Another way to get the engine you desire.

Marty,

 

Fine looking engine!  Are there any videos of the real deal on YouTube???  That must have been a sight going down the track.

Marty that's a real beauty, enjoy

 

THANKS FOR SHARING, ALEX

Gorgeous, Marty!  E-mail me a high-res photo of the third shot from the top and I'll use it in Readers' Rails.  You can use the $50 to buy some catenary wire for all those GG1s you picked up at York.

I upgraded mine several years ago. Also, got Frank Timko to make up a can motor to fit it. I didn't even have to send him the engine. I sent him some pictures and a few critical dimensions and he made up the motor/mount/universal assembly. In my case I installed a TAS EOB with an N&W J sound card and a Turbo smoke unit. It runs pretty good now. The can motor really improves operation.

 

Alan, the picture is on the way.  Thank you.   I think I would take part of that $50.00 and buy Gerry Morlitz a beer for turning me on to this great conversion.  We are lucky that guys like Frank Timko do this custom work.

 

The green markers on the front do a lot for this engine.  I also drilled out dummy markers on the back of the tender and put in red LED markers.  My next project is going to be a Lionel Commorore Vanderbuilt for a can motor conversion and then paint it red like the one Lionel did about 10 or more years ago.  I had the red one and like the Yellowbelly it ran extremely bad. 

Now I recall this engine, I used to enjoy visiting it back when I was a wee child.

 

On Ebay right now there is another Monster with a reserve auction. Turbine type I believe.

 

I don't have too many "Dreams" because I am enjoying all things train in life. If there must be a dream, I choose Timkin's 4 Aces.

 

Thank you for sharing your story.

I sent my C&O Hudson to Train America for an upgrade several years ago....they in-turn shipped it to Timko to do the motor change and then upgraded it to DCS. I have been quite happy with it ever since. I had them do the same for my Lionel scale Vanderbilt.

Scott Smith

Y..a..w..n... we need to slap some black and orange paint and make it look like a F7 Hiawatha. THEN..it will stand out. Matt..be on your guard. I know where you live and where you keep yours!   You may discover that it has been repainted!!

Watch it...No Milwaukee Road here...EVER!

I waited for years to get the MTH PS2 and found one NIB in Iowa.  Glad I got it .  It is a beauty, sounds great, and is stunning pulling the LIONEL C&O aluminum passenger set. 

Do you have the contact details of Frank. I may need it. thanks 

Frank Timko also has upgraded my MTH SP cab forward and N & W Y6B to PS2 and I can say that his work is exceptional.

I am very happy for you Marty. This is really a very nice engine and you gave me a great idea to improve it's performance. Many thanks, I would have never thought of this.

Marty.

 

Glad you are happy with the upgrade.

Marty,

The thing i love most about this locomotive is the Whistle. When you converted to proto 2, did you get a whistle that is the same or similar to the original Lionel?

Mr Timko can be reached at http://timkorepairdepot.com/Home.html

Greg, I used the sound file from the Railking Yellowbelly.  I will search out something better from C&O passenger files.  I will bet other guys who have this conversion might suggest some sound files they have used.

The Yellow Belly Hudson is a favorite of my sons and I.  We fell in love with it when we saw the prototype @ the B&O museum in Baltimore.  We have a MTH PS1 version that I converted to PS2 a couple of years ago.  It runs great but now I've been spoiled by the scale detail of MTH Premier steamers.  I like the closer to scale dimensions of the Lionel version.  I cannot understand why MTH has not made a Premier version of the C&O Hudson.  In fact, I was just talking to my club mate about that last night.  I'm collecting streamlined steamers and I just got a NYC Drefuss Hudson from MTH.  Its absolutely gorgeous and I can only imagine how awesome a Premier Yellow Belly would be.

 

I've never pre ordered a engine before.  PLEASE MTH, make a Premier Yellow belly in PS3 and I'll buy one.

My American Flier wide gauge engine is at Franks now being converted. I should have it back soon then I'll complete it's restoration.

