Speaking of NYC/B&A Hudsons...

Its a nice looking model but the Pullmor motor limits its load capacity. It has early Railsounds which are pretty crude. Many have upgraded them to newer electronics with better sounds.

Not sure the time period for the Korean made engines.

Virtually all J1s had spoke drivers. There were a few exceptions including 5344. NYC went to Boxpoks and Disk drivers on the J3s due to the increased horsepower breaking crank pins.

Pete

"...I personally think the J class looked better with spoke drivers..."

Yep - you gotta go. And, except for a few late-life driver swaps, the J3's never had spoked drivers; none were built with them.

But seriously, folks:

"Virtually all J1s had spoke drivers. There were a few exceptions including 5344. NYC went to Boxpoks and Disk drivers on the J3s due to the increased horsepower breaking crank pins." Also, the Boxpok and Scullin disk drivers allow for more counterbalancing configurations, an eternal issue with the reciprocating steam locomotive.

The 5344 was the most-fiddled-with NYC Hudson, certainly. Many internal specs were changed over the years (I forget most) and the 5344, though officially always a J1e, in many ways was more at the end a J3 than a J1. This is not just my half-baked opinion, BTW. 

I think the Lionel 700 and its 1990 cousin are among the finest models ever.  I do have a converted MTH J1e, and think it is pretty good, but it took a lot of work to close up the belly and get proper cylinders etc.  I plan on adding the 6-18000 and 6-18005 to my fleet as soon as the prices hit the floor - they are well on their way, with the beautiful switcher showing up all the time at $175.  Bargains!  I do have a 763, but have never added the 700 details.

bob2 posted:

I think the Lionel 700 and its 1990 cousin are among the finest models ever.  

Wow, that's high praise indeed...

Mark in Oregon 

I’ll second what Bob says, I have an army of 18005s.....for a while I was snapping them up for dirt cheap...even scored a couple minus their tenders for Marx prices.....anyways, I won’t chop up the 700s....AC commanders, better railsounds, fan smoke, and they’re off to the ready tracks for their next assignment........Pat

Somewhere in Stauffer's book it mentions that by the time the 5344 was built most of the Alco workers had been laid off - it was at the height of the depression - and supervisors mainly built the locomotive and its sister loco. This must account for the fact that the locomotive's frame  was not built straight in its jigs and the engine always suffered from abnormal war and was difficult to setup after overhaul. 

harmonyards posted:

I’ll second what Bob says, I have an army of 18005s.....for a while I was snapping them up for dirt cheap...even scored a couple minus their tenders for Marx prices.....anyways, I won’t chop up the 700s....AC commanders, better railsounds, fan smoke, and they’re off to the ready tracks for their next assignment........Pat

You have "an army" of them?   Please post photos!

Should you decide you need to send one out West, I would be happy to take care of it for you... 

Mark in Oregon

harmonyards posted:

I’ll second what Bob says, I have an army of 18005s.....for a while I was snapping them up for dirt cheap...even scored a couple minus their tenders for Marx prices.....anyways, I won’t chop up the 700s....AC commanders, better railsounds, fan smoke, and they’re off to the ready tracks for their next assignment........Pat

"Even scored a couple minus their tenders for Marx prices"?  Surely you jest.  Never seen that.

I don't have an Army of them, just this one.

Edited to Add - Somewhere around here, I have the separate sale scale lead truck.  Never used it as the largest curve track I have is some Gargraves O-63 and it was for O-72 or larger.

GregM posted:

I don't have an Army of them, just this one.

 

 

Edited to Add - Somewhere around here, I have the separate sale scale lead truck.  Never used it as the largest curve track I have is some Gargraves O-63 and it was for O-72 or larger.

Very handsome machine...

Mark in Oregon

Strummer posted:

harmonyards posted:

I’ll second what Bob says, I have an army of 18005s.....for a while I was snapping them up for dirt cheap...even scored a couple minus their tenders for Marx prices.....anyways, I won’t chop up the 700s....AC commanders, better railsounds, fan smoke, and they’re off to the ready tracks for their next assignment........Pat

You have "an army" of them?   Please post photos!

Should you decide you need to send one out West, I would be happy to take care of it for you... 

Mark in Oregon

Here’s 4 of them I can quickly take a photo of, all 18005’s.......please excuse my unfinished layout.....