My oldest is a pair of Atlas/Roco GN FA-1's that I bought used not long ago. They are noisy, finicky critters but I bought them mainly for nostalgia and display. I've only been into N scale since Feb 2005 so all my other stuff is relatively new.
My oldest active locomotives are first run Atlas GP20/35 DRGW. Otherwise, my oldest locomotives are 2 Arnold Rapido Rio Grande F9 A/B sets, purchased at Caboose Hobbies many years ago! For $65/set, if I remember right! Anything else has either been sold or traded over time. As for oldest cars, that's gotta go to my 6 car Con Cor Rio Grande passenger set, which includes the almost? impossible to find Dome/Observation! Which was sold to a friend, then bought back, about 10 years later! Boy, was I grateful to get that set back!
A Minitrix F7/9 that came in a train set. Christmas gift in 1966. Came from W T Grant's and it's still running. Al
I'm not sure which is actually the oldest but of the equipment I have, everything is considered a runner. Atlas 4-6-2 Light Pacific 2-8-8-2 ConCor/Rivarossi 1st Generation, Tender permenantly attached. Atlas E-8 Rivarossi drive, Rear truck powered, front truck pickup with wipers. I'm about to have a bunch more to pick though. Picking up an old N scale collection this week with a few Revell Steamers, some Arnold steam and bunches of diesels. Not even sure what all is there.
My oldest is a Kato GP50 that was BN but in is now striped, I will fit the shell to a atlas GP40-2 mech some day and proably will sell the GP50 mech as it still runs good. Kevin
Still running a Con-Cor U-50, but I repainted mine to match an SP prototype. Pulls like a champ with just regular cleaning. Also running Con-Cor PA1/PB-1 (purchased in 1978) on special occasions pulling a home road passenger train. Pulling power on these older engines far surpass the current breed, but they are not nearly as smooth nor do they operate at slow speeds as well. I retired a set of Minitrix F-9 A-B-As replaced by a set of Kato F-3s just last year. Finally wore out the brushes!
Wow,I didn't know N-scale had rubber band drives.I knew Athearn made HO scale rubber band drives.One evening at our model railroad club the discussion was IF you could put a dcc decoder in a rubber band drive engine.My reply was WHY? I have some Atlas PA's that are from the late seventies that see fairly regular service on my layout.
Mine are a pair of the first Atlas GP9's from China. I've sold off most of the older stuff since then, so they are it. They both have decoders in them and run at the local club without any problems. THey are about ready for the paint shop, though.. Kel
