@harmonyards posted:Enabler is such a soft term, …..I prefer pusher,….que Steppenwolf please,…..
Pat
Agreed.....although when I found the SS diner back in April and told LAZ about it, it didn't take much encouragement for him to grab it. He has so many locos, he could do Whistle Stop Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday with ease. I'll give him weekends off.
@BlueComet400 posted:Agreed.....although when I found the SS diner back in April and told LAZ about it, it didn't take much encouragement for him to grab it. He has so many locos, he could do Whistle Stop Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday with ease. I'll give him weekends off.
Gee I resemble that …..thank you JOHN, for the SS Diner, nope you didn’t have to twist my arm….glad you picked it up for me at a great price too…and yes MONDAY thru FRIDAY with WSWV!!! Might have to start doing that….maybe?😉😱
@coach joe posted:Just how did that happen?
Paul can proclaim innocence all day, …..however, he’s just as guilty as the rest of us,…..guilty by association,…..🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Pat
@harmonyards posted:Paul can proclaim innocence all day, …..however, he’s just as guilty as the rest of us,…..guilty by association,…..🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Pat
@coach joe posted:Just how did that happen?
Well, Joe, I do have to give others a chance 
Even though this topic has literally gone off the rails I LOVE IT you guys are making me laught so hard right now after seeing this 🤣. thats what makes this forum and everyone here so special.
so ok maybe I did not need pushing to want to buy this set,but the info was quite heplfull in my final decision. now I feel like I am in the club or somthing.
as a side note I just realized today that I own both lionel 50th anniversary sets. a few years ago I bought the UP 50th anniversary set complete with the stationsounds dinner. now I have both sets.
I still sometimes just sit back and look at my collection and think WOW I never would have dreamed I would have owned this or that.
when I got back into oguage trains they seemed so pricey that I figured I would never have any of them I wanted in my lifetime. not to mention the operating accessories.
now I own all the stuff I have always wanted and more. so having said all that....
HI I am roger and I belong to TTA. toy trains anonymous. yes I said it and I need help/ intervention ( or perhaps a new engine). 🤣 I am not a trainaholic. trainaholics go to york. I have never been to york at least not yet.😁
That's how it happens, Roger, just like the way Johnny Cash got his Cadillac: "One Piece At A Time," but without the "Didn't Cost Me A Dime" part. Then, one day, you wonder how you amassed all these wonderful toy trains. Even if you get a case of buyer's remorse, the set you just bought is desirable enough that you should be able to sell it fairly easily.
Toy trains are fantastic therapy and escape from the real world, and when you add the friends we make because of them, you have yourself something very special. I'm glad your interest in trains has been re-ignited.
My Dad used to say that TCA stood for:
Take Cash Along
Just remember the ancient proverb: The best time to buy a toy train is when you see it.
@Lionelzwl2012 posted:Even though this topic has literally gone off the rails I LOVE IT you guys are making me laught so hard right now after seeing this 🤣. thats what makes this forum and everyone here so special.
so ok maybe I did not need pushing to want to buy this set,but the info was quite heplfull in my final decision. now I feel like I am in the club or somthing.
as a side note I just realized today that I own both lionel 50th anniversary sets. a few years ago I bought the UP 50th anniversary set complete with the stationsounds dinner. now I have both sets.
I still sometimes just sit back and look at my collection and think WOW I never would have dreamed I would have owned this or that.
when I got back into oguage trains they seemed so pricey that I figured I would never have any of them I wanted in my lifetime. not to mention the operating accessories.
now I own all the stuff I have always wanted and more. so having said all that....
HI I am roger and I belong to TTA. toy trains anonymous. yes I said it and I need help/ intervention ( or perhaps a new engine). 🤣 I am not a trainaholic. trainaholics go to york. I have never been to york at least not yet.😁
HI I am roger and I belong to TTA. toy trains anonymous. yes I said it and I need help
just live in denial, and feed the addiction 🤤
Pat
Good deal on grabbing that set. I was watching it on the Trainz website to see how this all ended. 
"just live in denial, and feed the addiction 🤤
Pat"
Gee Paul you were right, there are others, like you, waiting in the wings to lead us down the righteous path.
