How Old Is Your Oldest "Working" Locomotive?

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kgstakes said:
The oldest locomotive I have is my father’s brass challenger (second shelf from top). All of these locomotives run but they are all DC power and my switching layout is DCC. Plus it would look a little weird running an almost two foot locomotive on a main that is only seven feet. He bought it probably late 50’s early 60’s.

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Nice collection, would be cool if you posted some more detailed shots. I especially like that "Challenger", is it Rio Grande, or Northern Pacific?
Also that 2-8-2 below is interesting, is it a New York Central H-10?
 
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My oldest locomotive running is probably this Knapp 4-8-2 (tender is much newer). From what i've read Knapp was acquired in 1946 by Bowser, so this will make this "Mountain" a 1946, or older. Smooth runner, and powerfull, also one of my best tracking steam locomotives;
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I also have an old 2-6-2 which i wasn't able to even establish as to what make it is;
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The "Prairie" was running, but it must have a short somewhere currently.
 


kgstakes said:
The oldest locomotive I have is my father’s brass challenger (second shelf from top). All of these locomotives run but they are all DC power and my switching layout is DCC. Plus it would look a little weird running an almost two foot locomotive on a main that is only seven feet. He bought it probably late 50’s early 60’s.

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that's a cool collection of duplexes you have there. Bottom right and top right look really neat
 
People have given me old stuff, amongst all that was a rubber band Athearn geep. It’s parked at my museum, I’ve never put bands on it or otherwise tried to run it. Not much interested. But I do yearn to someday own a bicycle that’s older than me (1952 model).
 
AuburnCentral said:
It’s been awhile since I ran it but grandpa had no issues at the club. They did take some time to build to get it running properly. If I wanted i probably have enough parts to make at least one if not two more and I have 5 or6 tenders put together
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I've heard horrible things about Arbour kits...but not before i found their Pennsylvania Railroad J1 kit. There is deffinitely more flash and imperfections to file off of them when putting them together. I actually got stuck on the included gearbox, it was just getting extremely hot when turning, not very well designed. Maybe someday i'll get on it again, since the Pennsy J1 is my favorite "Texas" type.
 


AuburnCentral said:
This was the first engine they made I believe and everything I have would be from the first run. They would at least make a good static display piece. I wonder how many are left of the original display engines that grandpa help built. I do believe they were working models
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I would definitely want mine to run, with that weight it would pull anything on my layout. But other projects abound for now.
 
I guess the oldest operating locomotive in service is a totally reworked and modified Athearn DD35. I machined the frame to accept scale with hoods (ATH RTR), used two RTR Athearn motors that have sealed ball bearings, hex drive lines. Milled off the factory journal bearing caps, and installed DA plastic ones bent op all the air lines, handrails, used PSC stantions. A bunch of stryene was used as well.
DD35 4.JPG


After I painted, added decals, and some weathering.
DD35 2.JPG
DD35 3.JPG
DD35 14.JPG


Most of my locos in service are Athearn BB locos, I just enjoyed detailing and painting/weathering them all.
 
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gjslsffan said:
I guess the oldest operating locomotive in service is a totally reworked and modified Athearn DD35. I machined the frame to accept scale with hood (ATH RTR), used two RTR Athearn motors that have sealed ball bearings, hex drive lines. Milled off the factory journal bearing caps, and installed DA plastic ones bent op all the air lines, handrails, used PSC stantions. A bunch of stryene was used as well.
View attachment 207079

After after I painted, added decals, and some weathering
View attachment 207080View attachment 207081View attachment 207082

Most of my locos in service and Athearn BB locos, I just enjoyed detailing and painting/weathering them all.
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That is a very nice job, and you have a unique model.
 
jmupton2000 said:
…..
And from the Blue Box camp, an ancient DD35X which admittedly has had quite a bit of work done and definitely never existed in real life:
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DD35 was a real locomotive but was cabless. Later UP asked EMD to make a cabbed version and it was the DD35A. Athearn’s model is a DD40 of which only those built by Athearn made it to the rails, no prototypes were built. At first glance the biggest difference is the outward radiator fan on each set should be a 36” fan instead of 48”. Only UP had A units but, as your photo shows, they would have been impressive in SP livery.
 


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