What was your first piece of N scale equipment?

oldrk Aug 11, 2008

  1. oldrk

    oldrk TrainBoard Supporter

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    I got to thinking about the thread about your favorite N scale equipment and then started trying to remember what was the first thing I ever either bought or was given. And in all honesty Im not sure what it was. I believe it would have been an Atlas train set purchased at a department store in Peru Indiana called G C Murphys. Probably the C liner with a couple of cars, a loop of track and a transformer. I think it went for around $12. How about sharing your story of your first n scale stuff?
     
  2. Willyboy

    Willyboy TrainBoard Supporter

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    Bachmann 0-6-0 Christmas Train Set.
     
  3. drawmada

    drawmada TrainBoard Member

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    A Model Power Train Set with a CP Rail Alco c-420 ... used it so much that I burnt out the motor on it lol

    Cheers
    Adam
     
  4. Colorado_Bob

    Colorado_Bob TrainBoard Member

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    I had been into HO for many years and one winter around 2000 or so I got bored with it and I had noticed the N scale equipment at Caboose Hobbies in Denver. I was intrigued with the notion of how much track and detail I could have in a small space and I thought the detail and quality of the N scale equipment had reached a point that was acceptable.

    I bought a Micro-Trains Table Top train set. It seemed a little pricey I recall, but it had a Kato UP SD40, a number of freight cars, and an oval of Atlas snap track. What started as a whim or an experiment to fight off boredom has now become an obsession.
     
  5. Cox 1947

    Cox 1947 TrainBoard Member

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    My first was some N scale stuff I got for my Son back about 1990..My first train was a American Flyer set for "Santa" in 1953...My first HO was a Blue Box 40 foot Box Car and a 9 inch piece of atlas Track set on the TV in 1967....Jerry
     
  6. up1950s

    up1950s TrainBoard Supporter

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    In 1997 I switched from HO to N , and while I was consigning my brass HO's at The Caboose in Wolcott Conn I picked up an N scale Key UP 2-8-0 #332 , re-lettered it UP 618 , since then I got another waiting for re-lettering .
     
  7. AB&CRRone

    AB&CRRone TrainBoard Supporter

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    An Atlas C liner for my son with a layout built to his height at age 2. He was not tall enough for my HO layout. Don't know if it was the C liner or not but his interest in trains did not last for long. I caught the N Scale bug from the Atlas Pacific, my first. The cute factor got me.


    Ben
     
  8. OC Engineer JD

    OC Engineer JD Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    When I was about 8 my Grandparents got me a small N Scale set with the Plymouth switcher and a couple coal cars, a small oval, and power pack. My Dad got a small board and set the oval up and I would spend hours running that thing non-stop around the track. :)
     
  9. brakie

    brakie TrainBoard Member

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    A Atlas E8 that came in a train set with 3 or 4 cars and a caboose.This was my first N Scale train set..The year was 1968.
     
  10. r_i_straw

    r_i_straw Mostly N Scale Staff Member

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    My brother gave me these along with some cars and a small layout for Christmas in either 1963 or 64. Was not called N but 000.
    [​IMG]
    My first locomotive that was called N Gauge was given to me by my brother in 1967. First time I ever saw Rapido couplers and I thought they were great compared to the contraptions on the locomotives above.
    [​IMG]
     
  11. skipgear

    skipgear TrainBoard Member

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    I didn't really have a first piece of equipment. One day in the late 70's my dad said, "Let's go for a ride." We ended up at a gentlemans house, went up to his attic and there was a 5-10' N scale train layout. He and my dad talked a bit and then he asked me, "Do you want to take it home?".

    It was too big to fit down the stairs in one piece so the gentleman said he would section the layout and have it ready in a week or so. I got to take the loco's and rolling stock home that day. We came back the next week and hauled it home. I spent the next month or so splicing the layout back together, joining tracks and sorting out his wiring codes.

    The loco's that I remember from that were an Concor PA/B set in Pennsy and a Trix U30CG in Amtrak paint with a set of Lima heavyweights to pull behind it.

    The first loco that was bought for the layout was actually won in a Christmas drawing at a local hobbyshop. The drawing was for an HO loco, we worked out with the shop owner to get a Bachmann Santa Fe 4-8-4 Northern along with a set of Bachmann Heavies to go with it. It spent more time on the work bench than on the track.
     
  12. Calzephyr

    Calzephyr TrainBoard Supporter

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    I bought a Model Power (Santa Fe) train set for the Xmas holiday in 1982. The set contained one Minitrix F7 and four streamline passenger cars. I sold off the passenger cars about 4 years later when I decided to model Rio Grande instead of Santa Fe. I repainted the F7 in Aspen Gold and Silver. It's gone too... now that Intermountain and Kato have made F units in Rio Grande.

