Lionel NYC 763 becomes a Northern by Robert Foster 1942

Pretty cool stuff! It's fascinating to see what modifications were being done back then compared to now.

Kalmbach's book on Model Builder reprinted the article mentioned above

Very interesting stuff. Can't imagine even back then @$37.50 carving up a new engine to create a different one. Probably still cheaper in the 1930's then buying the high end scale stuff that was 100's of dollars at the time. Thanks for sharing Carey!

Carey, can you tell how Foster made the connecting rods on the Northern?…..can you see where he might’ve fused another hunk of rod on the existing 763’s connecting rod?….I can see a spot right behind the next to last set of drivers, I wonder if that’s where he did the deed?….hard to tell from the pics……beautiful model!…

Pat

Posts like this always make me a little sad that Lionel didn't chase after the scale stuff. The 700e and 763e seemed to do well enough. A scale Northern or even a K4 Pacific would have been a great follow up. What could have been...

I do think they were moving in that direction with the release of the 701 scale switcher and the scale cars 714,715,716 and caboose 717. Then World War Two got in the way.

@RamblerDon posted:

Posts like this always make me a little sad that Lionel didn't chase after the scale stuff. The 700e and 763e seemed to do well enough. A scale Northern or even a K4 Pacific would have been a great follow up. What could have been...

Not so sure we can blame Lionel on that, …..Hitler, Mussolini, & Hitto, had other plans that redirected Lionel’s plans,……😉

Pat

Hey Pat there is a splice in the connecting rod between the 3rd and 4th driving axle.  In Cary's video on YouTube, he shows images from a 1941 Model Builder magazine where Mr. Foster went into detail about how he changed a Hudson into a Northern.  Don't worry, the giant Lionel back-driveable worm wheel and worm survived the rebuild!  He had to get creative though, because he didn't have any of your heavy-duty double universal drive shafts handy!  No Pittmans were available, so he had to make do with a K&D #3 motor (which I think still has 4 more poles than Lionel's motor!)  :-D

The interior

The O scale market is / was / will always be small numbers ...

.postwar  Lionel back to making toys with a larger cash paying audience ...

Yes they thought about scale but bottom line it was selling toy trains

Cheers Carey

Any idea what was used as an adhesive to join the boiler together? I see a metal reinforcing strip but I assume something was used in the joints.

Pete

The front ends of the Hudsons remind me of New Haven's Pacifics and streamlined Hudsons...

The craftsmanship exhibited on all 3 models is very high.

I was inspired by this thread to reread the Model Builder article in the Kalmbach reprint. BTW Kalmbach says it appeared Feb 1943. I'm attaching the diagram from the article illustrating how the frames, boilers, and side rods were extended.

So, Carey Williams, I follow Leonard Williams on You Tube and see your posts here on OGF as well. What is the relationship between the two of you?  Please share more about your project to collect and share classic and historical models. I have enjoyed many of your posts, including from Frank Ellison's Delta Lines, Chicago MSI, Bill Lenoir, Ickes, this Foster thread, and many others. Collecting these items is not my passion, but I'm glad it's yours! Appreciate you and keep it up!

Thank you Ken Wing for you for your kind words.

Leonard is my first name ..but everyone knows me by Carey .

I enjoy collecting early , odd and unusual....along with researching to get the rest of the story .

Videos and postings help to share the hobby with others ...just exposing the wide variety of models that make up the collective " model / toy train world"

Cheers Carey "Leonard C Williams"