What about these Hudsons ? How do they perform, etc ?
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These are fine little engines. Like most K-Line semi scale steam they come very detailed with all the lights. Mine is conventional but they also made a TMCC version. This one set me back 70 bucks because it had a bad e unit. Easily remedied with a Williams e unit.
Pete
Not a single complaint about K-line quality here! 
Very happy with mine, which is conventional. Arnold
Best semi-scale Hudson out there except for the Lionel Lionmaster.
The #5343 is a scale locomotive.
gunrunnerjohn posted:The #5343 is a scale locomotive.
What John said. K-Line made both scale and semi scale Hudsons. As did Lionel, MTH, and Williams.
Pete
Thanks for clarifying. I do know that K Line did a great job on running and detailing these engines, also that they were made for running on O36 radius trackage which was my first layout and still look good doing it. These were also the engines I did my first double heading with.
Again, thanks. I was unaware they also made a semi scale version.
Mine is semi-Scale, so I’m reliably informed. Nice piece.
Right now I’m looking for details of the scale pilot wheels which have been mentioned? They would be good for display and club running days, I think.
I have two of the scale 5343 K Line Hudsons. One is weathered which I didn’t want but got used to it. I put Cruise M in both and the run well. Neither came with K Line Cruise and I tried an update of K Line Cruise but it was not so great, so I went with Cruise M.
The Mikado Cruise kit can be used on both the scale Mikado and scale Hudson. Motor worm determines the application. Not sure it would work on the semi scale Hudson though. That one likely uses different gears.
Pete
I thought they looked the same to me.
You probably don't want the K-Line cruise anyway. Some folks have had good luck with them, but all of my K-Line cruise systems were lurchy and jerky.
The Cruise M from electric railroad is VASTLY superior in operation and easy to install.
josef posted:
Are the K Line NYC Hudson's Semi scale? They marked as being scale by K Line? I have 2 which are excellent runners, though they could use an improvement on smoke.
I've been thinking of selling one, and the one's with command control I have seen on the bay ones go for 389 to 529.00 in past 4 months. They are highly detailed and satisfied with both of mine. But my interest has turned to the 2-8-0s Pennsy's.
If they say scale, they are scale (1:48). K-Line was not lying to you.
These K-Line Hudsons have often been considered the finest die-cast O-scale NYC J1 models around, and I have to agree. They capture the locomotive better in subtle ways than the other die-cast brands - and those locos are great models, too, so that is saying something. (However, MTH has never corrected the contours of their Premier J1's smokebox door. It's just wrong, and misses the proper "NYC face", which is important.)
Some really object to the "u-shaped boiler casting" on the K-line locos. I see it, but it does not scream at me.
Here is the one in question.
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Dan Padova posted:Here is the one in question.
Its pretty much the same size as these other semi scale Hudsons. From top to bottom, Lionel Post War, Charles Ro replacement body on a 2046, Williams, and K-Line.
Pete
The streamlined tender always bothered me on certain Lionel locos. Not that I don't like it's looks, it's simply that it's too narrow for the locos that Lionel paired it with, with the exception of the turbine.
The worst pairing was the last full scale Hudson Lionel produced. Was that '66 or '69, I forget at the moment. The tender looks absolutely silly with the locomotive.
You must be thinking of the 64 version of the 773 with 736W plastic body tender....Pat
That sounds more like it, Pat.
Dan Padova posted:The streamlined tender always bothered me on certain Lionel locos. Not that I don't like it's looks, it's simply that it's too narrow for the locos that Lionel paired it with, with the exception of the turbine.
The worst pairing was the last full scale Hudson Lionel produced. Was that '66 or '69, I forget at the moment. The tender looks absolutely silly with the locomotive.
The 2046 got the PRR style tender and the 2020 turbine got the baby 2426 NYC style tender. As a small kid who knew the difference.
Pete
It certainly says “semi scale” on the box...
Norton posted:Dan Padova posted:The streamlined tender always bothered me on certain Lionel locos. Not that I don't like it's looks, it's simply that it's too narrow for the locos that Lionel paired it with, with the exception of the turbine.
The worst pairing was the last full scale Hudson Lionel produced. Was that '66 or '69, I forget at the moment. The tender looks absolutely silly with the locomotive.
The 2046 got the PRR style tender and the 2020 turbine got the baby 2426 NYC style tender. As a small kid who knew the difference.
Pete
When our parents bought a set of used Lionel, one of the locos wouldn't work. So I asked for a new loco the following year. But it had to have the streamlined tender. In those days I knew the difference. To my disappointment, however, the new tender did not have a whistle. And if that wasn't bad enough, the tender was too light and derailed pulling my pre-war Madison passenger cars around O31 curves.
Rockershovel posted:It certainly says “semi scale” on the box...
As has been noted in the responses above, K-Line made both, a scale and semi-scale (traditional-sized) version. Dan was asking about the semi-scale version, like the one you have.
I deleted the links to ebay because those are not allowed by our TOS. No problem with mentioning the ebay but no direct links to auctions!