"as a side note I just realized today that I own both lionel 50th anniversary sets. a few years ago I bought the UP 50th anniversary set complete with the stationsounds dinner. now I have both sets." Me thinks if we slap a "50th anniversary edition: on any thing train related Roger will just have to have one.
Roger in addition to all the great information shared on this Forum it's the good natured frivolity that makes this the best place to be.
coach,I 100% agree.
@coach joe posted:"just live in denial, and feed the addiction 🤤
Pat"
Gee Paul you were right, there are others, like you, waiting in the wings to lead us down the righteous path.
"as a side note I just realized today that I own both lionel 50th anniversary sets. a few years ago I bought the UP 50th anniversary set complete with the stationsounds dinner. now I have both sets." Me thinks if we slap a "50th anniversary edition: on any thing train related Roger will just have to have one.
Roger in addition to all the great information shared on this Forum it's the good natured frivolity that makes this the best place to be.
I have yet to see a single soul OD on model trains,…if that were the case at York, none of us would get past the bandit meets,…..😎
Pat
Guys, I got the set on wensday,but just now got the time to check it out tonight.
all I can say is WOW WOW WOW. trainz made me sign for it so I had it dropped by FedEx to my local Walgreens store.
getting the box into the car was easy. getting it up my stairs and into my apartment. omg I almost got two hernia's. 😁
I feel like a kid on Christmas morning tonight. man did trainz understated the condition of the set. I pulled the engine out of the box first and it had never been run by the looks of it.
no oil on running gear,no smoke fluid in smoke unit. brand new traction tires. every thing was 💯 brand new not a scratch.
I programed the engine and all functions worked and I had no issues.I opened it up and I took a look in the gearbox and just to be safe removed the original grease and put in some red and tacky. cleaned all the wheels with my dremel and then oiled it up.
then I removed the sleve on the smoke unit resitor and put some better batting in there in place of the stock stuff. added some lionel premium fluid to it and put it all back together.
let it run a little back and forth on a straight portion of track on my layout. the engine is fanfastic just as you all said. for being 2000 era electronics it runs very smooth and slow. the smoke is very thick and quite good for being a puffer type. that whistle is just wow. it sounds amazing.
tommorw I will set up my loop of 072 and run it on my living room floor.
for those of you who maybe following this thread and do not have this set or have never seen it. here are some photos of just how big the set box is and how nice the engine looks.
I am glad I pulled the trigger and got this set. bluecomet 400 told me there is the stationsounds dinner on ebay for sale. so naturally now I have it on watch. wish me luck I hope I can land it also.
thanks again guys for pushing me to get this set. I still can not belive a set this old 2000's era could be today still new in the box unrun. how could you get this set and not run it, just keep it in the box for years is beyond me. man what another great find for my collection.
thanks trainz again for superb service and a great deal.
Roger, ….good deal, ….when they’re that clean, and fresh, it’s just icing on the cake!!…one fine Hudson you have there!!…..honestly, it’s one of the hallmark Hudsons of the modern era,……she’s hard to beat!!
Pat
I have that set and love it. I actually like the two chuff set up and the two chuff smoke. It gives the engine a unique sound when running with other engines. Also at higher speeds you can still see the smoke chuffing. I love updating my engines but I will leave this one alone. Enjoy.
thanks guys. pat you are so right. the build quality and ease of servicing of this engine is amazing. rod I almost agree with you on this one. as far as leaving this one alone but I want 4 chuffs and fan driven smoke. so upgrades here we come.
Exactly what Pat said. Even though mine hasn't met the rails yet(no place to run it ATM), taking it out to have a look at it was impressive. I think not only being a Hudson man, but having Pat egg me on as well as RickO showing his in a few videos over a period of time made me hunt big for one. I can't tell you how many sets would show up on sites, but disappear by the time I got home to look back. Looking at stuff at work when on break was distressing to say the least. Seeing the set there then getting home to see it gone. I managed to get lucky on a Friday listing at a great price(better than the $1400+). I believe I messaged the seller and the rest is history. Heck, I don't really remember what I asked. Glad you got yours.
dave, I too missed out a couple of times. no funds at the time. this time I am glad I could get it.
after examining this hudson close up and taking the shell off to check the gear box grease. I see now why pat loves these hudsons.
the build qualities of this engine are better than some of my new high-end lionel steamers. the motor and drive gears are very robust. they are simple yet very nicely done.
after having a few steamers with pittmans in them. I am now a pittman convert. If I see a steam engine for sale I would like in my collection. I try to see if it has a pittman.
my two mth preimer hudsons have pittmans and they pull stumps and run for hours without a hiccup.
