MTH small Hudson 5405

[v8vega]

I don't change trains on my layout as often as I should but did today. In a spare bedroom I have made shelves and looking at what I wanted to run. I have a lot of trains and pulled out this Hudson, I'm sure I ran it when I bought it and put it on the shelves where it kind of dissapeared. I don't remember running it. Kind of like getting a new engine.

[J. S. Bach]

[webenda]

[sarge]

For small Hudsons, I personally like the little one K-line did late in their life. Really nicely proportioned, captures the "balance" of the real thing, nicely finished, still runs well now 20-odd years after it was made, a handsome robust engine that fits in with "traditional" postwar stuff. Very little modern-made 3-rail has earned its way into my cellar, but that little Hudson did and did it well.

[healey36]

I have one Hudson locomotive, a postwar Lionel 2046 that I picked up from somewhere, nicely refurbished, but sans tender at the time. It eventually got mated with an incorrect Williams 2671W:





My knowledge of PW is limited, but my understanding is that the 2046 is the O-27 version of the O-gauge 646. With smoke and Magnetraction, it runs great, capable of pulling a long string of cars. I bought a set of transfers in the style of the prewar Hudson tenders and laid those on the undecorated Williams tender (with somewhat mixed results). I think this boiler casting is the same one used on the PW 726 Berk.

[sarge]

I liked the Postwar "baby" Hudson. It fit with the rest of the range nicely.

Here's the K-line I was on about:

[healey36]

That is a lovely thing; always thought locomotives with their smokebox painted a contrasting color looked very sharp. All in all, they look remarkably similar.

[ScaleCraft]

I have one Hudson locomotive, a postwar Lionel 2046 that I picked up from somewhere, nicely refurbished, but sans tender at the time. It eventually got mated with an incorrect Williams 2671W:





My knowledge of PW is limited, but my understanding is that the 2046 is the O-27 version of the O-gauge 646. With smoke and Magnetraction, it runs great, capable of pulling a long string of cars. I bought a set of transfers in the style of the prewar Hudson tenders and laid those on the undecorated Williams tender (with somewhat mixed results). I think this boiler casting is the same one used on the PW 726 Berk.

Heavy locos with the 726 style boiler. Info here:
https://www.tandem-associates.com/lione ... 6_loco.htm

I have closest a 226E, and several 726/736 units. don't know if I have one of those 2046 engines.

"light" version would be 665/685, depending on your desire for Elesco or not (and just swap boiler fronts).
When I would pick up engines, tenders never mattered as far as "original". Sometimes they were correct to loco, sometimes they more closely matched the prototype look I was trying to duplicate or carry forward.
027 versions are 2055/2065. Other than screw-on boiler fronts and cab numbers, locos are identical through all 4.
I have a couple, run high speed passenger double-headed, one had been "butchered" and sold to me cheap by Al Cox. "Cowcatcher" whacked off and brass unit installed...which made nose coupler conversion a snap!

[ScaleCraft]

The really neat thing about populating your pike with 226E's, 2046's, 646's, 726's and 736's is you certainly get to keep the Family Lines Vibe in play, as they all use same boilers.
But then you get to find out how badly Lionel screwed up the boilers with the 726 and the hot bulb smoke unit. Continued to the 646 series. I have three engines with that boiler, one is correct stack placement and uncovered drivers. One has been repaired with stack moved to correct location and circumcised. The last one is just circumcised, but have the new cast stack for that process. Fits the whole "family lines" plan, like oxide roofs, safety white grabs.....
AFAIK, Lionel never fixed that on that casting...still there on the Polar Express version. Took a new boiler casting to get the stack right, like Pere Marquette, NYC..the ones with the big rectangular sane "dome" and like 6 sand lines each side.

[healey36]

The re-engineering that took the prewar 225E boiler casting into the postwar era as the 675 "K4" has always bugged me. Like the 226E, I always thought the 225E was decent looking proportionally and would have made for a nice postwar toy. Ol' JLC obviously thought otherwise.

As we've discussed before, the gunmetal 225E I have is a beater; I really need to spend some time and find a decent black 225E to go with the orphan 2235T tender I have up on the shelf.

[ScaleCraft]

The re-engineering that took the prewar 225E boiler casting into the postwar era as the 675 "K4" has always bugged me. Like the 226E, I always thought the 225E was decent looking proportionally and would have made for a nice postwar toy. Ol' JLC obviously thought otherwise.

As we've discussed before, the gunmetal 225E I have is a beater; I really need to spend some time and find a decent black 225E to go with the orphan 2235T tender I have up on the shelf.

Oh, yeah. Easiest way out was cut whack and shift, instead of fit to existing space.
I know we've talked at length about your "beater", but really, what makes it non-salvageable?
Broken cab roof, maybe. Crushed smokebox, okay. I mean, you can buy the bits you need, polish up rusted drive parts and clear. I have even replaced cabs (not fun) as a 675 will work, but you need to be aware your drawbar peg in the floor goes away. You can drill and re-fit.
675 motor blocks work as a drop-in.
Tell me again what makes yours non-salvageable?

[healey36]

Oh, with some work, it’s plenty salvageable, just a bit beaten/scuffed up. Nothing broken other than a few bad chips in the boiler front where the smoke-box door closes; I think you had suggested wrapping a bit of wire around the latch to help hold it shut, I just haven't gotten around to trying that. I’ll get it sorted, along with a few issues in the waffle-top tin tender.

[sarge]

That is a lovely thing; always thought locomotives with their smokebox painted a contrasting color looked very sharp. All in all, they look remarkably similar.

I have another of the semi-scale K-line, this one in New York Central. In contrast to the B&A one, it's black end to end. Lovely finish and runs just as well.





I really like them. I had a similar sized MTH Commodore Vanderbilt at one time. Finish and running characteristics were nowhere close, and the sounds were just an annoyance. I'm with Roger (may he rest in peace) about sound and control systems, both in my scale endeavours and here.

[healey36]

Another nice one, and I’m liking those blackened handrails. Man, makes me think back to when K-Line folded the tent. They cranked out some great stuff during those last few years before things went upside down.

I wish I would have picked up a Williams Hudson before Bachman’s takeover.

I think sound can be turned off on most MTH gear (except for that RailSounds L-1 you weathered for me; I know that must have been miserable ).

[ScaleCraft]

Does anyone here do heavy modifications of 3-rail steam?
I do, my buddy did a lot, also.
I have, in hand, one of those small MTH steamers.
Leftover from his mods. Boiler, cab, chassis, maybe trail truck (have to look) no cylinders, pilot deck/beam or tender.
No need for it here. Ever.
Has side and main rods, crankpins, all valve gear. Cab number 5344. I think I applied DC to motor and it runs.
Cost of shipping.