Please make one! I want one!
What could beat that stunning dark blue beauty with her All-American streamlined stripes, and deep soothing whistle... Interesting little known history to these converted hudsons (from Mikados, I believe.) Would be nice to have one with the red hood over the cab, and another cab number with elephant ears and the Wabash flag on the side.
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That is very interesting, converting from Mikado's to Hudson's.
Dave NYC Hudson PRR K4 posted:That is very interesting, converting from Mikado's to Hudson's.
Or maybe up-grading/rebuilding a Pacific to a Hudson?
Hot Water posted:Dave NYC Hudson PRR K4 posted:That is very interesting, converting from Mikado's to Hudson's.
Or maybe up-grading/rebuilding a Pacific to a Hudson?
Yeah, I would think Pacific to Hudson would be more likely a choice. Cost would be less and more sensible than converting a Mikado, but what do I know.
It's not quite full scale but MTH has one of these cataloged in the Railking Imperial line (so it has better detail than normal Railking).
DdotCdot posted:Please make one! I want one!
What could beat that stunning dark blue beauty with her All-American streamlined stripes, and deep soothing whistle... Interesting little known history to these converted hudsons (from Mikados, I believe.) Would be nice to have one with the red hood over the cab, and another cab number with elephant ears and the Wabash flag on the side.
DDOTCDOT, you were on the money with the conversion. I asked on the Real Trains Forum, and they were. Here is the topic if you wish to have a look.
Dave NYC Hudson PRR K4 posted:DdotCdot posted:Please make one! I want one!
What could beat that stunning dark blue beauty with her All-American streamlined stripes, and deep soothing whistle... Interesting little known history to these converted hudsons (from Mikados, I believe.) Would be nice to have one with the red hood over the cab, and another cab number with elephant ears and the Wabash flag on the side.
DDOTCDOT, you were on the money with the conversion. I asked on the Real Trains Forum, and they were. Here is the topic if you wish to have a look.
Thanks Dave! That was an interesting thread. I've always been fascinated by the story of the Wabash hudsons since I was a kid and had the Lionel 1996 version (which was really a postwar 2046 in blue paint, but the sound really felt right - I could just imagine that whistle on the real thing and it was like taking a trip back in time to the WWII era, when the P1's ran.) Shame they didn't keep one around.
The C & O Yellowbelly L-1 is another one I'd like to see redone in full Scale - Lionel sort of did this back in 1995, but that thing is way out of date. Apparently, as I learned thanks to your link there, these C&O's were originally Pacific's converted later to Hudsons. 
ATSF Doug posted:It's not quite full scale but MTH has one of these cataloged in the Railking Imperial line (so it has better detail than normal Railking).
Seen it. It looks like the exact same frame as my Rail King version from the 90s, with a couple of added details - notably the flag on the elephant ears, and what looks like a more sophisticated let off valve on top near the cab (or is that a whistle?) ....Lacks the detail and proportion I'm hoping to see, but would love to hear the sounds of the imperial if anyone cares to share!
DdotCdot posted:
The C & O Yellowbelly L-1 is another one I'd like to see redone in full Scale - Lionel sort of did this back in 1995, but that thing is way out of date. Apparently, as I learned thanks to your link there, these C&O's were originally Pacific's converted later to Hudsons.
Yeah, there has been talk on the FaceBook group I am in about the Yellowbelly's. It is definitely something that needs to be done once more but correctly. Someone said that the sounds were not great on Lionel's version from the 90's, but I don't know as I didn't get that one. Be interesting to see what comes out of the Volume 2 catalog in a few months, but lets not hold our breath. We will probably have to wait at least 2-3 years for Lionel to do some more Hudson's, just a question of which ones where.
