Steam Train class  4-6-4 Hudson

Hudson J3a	US Army Hospital Train	The Cardinals Train - NYC
The Valley Flyer - Santa Fe	20th Century Ltd - NYC	Empire State Express - NYC
Blue Goose - Santa Fe	Hudson F 7 100 - The Milwaukee Road	The Chessie - C&O

Steam Train class  4-6-4 Hudson

American steam train, with tender, for high speed passenger service.

Type « Hudson » Class  J 3 a  of the  « New York Central".

Wheel arrangement 4-6-4 with Box Pok drivers,  a Elesco pre heater, Baker gearing fully functioning. A 14000 gallon tender (30t) with water scoop, and mounted on Commonwealth type triple  axle bogies.

The famous passenger train the «20th Century Limited » which linked New York a Chicago, via Buffalo, on a route totalling 980 miles, this task was undertaken by two of these Steam trains on a double header  configuration.

Length  cm. 35.

Produced by Rivarossi from 1966 until 1994 (last year that I have any info)

In the liveries : New York Central, Chesapeake & Ohio, Boston & Albany, and an   all black version.

USATC United States Army Transport Corp colours, for hauling the "Hospital Train"

Made by Rivarossi in 1985  only for USA market and sold by Con-Cor

for the "Cardinals Train" of New York Central

Made by Rivarossi in 1985  only for USA market and sold by Con-Cor

fot  "The Valley Flyer" of Santa Fe RR

Made by Rivarossi in 1985  only for USA market and sold by Con-Cor

Never on catalogues

Some spectacularly streamlined versions have also been produced:

Steam Train class  4-6-4 Hudson Dreyfuss NYC System

In 1938 10 Hudson Steam trains were streamlined.

Henry Dreyfuss designed the  bodywork, and without reason of doubt, the result was excellent. Most of the mechanical parts of gearing was non included in the streamlining  for obvious reasons to  not hinder maintenance.

These locomotives, became the symbol of the "New York Central" and the famous passenger service the  «20th Century Limited ».

The prototype reproduced is of the class J3 a, and bears the numbering 5446, with wheel arrangement 4-6-4 with Box Pok drivers, and  front working headlamp.

Length  cm. 35.

Produced by Rivarossi from 1971 until 1994

Issued also with "Centipede" tender, the one used to Big Boy locomotive,

Steam Train class 4-6-4 Hudson "Empire State Express" NYC

Steam train class 4-6-4 "Hudson" of the "New York Central". The  Empire State Express – running between Cleveland and New York, Detroit­ and New York – was  on of the most prestigious trains of the N.Y.C.. Two locomotives type "Hudson" class J3. nr 5426 and 5429  in 1941 received to their current bodywork an impressive streamlining in plated steel, and stainless steel, thus following  the new production carriages of the "Budd Manufacturing Co", in stainless steel which were to be delivered for the "'Empire State Express". The design of this locomotive based on a project by Henry Dreyfus, similar to the other J3 of the "20th Century Limited". The colours are those of stainless steel and for the lateral streamlining of the locomotive and the sides of the tender, and black and Silver  for the boiler, and Silver for the “Scullin” driving wheels. The technical specifications of this model are similar to the 1567 model.

Length of the model  cm. 35.

Produced by Rivarossi from 1985 until 1994

Steam Train class  4-6-4 Hudson "Blue Goose" Santa Fe

The « Blue Goose > locomotive built in 1937, was based on the Hudson 3460 prototype.

The big driving wheels of this locomotive gave it the possibility to reach a top speed of 90 miles per hour (145km/h), this extended its use on long distance runs on flat routes like the  « Santa Fé ». When it started service it was used for hauling passenger service like the «Deluxe Super Chief» for more than a decade, on the  Chicago and Los Angeles run. This train was one of the most prestigious of the Golden Age of rail transport, and remembered for its luxurious and reliability in service.

The particular shape, and the original painting scheme rendered the « Blue Goose » easily identifiable, thus becoming one of the most famous Locomotives running on the Santa Fé .

Length of the model  cm. 35.

Produced by Rivarossi from 1976 until 1994

Produced by Rivarossi inl 1993

for "The Chessie" of the Chesapeake & Ohio RR

Made by Rivarossi in 1985  only for USA market and sold by Con-Cor

Never on catalogues

The Hudson steam train in my personal opinion, is one of the best American Locomotives produced by Rivarossi, and in the normal and streamlined version they spectacular

The Hudson New York Central

With over a decade of experience acquired by the New York Central, with he use of the class 4-6-4 (Hudson) type J1 and J2, this brought upon studies for further locomotives with the same  wheel  arrangement, the high speed of the  previous J1 and that of the haulage capacity of the J2. Fifty of the locomotives were built, from 1937, by the American Locomotive Co. for the NYC which named this new class as Super Hudson type J3a.

On these locomotives a special  the rear bogie “booster” were mounted (this gave via a auxiliary engine additional power when departing, thus increasing haulage traction when starting off.)

 Another characteristic of this locomotive was the water scoop which gave it the possibility to pick up water from special troughs along the line, whilst in movement.

This consisted in a  hydrodynamic scoop under the cassis of the tender, so when lowered, it could scoop up water from a special trough situated between the tracks, conveying the water into the tender. Due to the high speed of the Locomotive this operation was accomplished with impressive rapidity.

In 1938 ten of these locomotives were streamlined  based on the design of Henry Dreyfuss and from then these locomotives became the symbol of prestige of the "Twentieth Century Limited", the famous express train running from New York to Chicago.

Two other locomotives the 5426 and  5429, were in 1941 fitted with an impressive streamlining in plated steel, and stainless steel, thus following  the new production carriages of the "Budd Manufacturing Co", in stainless steel which were to be delivered for the "'Empire State Express". This train linked Cleveland and  New York, and  Detroit with  New York.