.
I run 1G N scale stuff but not in revenue service (at least not unless I have a duplicate to outfit with knuckle couplers). I run my stuff on fan/photo freights, just to see the old stuff run.
Unless it is some rolling stock, I do not operate any of the early power with regularity. I might take out some and run it around a track for whatever reason, but that is about it. Atlas: RR 0-4-0-the model that reflects what happened when B&O converted two of its famous Baltimore 0-4-0Ts to 'conventional configuration'. It will operate as slowly as thirty SMPH and is not a bad puller, but it will not hold that speed for long. Roco E-7 chassis with E-8 shells. I bought them a t a show that way many years back. Roco FA-whatever RR USRA light pacific. It actually runs well and the zirmac has not warped, cracked or turned to powder Y-E-T. the can motor has not fired, Y-E-T. RR FM B/A-1-A-I repainted it to NYC freight colors )something that NYC's never had) and it STILL runs like gar-BAH-hay. Mehano RSC-2 in NYC lightning stripes-NYCS never had any RS-2s. The thing does have a five pole motor but it is geared only to one truck. It can barely get out of its own way. Bachpersonn One FP-whatever that smokes when you start it but stops smoking once it gets going. GF has an early eight wheeler that actually does not run or pull too badly. We spent hours breaking it in. It still wobbles pretty badly. I probably have more, but I can not think of what they are, now.
I think some are off track here, I stated ATLAS / MEHANO, ATLAS / RIVAROSSI, ATLAS / ROCO, this means the ATLAS from 1968-1980.. and not MINITRIX, MEHANO andLIMA etc.. Though, some have chosen to include these. Tom
Hmmmm.... Atlas only. Lots of cars too numerous to list. Most have been so heavily modified and weathered as to be unrecognizable, collectors avert eyes. As far as power.... My most notable "Atlas" is the frame of a Roco GP30 that was chopped, mated with 0-6-0 switcher wheels and rods, and made into a Heisler. Still running quite well since originally built in 1976, and runs in the Bedford show every year. Now on its third motor. One of the reasons I stick with Peco C55. I have one 'still in the box' 4-6-2 that I restored to operating condition that had been a warranty repair with a swollen frame. Got it running well, it's my flashback to 1969 and I haven't touched it at all.
The only "first generation" power I still run is Con-Cor/Kato PAs and U50s. Every one of my dozen or so old Atlas/Rivarossi with the vertical can motors had the brushes fuse to the commutators. I still have a couple of Atlas/Roco Geeps kicking around the oldie-but-moldy box, but it's quite likely they'll never see the light of day again. Cars... lots of cars still in my active fleet. Many Con-Cor cars from the beginning, especially since the original Kato wheelsets run fine on Code 40. These cars have also weathered "naturally". I have a string of the Atlas helium cars with MTL truck conversions, as well as 100+ of the 70-ton ore gons, most with original boxes. A few of the boxes have "$2.50" stickers on them. Fun stuff!
Interesting topic! Unfortunately I came to the game rather late so my first locomotives were some Atlas/Kato Geeps and Atlas cars from that same time frame. Would that be A2G or A3G? It is very interesting topic from a historical aspect.
