Oldest Operating Diesel locomotive

Randy Hees · **Posted:** Fri Jun 01, 2018 10:08 pm

At the Nevada State Railroad Museum, Boulder City we have UP 1000, a EMC NW-2 Demonstrator, built in 1939, c/n 889, to UP 1000 (their first diesel fright locomotive) eventually to Western Pacific and Sacramento Northern...

It is generally in service, but currently down with a failed compressor drive... New parts on hand, now reassembling the loco... (Thanks to PCook, and several others here for advice)

Randy

70000 · **Posted:** Sat Jun 02, 2018 12:06 am

Not North America, but the oldest operational one (1932) preserved in the UK (and originally purchased by the Ford Motor Co) does owe a lot to early US practice....

https://locoyard.com/2016/05/08/the-old ... in-the-uk/

Galloway · **Joined:** Wed Aug 23, 2017 12:23 pm **Posts:** 21

CNJ 1000 would easily run with minor work and a fill up. It's been inside for 65 years. Oldest around.

k5ahudson · **Joined:** Tue Aug 24, 2004 6:30 am **Posts:** 773

1939 built 43 ton GE - Wabash 51. The first diesel owned by the Wabash Railroad. It basically hasn't stopped working since 1939, even after its retirement from the Wabash around 1960 it became an industrial switcher. It is now at the Elgin County Railway Museum in St. Thomas, Ontario....

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Alexander D. Mitchell IV · **Posted:** Sun Jun 03, 2018 1:11 am

Galloway wrote:

CNJ 1000 would easily run with minor work and a fill up. It's been inside for 65 years. Oldest around.

In disingenuous auto advertising, the phrase is "Ran when last started...."

And as with such car ads, in terms of "operable" it's completely irrelevant.

My own standard of "operable" is either you can go out and try to start it with the expectation of it running, or you can get it running in 24 hours without making a trip to a parts supplier or store. Fill the boiler and light the fire, or charge the batteries and start 'er up.......

arjay3 · **Joined:** Fri Jul 22, 2005 9:50 pm **Posts:** 162

Rick Rowlands wrote:

The Allentown & Auburn Railroad claims that their EMC switcher is the second oldest diesel in operation. I guess the B-73 is no.1 and this one is no. 2

.

But it was modernized with a C block and is a long ways away from the original as built status

Otto Vondrak · **Posted:** Mon Jun 04, 2018 2:32 pm

while we can't beat operating locomotives from the 1930s, we do have an operating diesel from 1941 at RGVRRM. Rochester Gas & Electric General Electric 45-ton switcher no. 1941 (it has no number so we assigned one based on its build date).

https://www.flickr.com/photos/rgvrrm/36593693222

http://www.rgvrrm.org/about/railroad/rge1941/

We bring out the 1941 for special events several times throughout the year.

-otto-

tomgears · **Posted:** Wed Jun 06, 2018 2:50 pm

At Wilmington & Western we have a 1929 Doodlebug and a 1940 SW-1 both in regular service but not with original engines blocks.