Recommissioning Williams diecast scale Hudson

RockershovelOGR Forum Member

I’m very pleased with the Williams USRA Pacific I bought a little while ago. It was a great success at a recent club night and runs very well on Fastrack.

I also took the opportunity to buy some O42 curves and switches in O27 size, so I’ve decided to pull the trigger on a Williams diecast scale Hudson. I’ll pick it up while I’m in Florida later in the month. It seems to have been run very little, it’s still in its original box.

Following from experiences with the Lionel MPC loco, here’s some questions.

1) I take it that the general electronic layout is similar - wire tether linking the loco to rectifier/soundboard in the tender, power wires from tender to motor brushes. Assuming the boards are similar or the same as contemporary Lionel, is there anything I need to do with the board mountings?

2) from the manual (such as it is), there don’t seem to be any isolator switches for smoke and sounds. Is that correct?

3) I assume it will require lubrication before running?

1/13/203:50 AM

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Mike DOGR Forum Member

The electronics are housed in the tender with a four wire tether. There are no switches to turn smoke or sound off that I can remember mine having. The smoke units aren't all that great and mine died after a few times running it. The harness is prone to have wires break on the back of the connector. I repaired mine and I've seen posts by others about it. Check the forward drivers for traction tires. They were left off at the factory on purpose due to a supposed electrical issue. I installed them on mine and it still runs fine. If it is a used loco, then a clean and lube is in order. I do that as a rule with all used locos I buy.

1/13/2010:00 AM

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RockershovelOGR Forum Member

So, I now have my loco back in the U.K., and I’m very pleased with it. Detail is a bit sparse (my K Line semi scale one is much better in that respect) but it looks very imposing.

The only thing to do was to lubricate it, check it and try it out...

The whistle is quite impressive! The “firebox glow” is more effective than the K Line, which doesn’t appear below the loco.

So, the big question - controllability. It is clearly very highly geared and is undoubtedly very fast at higher voltages, but it ran slowly and smoothly up and down my workbench, with a light hand on the throttle of my KW (which was refurbished before it came to me). To my considerable surprise, I was able to nurse it round my O27 “door layout-cum-test-track” without derailing, although the overhang was pretty absurd.

I put some smoke oil in to be in the safe side, but didn’t warm it up enough to learn anything.

Next thing will be to try it out at the next club night. This is in two weeks but work commitments may prevent me attending, so maybe in April? I will try it on a larger floor circuit before then, if so.

2/8/206:53 PM

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RockershovelOGR Forum Member

Just had it running on the carpet, on NOS O42 track. Seems to go very well.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/da80...3%2022%2057.mov?dl=0

2/19/2010:02 AM

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