MTH HO Scale 4-6-4 Hudson Locomotive - Streamlined NYC Empire State

HO RTR 4-6-4 with PS3, NYC/Empire State #1



Written By:
Ken Hulsey
Source: Steamlocomotives


MTH has released, what might be, one of the finest examples of the famed New York Central's 4-6-4 streamlined, 'Hudsons', in HO gauge. This locomotive is painted in the railroad's 'Empire State' paint scheme, and is a must have for all railroad modelers and enthusiasts.



In total 275 of these powerful passenger locomotives were built for the NYC by the American Locomotive Company between 1926 and 1938. Of these engines, 13 were streamlined in the now infamous, "bathtub" casing that was designed by the Case School of Science in Cleveland, OH.

NYC locomotive 5344 was the first to receive the streamline treatment, in fact, it was the first American steamer to ever be streamlined, having its shroud installed in 1934.

In 1935 No. 5344 was assigned to the New York Central's premiere passenger train, the 20th Century Limited, which ran between Toledo and Chicago. This locomotive would remain on the head end of the 'Limited' until 1945, when a collision with a truck at a grade crossing, would cause the engine to have to have it's streamlining removed.

Locomotives 5426 and 5429, were streamlined with a stainless steel cowling to match the "Empire State Express" train. Both locomotives would wear this cowling until 1950.

Ten 'Hudsons' , numbers 5445 through 5454, were graced with the famed streamline design created by Henry Dreyfuss that matched the new cars of the New York to Chicago "Twentieth Century Limited" which was one of America's most famous luxury trains.

$13.29 For An Athearn F3 A/B Set With DCC & Sound?!!

The EMD F3 was a 1,500-horsepower (1,100 kW), B-B freight-hauling diesel locomotive produced between July 1945 and February 1949 by General Motors’ Electro-Motive Division. Final assembly was at GM-EMD's La Grange, Illinois plant. A total of 1,111 cab-equipped lead A units and 696 cabless booster B units were built.

The F3 was the third model in GM-EMD's highly successful F-unit series of cab unit freight diesels, and it was the second most produced of the series. The F3 essentially differed from the EMD F2 in that it used the “new” D12 generator to produce more power, and from the later EMD F7 in electrical equipment. Some late-model F3s had the same D27 traction motors used in the F7, and were nicknamed F5 models.

As built, the only way to distinguish between the F2 and F3 was the nose number panels on the A units, which were small on the F2 and large on the F3 and subsequent locomotives. However, these could and were often altered by the railroad. Few F2s were built, however.
Early versions of the F3 had the "chicken wire" grilles along the top edge of the carbody. Later production featured a distinctive stamped stainless steel grille.

All F-units introduced after the FT have twin exhaust stacks and four radiator fans arranged close together atop their roofs, unlike the FT's four stacks and separated pairs of fans.