How many of us “toy train” folks are still running pre-1990 equipment?
All of mine is HO.
My “pike” currently has about 8 out of 26 locomotives that predate 1990. I don’t run them much, but I do run them from time to time. My biggest reason for not running them is if they break down, they are pain to find parts for. Not to mention that by todays standards, they don’t run as well.
My “pike” also has about 1/3rd of it’s rolling stock that predates 1980. Most of it is run except the 1950’s TYCO and Revell cars. Those only number about 10 total. Again, the main reason for not running it is the lack of replacement parts.
How many of us “toy train” folks are still running pre-1990 equipment?
All of mine is HO.
[:D] I’m a model railroader , But yes I have 40 some odd loco’s that I really won’t run anymore, just old and balky compared to the newer stuff. The loco produced today are just so much better. Thet sit on shelves looking good.
I have a couple of locomotives from the 50’s, that still run. If you work on them, instead of shevleing them ,they tend to have a longer operating life. It’s not that hard to fix,an older locomotive , but the throw away junk like the old bachmann and life-like ,isn’t worth a hill of spit.
Athearn locomotive’s are very simple to mantain…Atlas no need to mantain…Kato forget about mantaining them,no need.
This week, I should be getting my hands on a older collection of model trains. I guy is moving to CA , and is giving away six boxes of old model trains. What I don’t fix and keep or want, will be traded or sold on e-bay. Can’t wait to see whats in these boxes!!!
Patrick
Beaufort,SC
Dragon River Steel Corp {DRSC}
For a while, all I had was the stuff from my teenage layout in the 50’s and 60’s. I’ve tried to run almost all of the old locomotives. I could get most of them to run haltingly around the track, but only one (an Athearn F7) was consistent enough to merit a decoder. That one, though, gets run most every time I power up. The rest of my active engine roster is new equipment, with the exception of another F7 I found at a train show a while back. I turned my two rubber-band-drive Athearns into dummies.
I’ve got lots of rolling stock, which I refuse to put on the layout until I’ve taken off the horn-hooks and replaced them with Kadees. That gives me a series of little projects I can do down in the workroom when I get tossed out of the family room so the ladies can watch The OC or American Idol.
I have sevral kits from MDC that I don’t know the dates–but they fit my era and can be improved with remodeling and regearing. A time is comong when I will make the run to my specifications.
I have a few Athearn BB kits that date back to the late 60’s and early 70’s. I have a few loco’s that are over 30 years old. My dad gave me these awhile ago.
Oldest in my fleet is a mid-fifties Penn Line PRR Atlantic. A littel threadbare on the details (Nothing a Bowser Superdetail kit wouldnt fix) but with lathe turned drivers (they don’t make em like this anymore) it’s smooooooooooth!!!
Soon she gets a can and flywheel, full detailing, repaint and decoder. After this overhaul, the grand dame of the fleet take her rightful place at the head of the express mail trains.
Also floating around are some Lionel HO FA’s that are repowered with Athearn driveline parts. And some Tyco/Mantua steamers that my Dad and I built as kits back in the eary 70’s. Also there is a Tyco C430 running around with a homebuilt drive too! Old is cool, as long as it works!!!
If it wasn’t for pre-90’s or pre-80’s or pre-70’s where would a person afford to continue in this hobby?? there are still great bargains out there on old (NIB) roundhouse products available and to buy a box of older ho “stuff” and convert it to great rolling stock. (another man’s treasure)—better to spend $10.00 on a treasure box of old train stuff than $2300.00 on that new brass loco( or dogfood to eat) just keep buying all the new “stuff” out there and keep selling me your "gently used stuff, Geezers Unite----- —DCC-it’s just a fad ! !
Almost all of my active rolling stock is pre-1975, that being when I stopped purchasing new kits in Japan. Everything acquired since, except for one Tenshodo Bo-Bo-Bo electric kit, has been kitbashed or is awaiting a visit to the shops where it will be kitbashed.
Those kitbashed items have a distinctly Japanese ‘flavor,’ but aren’t built to any known prototype. All are decorated for the freelance Tomikawa Tani Tetsudo, not the rigidly-prototypical JNR.
Hmmm, on the O scale side, most of my motive power is pre-1990 (Atlas F-9s some with new motors, and NWSL wheelsets) Most of my rolling stock is post 1985 Weaver.
Only 2 locomotives are post 90 (so far) an Atlas SD35 and a MTH 2 railed FP45. Waiting on the GP15T!!!
In HO, the oldest regular runner I have is a Gem C&O J3 Greenbriar.
The rest is mostly re-worked Athearn from the late 80s.
For me, part of the fun of the hobby is doing mechanical overhauls on what would be considered “marginal” runners by today’s standards.
But, I do collect “gum band drive” Athearn
The only two I run regularly are a pair of Athearn RDCs (originally with Hi-Fi drives) that have been fully repowered with NWSL powertrucks. They run great and look alright as long as my Life Like RSDs aren’t in view heh.
Other than that, I’ve got most of my grandfather’s old trains including lots of old Athearns from the 60s, some AHC, Tyco and Varney rolling stock (a bit of which still runs with new wheelsets and such) but I think the big one was a full B&O streamliner with all Athearn BB cars and a Life Like E8 that my grandfather painted. The engine doesn’t work at all anymore (and has some really odd looking trucks) but I still am using some of the old Athearn coaches as stand ins until I replace them with Walthers or some other higher-end equipment.