I dont have the radius on my layout to run this on there yet. I did buy an oval of 072 fastrack for my floor to run stuff requiring 072.
once I vacuum today. down will go the track I cant wait to break this hudson in.
thanks for the replys and now we both have one it seems.
One last up date. Thanks goes out to BlueComet400 for finding me the matching stationsounds dinner on the bay. I WON the auction and now have the complete set mint unrun except for me running it.
The engine runs like swiss watch and now its going to get gunrunner johns supercuffer and fan driven smoke. Plus led lighting. Then I will box it up for my next layout wich will have 072 switches and curves to operate it on.
Thanks again to all who encouraged me to get this set. I am glad I did and just love the heck out of it. Roger
@Lionelzwl2012 posted:One last up date. Thanks goes out to BlueComet400 for finding me the matching stationsounds dinner on the bay. I WON the auction and now have the complete set mint unrun except for me running it.
The engine runs like swiss watch and now its going to get gunrunner johns supercuffer and fan driven smoke. Plus led lighting. Then I will box it up for my next layout wich will have 072 switches and curves to operate it on.
Thanks again to all who encouraged me to get this set. I am glad I did and just love the heck out of it. Roger
That’s cool Roger, ….glad you got a nice clean set!…..I didn’t get the diner car, so y’all have to let me know if it’s worth the hunt…..
Pat
@harmonyards posted:That’s cool Roger, ….glad you got a nice clean set!…..I didn’t get the diner car, so y’all have to let me know if it’s worth the hunt…..
Pat
Roger, you are welcome. I was glad to help.
Pat, I have now found 2 diners for fellow forum members in the last few months and will be glad to let you know if I see another one. No doubt there are more orphan SS diners out there looking for a family. I bought my anniversary set totally backwards, buying the diner first and then finding the rest of the set 2 or 3 years later. It's definitely worth it.
John
@BlueComet400 posted:Roger, you are welcome. I was glad to help.
Pat, I have now found 2 diners for fellow forum members in the last few months and will be glad to let you know if I see another one. No doubt there are more orphan SS diners out there looking for a family. I bought my anniversary set totally backwards, buying the diner first and then finding the rest of the set 2 or 3 years later. It's definitely worth it.
John
Thanks John! …I’ll have to take y’all’s word for it, and get one,….sadly though, all those Lionel Lines cars are coming in the paint shop really soon for some “ Centralization “ ……they’re for sure nice cars, but I can’t deal with the Lionel Lines lettering …….🤢
Pat
It's nice to see a post on this particular set. One of my co-workers who is into a different scale gifted me this set about 5 years ago. The only thing that was missing was all the boxes for the set, they were mistakenly thrown out, not by him, but that is another story. He knew I was into O gauge and said you will have more fun with this then I will. I knew it was the 50th Anniversary set but I really could not get a whole lot of information on it otherwise. There is a lot of good information in this thread, Much Appreciated!
That engine is beautiful. Congrats on your find!
@harmonyards posted:Thanks John! …I’ll have to take y’all’s word for it, and get one,….sadly though, all those Lionel Lines cars are coming in the paint shop really soon for some “ Centralization “ ……they’re for sure nice cars, but I can’t deal with the Lionel Lines lettering …….🤢
Pat
Based on what I've seen of your layout on here, it looks like you have room for the 6th car. Are you repainting them in addition to re-lettering?
Since this was a throwback to the postwar/prewar heavyweights, I understand why they used Lionel Lines on the cars, and I like it, but I wonder why they didn't do the same with the tender. Less work for you, Pat!
@BlueComet400 posted:Based on what I've seen of your layout on here, it looks like you have room for the 6th car. Are you repainting them in addition to re-lettering?
Since this was a throwback to the postwar/prewar heavyweights, I understand why they used Lionel Lines on the cars, and I like it, but I wonder why they didn't do the same with the tender. Less work for you, Pat!