Dave NYC Hudson PRR K4 posted:DdotCdot posted:
The C & O Yellowbelly L-1 is another one I'd like to see redone in full Scale - Lionel sort of did this back in 1995, but that thing is way out of date. Apparently, as I learned thanks to your link there, these C&O's were originally Pacific's converted later to Hudsons.Yeah, there has been talk on the FaceBook group I am in about the Yellowbelly's. It is definitely something that needs to be done once more but correctly. Someone said that the sounds were not great on Lionel's version from the 90's, but I don't know as I didn't get that one. Be interesting to see what comes out of the Volume 2 catalog in a few months, but lets not hold our breath. We will probably have to wait at least 2-3 years for Lionel to do some more Hudson's, just a question of which ones where.
Personally I love the whistle on that old '95 version from Lionel. Wouldn't mind an updated version with better quality, but I hope it's just as ferocious a sound
Here's mine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFpzf1MU8RA
Not sure the person was talking about the whistle, I think he was talking about the chuffs and such.
The Wabash admittedly means not much to me, but any Hudson is an interesting machine, and full-scale "bashing" is always fascinating to read about. Wabash (from Mikes), Frisco (from Pacifics), Illinois Central (one; they designed a freight Hudson using an IC Berkshire boiler on a newly-built, low-driver 4-6-4 frame) all had home-built/modifies 4-6-4's. Can't think of any more offhand. BTW, the former IC 2-8-4's running gear was used by the IC to build a Mikado using a second-hand (I think) boiler and a 2-wheel trailing truck. So - they double-bashed 2 locomotives.
I do like the looks of the Wabash Hudson, a lot. I have owned - and have sold - both the Lionel and MTH sub-scale versions. The Lionel was not accurate, but had a good look; the MTH RK was accurate in a RK way, but undersized.
A true model of the Wabash P1 would get my attention, and maybe my money.
So what kind of Whistle did the P1's have? Hopefully this thread is not dead.
WabashP1Fan1212 posted:So what kind of Whistle did the P1's have? Hopefully this thread is not dead.
Interesting question. Well, idk but figured I'd look some stuff on google. There are a couple of things out there as well as what someone thinks is a Wabash P1 whistle. I didn't pop it up but I'll check it out later as I'm curious about what it does sound like as well. The other video had 261 blowing, and stated I believe that the Wabash's was bigger.
I'm a bit late to the party on this one, sorry. But I'll try to address some things. Yes, converting the Pacifics to Hudsons would've made more sense, but keep in mind that Wabash's fleet of J-1 and J-2 Pacifics were not only ancient and wearing out, but they were also pretty much spoken for during the time a fellow named A.T. "Tony" Scherer proposed the conversion, which incidentally was around 1938, I discovered...much earlier than what was originally thought, because the first P-1 Hudson wasn't brought on-line until fall 1943. The Pacifics were seeing heavy wartime use, and simply couldn't be spared. However, Wabash owned a fleet of 5 Schenectady-built K-5 Mikes which were just sitting there, gathering rust (Wabash did not like the K-5 3-cylinder locomotives). So Wabash pulled ALL their K-5's into the shops and converted them to Hudsons...Nos. 700-704 (inclusive). In fact, due to demand, two more Hudsons needed to be built. Problem: no more 2600's. Solution: grab two broken-down 2700-series K-4 Mikes, Nos. 2743 and 2744, from the dead line and convert them...in fact, No. 2744 was just sitting at Moberly Yard because its guide yoke, power reverser and 1 main rod were all broken. That's okay, the Hudsons came out of Wabash Shops with spiffy polished rods anyway!
The Monticello Ry. Museum in Illinois owns a whistle from Wabash P-1 No. 702. I picked up the steam whistle from the original owner and it was subsequently conveyed to the MRM (they also have one of the flags from the wind wing of No. 706, as well as the front # plate). The whistle's original owner hooked it up to a HUGE air compressor and let it rip. It drained the air compressor within 5-10 seconds and boy was it LOUD, with a steamboat sound. If anyone wants to hear the audio, give me a shout and I'll email it to you. MRM would like to have the whistle rebuilt, as it was "broken" when the original owner requested it from the Wabash when No. 702 was going to scrap (the owner believed the RR simply torched it off its pipe and dropped it down to the ground). I believe once the whistle is fixed, the museum will mount the whistle to their steam locomotive No. 401, so we can hear that deep steamboat sound under steam, as God and the Wabash intended!
