smd4 posted:Why are you doing yet another 4-8-4 (and not a particularly good-looking one at that), when you could re-create one of, if not THE most iconic steam locomotives ever built, the NYC J-class Hudson?
We felt that a 4-8-4 would be better because it has more power than a Hudson. There's quite a difference between almost 7000 horsepower and 5500 horsepower. In our budgeting, we found that a Hudson would be 4 million cheaper, and we felt that 4 million more for that extra horsepower was worth it. There's also another group out there that wants to build a Hudson, so we don't want to give them competition.
