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I was just working on a Williams die cast scale Hudson. We know from past discussions that this loco is geared to run way too fast. The way I have tamed them in the past is to install a Cruise Commander from Electric Railroad.

Looking at one today, it occurred to me that there is plenty of room inside for a planetary reduction gear box, one with concentric input and output shafts, between the motor and the gear tower that drives the middle set of drivers.

Does anyone here know where one would go to find such a planetary reduction gear box?

Here's one that is too expensive for my purposes.

https://www.ondrivesus.com/J64-3

Last edited by RoyBoy
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Good find @RoyBoy, although as you said very expensive.  And at 63mm wide by 50mm long plus the exising motor, it might also be too big to fit. 

The Williams 773 copy is crippled by what IMO is a ridiculous gear ratio, about 9:1 with HUGE driving wheels.  No easy way to change it, either. Heavy  weight and FOUR rubber tires create drag and a lot of slowdown on anything but the broadest curves.  For the last 30 years I've been looking for toy trains that run like scale models.  This is a scale (sized) model that runs like a toy train.  As they used to say in Philly, "roof it!" 

Last edited by Ted S
RoyBoy posted:

Never been to Philly. What does "roof it" mean?

Been to "Philly" 3 - 4 times; never heard "roof it". Meaning?

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I, too, conquered the Wms die-cast Hudson with a Cruise Commander, though the "conquest" was not 100% - that is, it's fine, but it could be so much better if the thing had been made correctly. I have seen them for sale -as we all have - for low prices, just aching to be a NYC detailing project (great tenders) - but I always let them pass. Had I known how badly they ran I would have never bought the one I own - but at least it will now do.

I have thought of an intermediate gearbox too, but that's above my engineering pay grade.  Now, if anyone came out with a reasonably "drop in" product (some drilling, tapping and cussing is fine), there might be a market, because it's otherwise mostly a can-motored 783 (etc.) and who doesn't like that idea? 

I fixed one Williams scale Hudson for a fella who was persistent about making it better....it was a fluke repair, I promise you that, I just happened to have a gearbox from a 2 rail brass engine that had no home, the axle gear and bearings were slightly smaller than the Williams, so machining the gear for a press fit, and making the bearings slip smooth was no big deal. The fella bought two pairs of wheel sets to ditch the rubber tires. ( believe he bought them straight from Bachmann) I wanna say it wound up being like 20:1.... but in the end, he spent way more than I ever would on one. There’s just way too many scale Hudsons on the market to warrant such an invasive job on a locomotive that lacks details IMO ....by the time the fella I had helped out was through, he could have bought a used MTH PS1 scale Hudson and been light years ahead ..........Pat

Last edited by harmonyards

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OGR Publishing, Inc., 1310 Eastside Centre Ct, Suite 6, Mountain Home, AR 72653
800-980-OGRR (6477)
www.ogaugerr.com

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