I believe NKP No. 765 had a Wabash steamboat whistle attached to it a few years back, when it traversed Wabash lines to St. Louis on an employee special. The whistle wasn't from a Hudson (a K-4 Mikado in the 2700-series, IIRC), but it was a steamboat sound. There are videos galore on YouTube if you're interested.
Oh, and BTW the Wabash tried to interest folks in displaying the Hudsons, in parks and whatnot, but nobody wanted to take the plunge and accept one. Not even Decatur wanted one. Shame. Can you imagine seeing something like this in 2019?
This is all inside-baseball stuff, so my apologies for being so long winded. I just love these locomotives!!
James Holzmeier
Wabash Railroad Historical Society
Here's one of the side flags from a wind wing. The darned thing weighs a ton.
Here's a bell. It's at the Illinois Ry. Museum in Union.
James Holzmeier posted:I'm a bit late to the party on this one, sorry. But I'll try to address some things. Yes, converting the Pacifics to Hudsons would've made more sense, but keep in mind that Wabash's fleet of J-1 and J-2 Pacifics were not only ancient and wearing out, but they were also pretty much spoken for during the time a fellow named A.T. "Tony" Scherer proposed the conversion, which incidentally was around 1938, I discovered...much earlier than what was originally thought, because the first P-1 Hudson wasn't brought on-line until fall 1943. The Pacifics were seeing heavy wartime use, and simply couldn't be spared. However, Wabash owned a fleet of 5 Schenectady-built K-5 Mikes which were just sitting there, gathering rust (Wabash did not like the K-5 3-cylinder locomotives). So Wabash pulled ALL their K-5's into the shops and converted them to Hudsons...Nos. 700-704 (inclusive). In fact, due to demand, two more Hudsons needed to be built. Problem: no more 2600's. Solution: grab two broken-down 2700-series K-4 Mikes, Nos. 2743 and 2744, from the dead line and convert them...in fact, No. 2744 was just sitting at Moberly Yard because its guide yoke, power reverser and 1 main rod were all broken. That's okay, the Hudsons came out of Wabash Shops with spiffy polished rods anyway!
The Monticello Ry. Museum in Illinois owns a whistle from Wabash P-1 No. 702. I picked up the steam whistle from the original owner and it was subsequently conveyed to the MRM (they also have one of the flags from the wind wing of No. 706, as well as the front # plate). The whistle's original owner hooked it up to a HUGE air compressor and let it rip. It drained the air compressor within 5-10 seconds and boy was it LOUD, with a steamboat sound. If anyone wants to hear the audio, give me a shout and I'll email it to you. MRM would like to have the whistle rebuilt, as it was "broken" when the original owner requested it from the Wabash when No. 702 was going to scrap (the owner believed the RR simply torched it off its pipe and dropped it down to the ground). I believe once the whistle is fixed, the museum will mount the whistle to their steam locomotive No. 401, so we can hear that deep steamboat sound under steam, as God and the Wabash intended!
I believe NKP No. 765 had a Wabash steamboat whistle attached to it a few years back, when it traversed Wabash lines to St. Louis on an employee special. The whistle wasn't from a Hudson (a K-4 Mikado in the 2700-series, IIRC), but it was a steamboat sound. There are videos galore on YouTube if you're interested.
Oh, and BTW the Wabash tried to interest folks in displaying the Hudsons, in parks and whatnot, but nobody wanted to take the plunge and accept one. Not even Decatur wanted one. Shame. Can you imagine seeing something like this in 2019?
This is all inside-baseball stuff, so my apologies for being so long winded. I just love these locomotives!!