I don’t know if total repaints are on docket or not, I have to consult with West Albany shops, & Rome shops to see what’s feasible as far as coloration goes… …..my first thought was very thin brass strips, painted to match the car bodies, lettered for the Central, that just simply get affixed over Lionel Lines…..but we’ll see what happens after we talk to the dedicated craftsmen north of Harmon,….
Pat
I have been a happy owner of the 50th Anniverary set since its inception ~ 22 years ago with the sounds car. It is a very handsome and great running set. The only modification I've done to it is to shorten the draw bar of the tender using a Lionel part. I can understand modernizing the smoke arrangement and the control electronics, but the J3a that came with the set does run well under Legacy control. Rather than update my Hudson from this set, I acquired one of the new Legacy J3a Pat's Trains reissues.
What has me scratching my head is the notion that having gone to the trouble of acquiring a 50th Anniversary set (with its deliberate references to the Pre- and Postwar Eras) one would repaint the quite lovely heavyweights (?!). It is a commemorative set and not meant to be strictly protypical. Lionel and others have made 18" heavies painted correctly for the NYC and they provide a good stand-in for a circa. 1938 20th Century. That is what I purchased years ago to do precisely that.
Folks can always do what they wish with their trains. However, as we approach the 25 year mark for it, the 50th Anniversary set is becoming a collector's item. This does not prevent one from running and enjoying it, but if one has a complete set with all of the boxes, the repainting of the heavies in this set is an act that might need to be thought through with care.
Just sayin'. 
Have fun.
Bob
@Bob Bubeck posted:I have been a happy owner of the 50th Anniverary set since its inception ~ 22 years ago with the sounds car. It is a very handsome and great running set. The only modification I've done to it is to shorten the draw bar of the tender using a Lionel part. I can understand modernizing the smoke arrangement and the control electronics, but the J3a that came with the set does run well under Legacy control. Rather than update my Hudson from this set, I acquired one of the new Legacy J3a Pat's Trains reissues.
What has me scratching my head is the notion that having gone to the trouble of acquiring a 50th Anniversary set (with its deliberate references to the Pre- and Postwar Eras) one would repaint the quite lovely heavyweights (?!). It is a commemorative set and not meant to be strictly protypical. Lionel and others have made 18" heavies painted correctly for the NYC and they provide a good stand-in for a circa. 1938 20th Century. That is what I purchased years ago to do precisely that.
Folks can always do what they wish with their trains. However, as we approach the 25 year mark for it, the 50th Anniversary set is becoming a collector's item. This does not prevent one from running and enjoying it, but if one has a complete set with all of the boxes, the repainting of the heavies in this set is an act that might need to be thought through with care.
Just sayin'.
Have fun.
Bob
Consider the repaint (if it happens) as Pat's way of increasing the "collector's value" of the sets that have been left untouched as there will be one less set on the market. I wouldn't consider repainting or re-lettering my 50th anniversary set, but to each his/her own. There was a time when I wouldn't repaint anything, unless it was a prewar junker in desperate need of some TLC but am now considering repainting my Lionel 777 Commodore Vanderbilt. The factory paint job on it is awful, and I'm not the slightest bit concerned about diminishing its value anymore. Heck, I know of a former OGR Forum member who bought a set of the K-Line "28th Anniversary" NYC heavyweights and had them chrome-plated to match the Lionel 115th Anniversary Berkshire. They look good, but that particular set seems to be somewhat rare, so I would've chosen different, more common cars for the chrome plating.
A few of us considering relettering are hoping to simply make a plate to cover the Lionel Lines. Not necessarily planning to repaint the whole car.
Pete
@Bob Bubeck posted:I have been a happy owner of the 50th Anniverary set since its inception ~ 22 years ago with the sounds car. It is a very handsome and great running set. The only modification I've done to it is to shorten the draw bar of the tender using a Lionel part. I can understand modernizing the smoke arrangement and the control electronics, but the J3a that came with the set does run well under Legacy control. Rather than update my Hudson from this set, I acquired one of the new Legacy J3a Pat's Trains reissues.
