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Hello Tinplaters 

The NYC Hudson was the new look of railroading for a good ten +  years beginning with it's introduction in 1928 ... the model / toy  / model  train world was soon to join the band wagon by modeling the revered  NYC Hudson  for the next 90 years.   

Thomas Randal may have the honors of the first to pattern his Standard Gauge casting kits after the Hudson . 

1930 Frank Birch of Detroit offers an O scale electric Hudson  .... Frank also built live steam ...has anyone ever seen a Frank Birch  piece ? 

December 1931   "The Voltamp Company of America" ......a name perhaps sold from Boucher who did not have the right to sell ...   but Richard Marklin was trying to establish an American presence in the toy train world by importing a model of the famed NYC Hudson .    Richard wished not to have the German link in the name ? ..you know that WW1 thing ....

September 1932  another Voltamp ad now listing Pullmans and K4 along with the Hudson ....  Pullmans were made ..never heard of the K4 

1933 Maerklin Hudson is being sold for 30.00 .....'..note Icken  pacific  $90.00 ....  Lionel tinplate engines $10.00 + - 

1934 Marklin offers the Hudson with a slightly bigger tender ( unknown if they also modified the engine) .... and longer Pullmans offered 

1936 /7 Markin catalog shows the NYC Commodore Hudson .  (I've heard the standard Hudson was not in the Marklin catalogs ?) 

The Marklin Hudson just did not find an audience when first made .... not a scale model ..so the rivet counters did not like it ......for the tinplate world ....perhaps a bit ahead of the curve .... Lionel tested scale waters in 1934 with the City of Portland and added the Hiawatha in 1935 ...and Hudson at the tail end of 1937 . 

 

Commercial failure of course creates a collectors rarity ....  so rare ( expensive) that Seltzer of Germany reproduced in limited numbers the Hudson ...does anyone know when they were made ?  or how many were made ? 

 

Here you have some of the early ads ...photo of an original Hudson ....and the latest addition a Seltzer  reproduction Hudson ( as a space holder till an original pulls in the station ....pulling a string of the Marklin American Pullmans would be nice ) .

Cheers Carey 

 

Dec 1931 Modelmaker ad for hudson1932 Sept Modelmakers ad hudsonsold 2015 6500IMG_9218IMG_9221IMG_9222IMG_9223

 April 1933 Model Maker

 

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  • Dec 1931  Modelmaker ad for hudson
  • 1932 Sept Modelmakers  ad hudson
  • sold 2015  6500
  • IMG_9218
  • IMG_9221
  • IMG_9222
  • IMG_9223
  • April 1933 Model Maker
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Hello all 

thank you for your kinds words ..

Rob if you are the lucky owner of a Commodore with Pullmans ..please post some photos ... a video ?  thank you 

Yes the Selzer repro Marklin  Hudson is mine ....hope to run it one day ...but all my O gauge is   two rail   or outside third rail ...  so I'll have the sneak a loop of inside 3rd rail some where . 

Cheers Carey

 

Here is the Marklin 1936/7  Catalog showing the Commodore..among the other heavy hitter Marklin  O gauge pieces  

IMG_9240

 

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  • IMG_9240

 A friend of mine paid around $40,000 for a close to mint boxed Commodore Vanderbilt set. That was a little over 20 years ago. Prices, rarity & values were very high then because the internet was new & only available by dial up via a phone modem. He only kept it for a year or two and then sold it (I think on the time line). I say "I think" because someone might know who I'm talking about and I'm "paraphrasing" on how long he kept the set. Anyway, WOW what a Marklin prewar tinplate set! I collect Marklin gauge 1 and O gauge tinplate trains from the 1930's. I love 1700 series 4 wheel freight cars and 1800 8 wheel (with trucks) freights in both gauges. And all 1900 cars in 4 & 8 wheel. On the passenger cars, I like the detailed interior long ones, 53cm 1800 & 57cm 1900 "personwagens". To me, those were Marklins version of States Cars. And I don't mind some the replica (or replika) models that come out very small "cottage industry" manufacturers in Germany & Switzerland. My train budget is getting gobbled up with medical bills because of my health. So I love the 1970's replica 57cm long gauge 1 huge 1900 passenger wagens made by Wilag. My last count I had 27 of them! I have at least 2 of every Wilag 1900 wagens in all colors. Like the 1941, 1942, 1943 in the green, Mitropa red & blue versions. And the 1944 baggage cars, 1945 postal car with skylight roof in red & green. And 7 cars in the beautiful violet & cream Rheingold color that Marklin made in other cars but never in their biggest deluxe pass. cars. I almost had my collection complete when I started becoming crippled. I really wanted those Wilag PLM cars that were on thebay (or how everybody says it?) I just couldn't part with $3,000. I'll need that for 2 hours at our local hospital! And please make bad (you know what) comments about healthcare. That will just get this thread deleted. It is what it is, but will have to be addressed soon. Hopefully soon in my case. It's breaking us!

