I need a Gilbert Erector Hudson Boiler Front

I don't have the part you need but I recommend you contact the A.C. Gilbert Heritage Society for help in locating that part.  If anyone knows who has it, they will.  It's a most interesting organization and I highly recommend checking out their website.   Here's the link: 

http://www.acghs.org/

Bob Nelson

Pat - I'm not sure what you mean by "Erector" Hudson - I assume you mean Gilbert, who made Erector and also American Flyer S-gauge (S-gauge post-WW2) and Gilbert HO gauge trains.  Hudson boiler fronts for either gauge are available on eBay or from Doug Peck at Portlines Hobbies (www.portlines.com) or from Tom Seccia at SSStrains (not sure whether Tom has a website but he has an ebay 'store').  I've ordered parts from both Doug and Tom - they are both knowledgeable and helpful on the phone.

Try metalconstructiontoys.com. They have some erector hudson sets and some spare parts available. There is always EBay, almost everything turns up there sooner or later. 

richs09, I suspect Pat probably means Erector Hudson.  Google it.

Pat, do you need any other parts as well?  The reason I ask is that I have an Erector Hudson - no tender - in only fair condition, some rust, some parts missing but mostly complete (it does have the boiler front) which I picked up to restore but have lost interest in.  It would make a good parts loco.  Let me know if you're interested.

Pat (and all) - apologies, I had no idea that Gilbert made these sets (even though I had an erector set as a kid).  fascinating...

hojack - I did google it at your suggestion...

Hello Hojack: 

If Pat does not take your Erector locomotive, I am interested. 

Please eMail me at edtuler@rogers.com

Thanks 

Thanks, Pat did take it.

Hello Pat: 

Maybe once you get Hojack's locomotive and use whatever parts you need,  you may want to sell the remains or your old one. Let me know as I have a couple that I am trying to complete. eMail me at edtuler@rogers.com 

thanks

Here is some pictures of the completed beauty.

Thanks

Pat

Pat - that's an impressive locomotive.  Since I've already displayed my ignorance about the existence of Gilbert Erector locos, let me ask another dumb-ish question.  Are these things powered?

Nicely done Pat.

I'll second that, are they powered? I've never seen one in the flesh, looks bigger than  Standard Gauge size?

Erector sold a little erector-set motor that you could put in to turn the wheels.  But it wasn't powered like it would need to be to pull a train.   It was intended more as a detail shelf model than as anything you would run.  The wheels are very wide, something approaching 3" gauge.  Erector sold some track sections to display it on, but it's not something for a layout.

My idea when I got mine was to convert it to Standard Gauge by dropping all the wheels and linkage and putting something like a Lionel build-a-loco motor in it.  But the more I looked at it, the less practical that seemed.  The whole loco is way out of scale on the big side for Standard Gauge, and it would take serious mutilation to get a Standard Gauge motor (or even two) into it, which would then look too small for the engine in terms of gauge width.

Glad mine went to a good purpose, it wasn't going anywhere on the workbench.

Hey, Guys

This was a fun project, it took about 8 hours to reconstruct this monster. This engine has one geared wheel for operation and would not be feasible to convert to track operation. These engines are beautiful and are great display pieces. I was surprised how large they are. The scale would be close to a Lionel Brute.

Thanks

Pat

Nice job Pat, it looks really good.

hey Pat is this on display at the store? Be neat to see it.

I am fairly new to the toy train hobby, having spent most of my life building model cars. 

I began my train obsession a couple of years ago when I acquired a live steam 2-8-8-2 Mallet that seams to have overheated needs restoration and a Vanderbuilt tender. When I bought it I thought it was Gauge 1, but after acquiring a couple of Aster's, I saw that the Mallet was actually 2 1/2 inch gauge.

I then saw the Erector, and it looked like a very fun build. The first one I got was fairly rusty and without a tender.  I then bought an Erector 10 1/2 set that came with a tender, but these ones did not have the "New York Central" decals. 

The Erectors are not a real scale  but if I was to give an estimate I would say it is close to 1:15.  I wanted to get some cars to display with my Erector and got some Lionel Standard Gauge but they are much smaller. I think that the Buddy L may be close to scale even if the gauge is slightly different. 

To answer the question about the motor, they come with a length of straight track, but they were not meant to be run on tracks so Erector never amde any curves or switches. The motor was just to show how the rods and wheels turned and to run them you had to lift them off the track with jacks that camne with the set.

You had a choice of motors, either one that took an external battery pack but the pack did not come with the set and it is not clear what it looks like or a 110 volt plug in that can also came with an additional base that could reverse the motion. Personally I do not trust a plug in motor that is this old.

What I plan to do is repaint the rusty one and re-assemble it with hex head screws instead of slots and find a strong clockwork motor that can be adapted to fit. I will also try to get some Buddy L cars and see if I can change the gauge of the wheels on either the cars or the locomotive, as Buddy L made lots of rolling stock and lots of track.

If anyone out there has any spare Erector locomotive or Buddy L stuff to sell or trade for some Lionel Standard Gauge rolling please let me know. 

Really?

This whole thread was started by Pat looking for a part that is regularly available on eBay. 

Most of my thread answered a question that was being discussed, and the last part offered Lionel Standard Gauge rolling stock as trade. 

So what is your problem? 

I thought the purpose of forums like this was 

You are welcome Pat, glad it worked out.  You did a great job.