 

That locomotive is showing off just sitting still!

Now I have to find one.

 

...keep the rails polished...

Frank has done 3 conversions for me and I am about to send number 4. I will have 3 T-1s, and a Mohawk that Mike Wolf made for Lionel all running DCS in a few weeks. Frank is atrue gentleman and does amazing work. Each one of these had the pull more systems in them.

Frank does an excellent job at simple fried motor replacement. He has the ability to pull the flywheel and worm gear and install them on a new DC can motor.  

Frank Timko

ftimko@sbcglobal.net

 

Timko's Repair Depot

349 Grange Hall Rd.

Beavercreek, Ohio 45430

 

937 429 1461

http://timkorepairdepot.com/ 

I've been looking for a first-run Lionel Scale S2 turbine for exactly the same conversion. Glad to know Frank does that kind of work.

Ebay has a turbine now. I dont know exactly what is in it. The last time I saw a Turbine in person at a Show (And in O scale too...) it was a incredible machine.

I just realized I had taken a picture of the Timko motor in my C&O Hudson.

 

 

Ken

Another way to get the engine you desire?
Step 1) walk up to the wife.
Step 2) jump up and down with both feet
Step 3) in your most sincere voice say Please,Please Please please.

Sometimes it works for me.What can I say?

David

I love the C&O Yellowbelly Hudson.  One of my favorite locomotives.

I do not have this Lionel offering, but it is on my list of locos to eventually get.  When I get one, I'll definitely contact Frank Timko.

Marty....glad you posted this.  While I don't have the Lionel version, I have always admired it.  When I get one, I will remember this info you have posted.

 

Very happy that you are happy!!

 

Alan

Love the Yellowbelly and the Timko upgrades. I've had Frank upgrade a number of engines for me from Pullmor motors to can motors and DCS. Frank does great work.

 

And while the Yellowbelly is pretty neat, anyone with a cat named Ralph who has tremendous expertise walking on the train layout without disturbing anything, really ought to get the engine I call the "Cat's Paw". What's that? The Northern C&O with a "Cat's Paw" on the tender. Originally made for Lionel in the early 1990's by Mike Wolf, I just had mine upgraded by Frank Timko. So here, with the Yellowbelly is the Cat's paw.

 

We need a C&O Trainfest !!!!!

 

Gerry

 

Gerry, look what you started.  I know many members have great looking engines that run like crap.  Frank Timko is your answer.  I can not put my remote down.  My Yellowbelly runs awesome with the can motor.

 

I am now looking into the whistle smoke that Scott Smith did with his Hudson.  It keeps getting better.

I'm going to contact Frank this week about converting my Vanderbilt. I'm glad you made this post, because someone mentioned this conversion about a year ago, and I lost the information.

Marty - can the Frank Timko can motor conversion be done to the Santa Fe Warhorse Hudson, and still keep TMCC and the awesome RS whistle?

Mark, you should give him a call.  He can do a lot of custom work.  That should work even if you had to get involved with an ERR driver.

Eric, sorry for the delay in responding. Actually, the Yellowbelly was the fourth engine and first steamer he did for me. In the late 1990's "that other magazine" had a cover shoot featuring Bob Milli, who repainted Lionel F-3's. Well, I had 2 Santa Fe 11711's which was a Lionel premium effort from about 1991 and wanted a D&H (even though D&H didn't have F-3's -- but with 2 children named David and Helen, perhaps you understand it a bit better). Bob's paint job just blew me away. So I had Frank upgrade it and he put in the red and green marker lights. It is spectacular. Second engine is a Lionel Burlington F-3. The one that's got a real silver color to it. And the third is the Lionel "Spirit of the Century". Locolawyer was at my house looking at the virtual shelf Queen admiring the passenger cars and paint scheme. We ran it. It was an easy decision to upgrade it. I am very pleased with Frank's work and pleased that I've gotten to meet him and know him a little bit at York. A lot of really nice people involved in this hobby.

 

Gerry