What has me scratching my head is the notion that having gone to the trouble of acquiring a 50th Anniversary set (with its deliberate references to the Pre- and Postwar Eras) one would repaint the quite lovely heavyweights (?!). It is a commemorative set and not meant to be strictly protypical. Lionel and others have made 18" heavies painted correctly for the NYC and they provide a good stand-in for a circa. 1938 20th Century. That is what I purchased years ago to do precisely that.
Folks can always do what they wish with their trains. However, as we approach the 25 year mark for it, the 50th Anniversary set is becoming a collector's item. This does not prevent one from running and enjoying it, but if one has a complete set with all of the boxes, the repainting of the heavies in this set is an act that might need to be thought through with care.
Just sayin'.
Have fun.
Bob
Just doin’ my part to keep your set’s value sky high Bob!….nothing thrills me more than degrading a collector’s item for y’all’s benefit!….I’m always looking out for you guys!….😉
Pat
@harmonyards posted:Just doin’ my part to keep your set’s value sky high Bob!….nothing thrills me more than degrading a collector’s item for y’all’s benefit!….I’m always looking out for you guys!….😉
Pat
You guys can paint pink polka dots on the cars if you like. I have absolutely no commerial interest in the question. It is a set, however, that has held its value rather well coming up on a quarter century. I am just presenting a bit of history and pointing out that actions do have consequences. Please think it through to avoid being sorry in the future.
Have fun.
Bob
@Bob Bubeck posted:You guys can paint pink polka dots on the cars if you like. I have absolutely no commerial interest in the question. It is a set, however, that has held its value rather well coming up on a quarter century. I am just presenting a bit of history and pointing out that actions do have consequences. Please think it through to avoid being sorry in the future.
Have fun.
Bob
Ok, ….yes, I’ll think about it,…………..ok I’m done, now, lemme get those cars out!!…
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Pat
Pat, what will you do with the "L" drum head on the observation car?
@BlueComet400 posted:Pat, what will you do with the "L" drum head on the observation car?
I make my own drum heads buddy, …..my son 3D prints the drum head frames, then I’ll fill them in, light them, and then my graphics guy makes whatever drum head decal I could ever ask for …..😉…kinda like what Tomar industries offers/offered ..
Pat
Pat, did you paint the cars and re-letter them? Asking because I am curious to the how to's and what to do's, not that I am qualified to do that. I just thought the cars should have been NYC and not Lionel Lines.
@Dave NYC Hudson PRR K4 posted:Pat, did you paint the cars and re-letter them? Asking because I am curious to the how to's and what to do's, not that I am qualified to do that. I just thought the cars should have been NYC and not Lionel Lines.
I haven’t gotten around to them yet Dave………this is more than likely a fall project.
Pat
@Dave NYC Hudson PRR K4 posted:Pat, did you paint the cars and re-letter them? Asking because I am curious to the how to's and what to do's, not that I am qualified to do that. I just thought the cars should have been NYC and not Lionel Lines.
Dave, FYI K-Line made the same set lettered for NYC minus the SS Diner. There are four of them on the bay now. You could save yourself a lot of hassle just by trading and likely come ahead in the deal.
Pete
Thank you both. I will have to look into the bay bit, but may just sit and wait. I do have some MTH cars I picked up which I think are grey and or green. Scratching my head as things are a mess where everything is stored. I have to better organize my train stuff in order to keep tabs. Maybe I need to get bread racks for my boxes of stuff for storage instead of piling stuff on the floor of the spare room.
@BlueComet400 posted:Consider the repaint (if it happens) as Pat's way of increasing the "collector's value" of the sets that have been left untouched as there will be one less set on the market. I wouldn't consider repainting or re-lettering my 50th anniversary set, but to each his/her own. There was a time when I wouldn't repaint anything, unless it was a prewar junker in desperate need of some TLC but am now considering repainting my Lionel 777 Commodore Vanderbilt. The factory paint job on it is awful, and I'm not the slightest bit concerned about diminishing its value anymore. Heck, I know of a former OGR Forum member who bought a set of the K-Line "28th Anniversary" NYC heavyweights and had them chrome-plated to match the Lionel 115th Anniversary Berkshire. They look good, but that particular set seems to be somewhat rare, so I would've chosen different, more common cars for the chrome plating.
We are in agreement. After over a quarter of a century that Vandy has little retained market value, so have at it. Should be a satisfying project. Enjoy.
Bob
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