Lionel Black Hudson Recommendation

If you want to have something really "different", get Lionel's 18056 Hudson, ditch the Vandy tender, and mate it with the separate sale PT tender. This replicates Hudson 5344 in late life and will also give you RS 5.0. Here's mine with numerous other cosmetic enhancements:

And if anyone has the discarded Vandy tender, I'd be interested in purchasing it.

modelrailroader@mthtrains.com

Excellent suggestion -- thank you.  I recall that version being a favorite when I saw it in the catalogs in the '90s (rough recollection).  I would guess if you swap the tenders, however, it looks like you are now committed to O72 track?

With the exception of the center drivers with traction tires, every single wheel on both engine and tender is flanged. So indeed, this bad boy needs some real estate to run properly.