What would the NYC Hudson Pull?

In their prime, NOTHING but passenger or express trains. During the last year of steam, the New York Central even assigned them to freight (there are even photos of double headed NYC J3a locomotives on coal trains).

It was primarily a passenger locomotive, but occasionally the engines were used in freight service, especially toward the end of their time in service.

 

Jeff C

 These look to be still available on the for sale forum:

 

 

https://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/t...nel-nyc-heavyweights

My MTH Hudson pulls a train of MTH Madison passenger cars.  That works well for my small space, and I think it is in keeping with the prototype.

Whatever you want to pull behind it. It's your railroad. 

 

Towards the end of the steam are, many of the Hudsons were assigned to freight service where they toiled for several years before being retired and scrapped.

 

So anything from the 20th Century Limited to a lowly local freight would be considered "correct" for the locomotive.

Thanks Rick-O!

 

Says the man who pulls passenger cars with a freight locomotive..................

The 765 was one of several NKP Berks equipped for passenger train service. The 765 was often assigned to passenger service back in the day.

 

SO THERE...

O scale Passenger service behind a Hudson or Niagara is no fun without working track pans....

 

Jeff C

Bummer, even when I'm right I'm still wrong, but hey I  learned something! Thanks for the "tidbit" Rich!

My scale Hudson pulls the 20th Century Ltd Passenger train set--baggage car, coaches, diner, , Pullman sleeper, and rear observation lounge but my consist uses lightweight cars. In real life the Hudson J's may have pulled heavyweight cars on the 20th Century and the lightweight cars may have been pulled by diesels at the end of the era.

Well sort of. Remember that the "streamlined" lightweight cars were inaugurated in 1938 for the 20th Century Limited, and were obviously pulled by the streamlined J3a Hudsons. Also, the "newly streamlined" Empire State Express was inaugurated in December 7, 1941.

At least one of my books has a photo of a non-streamlined Hudson pulling a lightweight consist (Empire State Express, I believe), so even that would be correct.

"Working track pans". Ya know, if you had a high-output smoke unit (I'm looking at you, MTH) under the track, fan-driven, high-speed (slightly pressurized vessel?), triggered

by a train's approach (at least a few feet for charge-up; then triggered at the moment

of crossing), using a manifold of small smoke nozzles (aimed toward the side at 45 degrees), the "splash" might be emulated reasonably well.

 

Yeah, that's the ticket. NYC and PRR guys would buy them - and didn't a couple of other roads use them in a limited way?

 

Brilliant!

My Vision 700E pulls freight and is the happiest engine I have.

The original poster inquired about "what would it PROTOTYPICALLY pull".

I am sorry, I Apologize.

So you are saying that the Dryfus styled J3a Hudsons pulled the 20th Century Ltd. Lightweights before the diesels too over.   

I'm sorry too.  I agree he did ask prototypically, but since it was posted on the 3-rail forum, I figured he wanted to know what cars to buy to be prototypically correct.  I guess my 45 years in HO hard wired my brain to think that way.  

THAT is exactly what I'm stating!  Especially since the NYC didn't HAVE any "passenger diesel units" in 1938. In fact, the EMD E7 diesel didn't really start hauling the likes of the 20th Century until 1947 and later.

My VL Hudson 5344 pulls 6,  18" NYC Passenger cars, a K-line RPO, it at times has pulled my 6 military cars hauling Tanks, jeeps, trucks etc.

 

It is a fun engine to run, even without the whistle steam working.

 

Brent

Were the Hudsons ever used for Pacemaker Freight Service, at all?
Ralph

Probably not. That would have been Mohawk territory.