James Holzmeier
Wabash Railroad Historical Society
I really enjoyed and appreciate your response. I’d love for a scale replica to be built in O, and I’m surprized it never happened.
please send me your whistle sound. I’d love to hear it. Thank you.
daniel.d.carbone@gmail.com
Someone also asked about Bob Whelove's O-gauge home-built Hudson (but that thread is closed for comments).
This engine is an absolutely stunning work of art. It survives today and is in good hands, I can assure you. Here are some images of it.
Since we are getting the Vision GS Class for this year, i would be great to see a new hudson (or more than one) for 2021-2022...
The Wabash hudson class would be an excellent brass/die-cast hybrid contender for a new VL hudson, or even just a plain ol' Legacy hudson - if nothing else.
My vote for next Vision Line hudson: The Wabash P1 Class...
Would definitely purchase Wabash hudson!
😎
I would also welcome a Wabash P1 Class Vision line Hudson to provide motive power for the heavyweight K Line and Lionel 18" Madison head end and passenger cars that I am currently repainting in Wabash Blue livery. I have the Rail King Wabash Hudson version, but as mentioned in another post, it is a bit undersized for my proposed passenger consist that currently has two Legacy heavyweight Madison coaches and the five cars in the repaint project.
In a separate Wabash locomotive project, I have initiated an effort to "assemble" a reasonable model of Wabash steam locomotive 2900 - one of the Baldwin-built Northern Class O series 4-8-4's purchased by the Wabash. The search for a 2900 stems from an inherited pre-War Lionel 226E which has the number 2900 hand-painted on the tender. My grandfather worked on the Wabash in Decatur, IL and had a decent size layout with late 1930's and early 40's Lionel equipment. It appears that the 226E was the closest model he could find that somewhat resembled the 2900, but what ever the case, the Wabash 2900 was important enough to him to alter the looks fairly expensive die cast locomotive/tender set.
Donald J. Heimburger's book, " Wabash" has a photo of the 2900, the first of the 2900 series, which appears to be a Northern with a coal tender. I have two MTH Premier Santa Fe Northerns, but they have oil tenders and the locomotives do not closely resemble the Wabash 2900. I have seen photos of the Lionel ATSF Northern 4-8-4 (Lionel 6-11332) locomotive that more closely resembles the Wabash 2900, but it also has an oil tender. I am trying to determine if it is possible to match (in terms of electronic and replication feasibility) a Lionel a coal tender with the locomotive to create the 2900.
Any suggestions/comments would be greatly appreciated.
@Dave NYC Hudson PRR K4 posted:Yeah, I would think Pacific to Hudson would be more likely a choice. Cost would be less and more sensible than converting a Mikado, but what do I know.
The Wabash Hudson's were rebuilt from unsuccessful 3 cylinder Mikados.
In an odd counter point, the Illinois Central took one of their Berkshires and rebuilt it into a Hudson for freight service. It was not a successful experiment.
Rusty
In addition to the a Wabash Hudson, maybe they could also offer the NKP#170 as part of a brass hybrid release to meet the minimum production requirements. It seems popular when brought up.
..and Made in the U.S.A.
@Grampstrains posted:I would like one also. Only in Lionchief Plus 2.0
Im trying to get us away from more semi-scale versions!!! Both manufacturers have already done those. This post is about a true to scale Legacy or VL version (since it’s our only hope with the MTH going away).
I wouldn’t mind a scale and a Lionchief option, as long as a scale one is done.
@DdotCdot posted:Im trying to get us away from more semi-scale versions!!! Both manufacturers have already done those. This post is about a true to scale Legacy or VL version (since it’s our only hope with the MTH going away).
I wouldn’t mind a scale and a Lionchief option, as long as a scale one is done.
I second this. A scale P1 would get my money for sure.
I just bought an MTH Railking Wabash P-1 from a buddy at a club in May. I’ve done some cosmetic work to it such as adding the flags on the smoke deflectors and painting the smoke box door gray. I also plan on painting the drive wheels blue when I can get the tool to take out the screws on the running gear.
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