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I was looking around and found a Lionel 6-28044 Hudson for sale. It didn't have much information listed and it isn't listed on the Lionel website, so I did a search and I've pieced the following info together, mainly from old auctions, so I'm not sure of the accuracy of the information.

 

It appears this is a semi-scale Hudson (also referred to as a "baby" Hudson - 21" long) with a can motor and signal sounds and command upgradeable. It looks like it was part of the 2000 6-21956 New York Central Freight set. Interestingly, Lionel had a similar set the same year with the only difference being conventional railsounds, with the set number being 6-21988 and the Hudson 6-28065.

 

Is anyone familiar with these Hudson locomotives or similar vintage as far as looks, operation, problems, etc.? Easy to upgrade? What would you think is a fair price? I operate traditional size trains, conventional and command control, so I am interested in a baby Hudson or a Hudson jr.rather than the large more scale Hudson models.

 

Thanks.

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There's one on eBay (Completed Listings); they were made to be "command upgradeable"

as you know, so you might be able to find the Lionel radio board/antenna kit - try Lionel's

parts department. It's a plug-and-play. If not, Modern Toy Train Parts has the ERR kits.

Straightforward upgrade.

 

The loco is handsome, NYC-ish, well made and modern. With a plastic tender body the

antenna ia a 60-second installation. If I were limited to sub-scale steamers (boy,

that would have saved me money!), I'd be all over one.

These baby Hudsons first appeared in the 1999 Volume1 catalog along with the new

Baby Pacifics.  Both command control and traditional versions were offered at

$499/$399 MSRP.  A maintenance free can motor with momemtum flywheel is listed

as a common feature of both the traditional and command versions.

 

Lionel online parts does list a breakdown and diagram for engine 28007 NYC w/ command.  Many years ago I upgraded the Dept 56 Hudson to TMCC and RS, I dont recall what exact style of motor it had. I'm thinking it had a flywheel. I'll look to see if it shows anything in the owners manual.

 

The grey NYC traditional Baby Hudson was never made, was made as command only.

 

These engines shouldn't be confused with the smaller Hudson Jrs that came out a little later.  The Baby Hudsons are much larger and more detailed than the Hudson Jrs. Some of the Hudson Jrs had plastic tenders, where are the Baby Hudsons and Baby Pacific had diecaset tenders.

 

In the photo the engines on the top and bottom shelfs are Baby Hudsons, where as the

middle shelf is a Hudson Jr.

 

 

Hudsons

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Images (1)
  • Hudsons
Last edited by ed h

The Hudson from the set you mentioned (shown in the first picture below) is undoubtedly the larger, fully-featured Hudson, as it has, among other things, a diecast tender. It also came with top-line rolling stock, and the picture is that of the larger, more deluxe Hudson. The diecast tender is a sure giveaway in identifying it. The smaller, less-featured Hudson has a plastic tender (second picture shown below), and was much less expensive.

 

New York Central Freight Set RailSounds Version (4-6-4 Steam Loco #5412)

6-21988 | Price: $449.95

Product Image

Lights Operating Smoke Unit RailSounds

If you are looking for the ultimate in quality, durability and a great price for a ready-to-run train set, you need look no further than Lionel’s premium New York Central Freight Set. Leading the set is a new, highly detailed die-cast steam locomotive that is fully upgradeable to TrainMaster® Command Control. It is coupled with a durable die-cast tender, and boasts an impressive puffing smoke unit and red firebox glow. Three pieces of high quality Lionel rolling stock, all with die-cast trucks, are punctuated with a  classic lighted bay window caboose. Running on standard O-31 track and  powered by the all-new 80BW 80 watt transformer, this set has unparalleled power and is the ultimate way to begin years and years of railroad excitement.

Set Includes

  • Die-cast locomotive and tender
  • Single dome tank car
  • Flatcar with trailer
  • Boxcar
  • Bay window caboose
  • 8 pieces of straight and 8 pieces of curved O-31 track
  • 80BW 80 watt transformer/controller
  • Command upgradeable die-cast 4-6-4 locomotive and tender
  • Back-up light on tender
  • Red firebox
  • SignalSounds version upgradeable to full RailSounds
  • Command upgradeable die-cast 4-6-4 locomotive and tender, SignalSounds with bell and whistle or digital RailSounds with bell and whistle, synchronized chuffing, crew announcements, brake squeal and steam sounds, Puffing smoke unit, Die-cast trucks, Operating headlight, Back-up light on tender, Red firebox glow.
  • SignalSounds version upgradeable to full RailSounds.
  • Rolling stock features include:  Die-cast trucks and operating couplers, Detailed molded bodies and frames, Interior illumination (caboose), Painted bodies.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New York         Central 4-6-4 Steam Locomotive This all-new, highly         detailed steam locomotive is sure to be an instant favorite. Made from         completely new tooling, this locomotive has all of your favorite features:         Real-life puffing smoke, SignalSounds with bell and whistle, operating         headlight, separately applied handrail details on the boiler, real spoked         wheels you can see through and die-cast trailing trucks. All this and    a great price, too! It’s a great way to start your layout.

Features:
•         All-new          die-cast steam locomotive, Precision can motor, Operating headlight, Puffing smoke unit, Separately applied metal handrails, Spoked metal drivers, Traction tire, Detailed molded tender with die-cast trucks          and operating coupler, SignalSounds with bell and whistle
•         Minimum Radius: O-27
•         Scale:  O-Gauge
•         Length:  19”
(6-28027)          $179.95
Last edited by breezinup

breezinup and ed h, thank you both for posting the Lionel web site info and your thoughts on the Hudson models. I was looking around the Lionel web site today for the various Hudson locomotives and looking through the engine manuals when Lionel had a link. Although the catalog/website info didn't always mention flywheels, most of the manuals did have the information and the motors had flywheels (even the cheaper Hudson posted by breezinup). The 6-21956 set (6-28044 locomotive) didn't have an engine manual link, but the sister engine in the 6-21988 set (6-28065 locomotive) did have an engine manual link. The manual was very close to what ed h posted. Since the sister engine has a motor with a flywheel, and the only difference in the engines is signalsounds in one tender versus conventional railsounds in the other, I'm sure the 6-28044 locomotive has the motor with flywheel.

 

I copy interesting topics from the forum and save them as word documents on my computer. I was just looking at the photo of the baby Hudson/Hudson jr. comparison yesterday (before you posted it today!). It was in a topic I had copied about Hudson jr. locomotives and I wanted to refresh my memory about the different traditional size Hudsons by Lionel. It's a good picture to see the size difference between the baby and jr. locomotives.

 

Thanks again to both of you for your help.

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