Sorry for the long response. I just got excited about Marklin tinplate. And I remembered that huge price paid for that set.

Bill

Those are pretty locos for sure. I am lucky to have a beater/junker HR66 920... I don't see me working into even a Ritter or Selzer model, although I would welcome one with open arms if the right opportunity presented itself. 

Carey, I think the top of the line Marklin wide radius track was about like Lionel T rail in appearance and rail cross section.  You might be able to use that.  The flanges are probably to tall on the Marklin Hudson to try and run on your old outside third rail track.  Too bad in a away as it wouldn't be too far out of place!

Hello all 

Rob thank you for the great photo of your beautiful Marklin Commodore....  it's on the want list .. 

Bill  ..sorry for your health "issues" ....please post some photos of your lovely trains .....were the American Pullman's reproduced ?    was the Commodore also reproduced ? ....    

Dennis ..yes Lionel T rail was going to be the track of choice ...thank you 

With Lionel's huge success of the Hiawatha ... one would have guessed the Commodore would have been in line for production ....certainly would have been a whole lot cheaper to bring to market than the 700E. 

Ok so this is not Marklin   Commodore  ...however you might find it interesting that a Lionel 700 E frame lives underneath the skirting ...and yes it has been 2 railed.

Cheers Carey 

IMG_7767 

 

 

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  • IMG_7767
Carey Williams posted:

 

Commercial failure of course creates a collectors rarity ....  so rare ( expensive) that Seltzer of Germany reproduced in limited numbers the Hudson ...does anyone know when they were made ?  or how many were made ? 

 

I do not know when and how many Hudsons were made by Selzer, but they are still available according to their website: http://www.selzer-toy-auction.com/deutsch/replica.htm. As far as I know they make small re-runs when there is demand. These are 0 gauge versions. As far as I know no replica's of the 1 gauge version of the Märklin Commodore Vanderbilt were or are made; of the Märklin gauge 1 version only a few examples are known. ASTER made a 1 gauge "scale" version of the Commodore Vanderbilt in the eighties:

Regards

Fred

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  • mceclip0

Hello all 

   The Commodore (over the 700E frame) was scratch built 40's ... brass and sheet metal 

Aster is very pretty thank you for posting  and the info about Selzer ..  based on the glut of trains on the market ( and continuing to hit the market )  it could be a very long time before there is a need for another run of new Marklin Hudsons ... (or much else for that fact) .

Here we have January 1935  Model Maker ...and Richard Maerklin  (no longer hiding behind the Voltamp name)  is advertising the 1/4"  "scale" model  Hudson ........... hum..along side a Crovan ad  who was building real 1/4 scale ..and Mi-Loco   who was building real 17/64ths (proper scale for O gauge)   Hudsons.....

 A potential Hudson   buyer  in  Janauary 1935 also had the chance  to buy a Scalecraft Hudson .( the 1934 Scalecraft I think is the best of the Scalecraft Hudsons .. two later models lesser quality casting) 

 

So you be the judge ..if you were looking to buy a "scale " model Hudson  (in 1935) .... Scalecraft  (RTR $137.50, MiLoco  (about $75.00) ...or the Marklin ....unknown original price .......

today prices   Scalecraft   300  + - MiLoco   500 + - ....Marklin .....way too much 

Lionel 1934/5 you can buy the City Of Portland silver or yellow a loop of 072 ...all complete for about 18.00 

Cheers Carey 

 

IMG_2877

Above 1934 Scalecraft 

my engine

Above 1935  MiLoco 

 

IMG_9251

January 1935 Modelmaker  

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Images (3)
  • IMG_9251
  • 1934 Scalecraft Hudson
  • 1935 MiLoco Hudson

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