    My first individual pieces of freight were a couple of coal hoppers and flat cars and a Santa Fe caboose. I think they were ConCor brand. I used them behind the Santa Fe F7 and put some jewelry on the flatcars and hoppers to surprise my wife. It was a great way to get her to accept my new hobby.
     
  13. dascrab

    dascrab E-Mail Bounces

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    I don't remember exactly but it had to be a Bachmann. I wanted a B&O train because they were closest to my house. Early on I had a 2-8-2, a docksider, a Chessie F unit, and a Chessie U36-B. I bought a Reading (their choice) GP40 C.O.D. and it became my first paint job into B&O. After a while I took a chance on a high priced unit. It was a Con Cor C636 in B&O paint and after I saw how it ran I never looked back. Man, how I hated Rapido couplers back then. I still have the docksider (still runs great) and the GP40. RICK
     
  14. UPCLARK

    UPCLARK TrainBoard Member

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    My switch cam in 1977. I kept seeing these c^*e little Atlas GP-30's in the counter. I traded-in my small HO switcher with a few cars for the GP-30 and a few N scale cars. The old GP-30 is stashed with all the other salvage equipment. Unfortunately, not in the excellent condition of Russell's beauties. I didn't know that the some of the original N offerings had eurpoean couplers.
     
  15. pastoolio

    pastoolio TrainBoard Member

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    First piece of N scale... Anyone remember the Bachmann SD40-2 with the blinking yellow beacon on top? Yep, in Santa Fe no less. Along with the Atlas shorty tank car lettered for "Hooker" (cause I was 14 and I thought it was funny) and a Bachmann Santa Fe boxcar that was painted orange (?!?) and an Atlas Southern Pacific caboose. A bit of Atlas sectional track, a few manual switches, and I was set. Got home, removed all the HO stuff from the 4x8, and said to myself, I'm gonna need more track! =)

    -Mike
     
  16. mtntrainman

    mtntrainman TrainBoard Supporter

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    A Life Like set.

    UP GP20...one tank car...one box car...one hopper...and one caboose. All with Rapido truck mounted couplers. I still run that stuff. I made a couple of 'conversion cars' so I can hook up the rapidos with all my other cars with MT couplers.
     
  17. Delamaize

    Delamaize TrainBoard Member

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    Settel in and grab a beer, cuz this is going to take a while....

    so first train I got was this:
    [​IMG]Little Joe Train set, little 0-6-0 tank loco, mine had a UP stock car, a boxcar ( I can't remember for the life of me the road name) and a ATSF caboose. it also came with a oval of track, a house and a church, lightpoles, road signs and trees.

    Mom and dad had a old F-9 bachmann trainset that they had stashed away too, the loco was fried, but I got a Leight valley boxcar, a Burlingrton gondola, and another ATSF caboose. she also had a atlas UP covered hopper she bought also.

    that 0-6-0 logged alot of miles untill the side roda fell off and locked up the mech, frying the motor. I still have it somewhere, well just the shell. I would love to have another one, it was a great little engine overall.

    Mom and Dad decided that after making that engine last about a year, and a old style Lifelike GP38 last about a year and a half, they decided that I needed something that would last a little longer, so I got my first "good engine" a Kato F-7A In SP's bloody nose, #6440, I still have it although, it has a freight pilot, and painted black in preperation for the NP Pine tree paint right now, along with a undec B unit I picked up about a year ago. That F-7 is on it's 3rd motor.

    The next engine I got I actually saved my allowance for the summer, and worked some other odd jobs, saved enough to go buy my next engine myself. a Kato SD45 in SP's bloody nose. Still have it too, still runs, still orginal motor, although, I have had to replace that damn horn at least 3 times.

    after that, I am not sure what order I got what in.

    Man I am glad I still have the F7 and the SD45 though, wish I still had a more complete 0-6-0. then I could at the least place it in a park as a display or something.
     
  18. jagged ben

    jagged ben TrainBoard Member

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    My uncle and aunt sent me a Life-Like Little Joe set for my birthday. Can't remember which birthday, maybe eighth, maybe 10th.

    The product is remarkably unchanged more than 20 years later.
    http://www.hobbylinc.com/htm/lif/lif7549.htm

    Mine had a hopper instead of a reefer, but the same engine and caboose, and the trees and buildings and stuff.

    We're having a steam day at the club next weekend, and it's still the only steam engine I own. I wonder if I can get it running. Probably not. It probably couldn't pull itself up our 3% grade, either.
     
  19. jagged ben

    jagged ben TrainBoard Member

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    Delamaize, you beat me to it! ROTFL!

    If I hadn't gotten that phone call to interrupt my posting, I woulda been first!
     
  20. poomfasa

    poomfasa TrainBoard Member

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    My first set was also the Life Like Little Joe, funny how I'm not the only one. Years later my second acquisition in 2002(?) was an Atlas SD-60M, an oval of Kato Unitrack, and some Walthers well cars. A total world of difference in terms of quality and realism.
     

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