Williams by Bachmann scale hudson

Buy it from Train World on their website, www.trainworld.com  if they have it. You will save at least 12% compared to the Bachmann website price.

 

Lee Fritz

You could Google "Williams scale hudson" and browse "Images."

 

The auction site has several listings of used Williams scale hudsons with pictures from every side.  Be sure it is not the "semi-scale" version.

 

And here's a youtube review of the Williams scale hudson:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKJQmXA4c_s

 

In my opinion, these are beautiful and affordable reproductions of Lionel's postwar hudsons.

Phillyreading: I plan on getting it from here. Great prices!

 

Gordon Z: I have google it, but I have not found images that really satisfy me. I would like photos from forum members that run these. I have seen this review before, and I really enjoy it.

 

The plan is to buy a hudson and run it as is for a while, then transform it into a NYC hudson next summer, since Train World is out of those in scale. 

Stop - read this first. Depending upon your needs - and you sound like a budding Hi-railer - you might be dissatisfied with the Williams die-cast steamers, including this one.

 

The gearing is very poor - that is, it will run too slow (bog) or run too fast (whee!!). Maddening.

A friend bought one and sold it a year later because he just found it unusable in his environment. Another still has his, but doesn't run it.

 

I started to sell mine, but, as I do this kind of stuff, I installed ERR Cruise Commander and RS. The Cruise Commander calmed it down to acceptable low-enough-speed and steady-speed performance.

 

Then, I decided to go all 1937 Lionel on it, and detailed it in the manner that that Lionel did, pretty much. Painted the new brass parts black (brush-painted acrylic) and weathered the whole thing. The tender is stock. (BTW, out of the box, the stock Wbb loco looks just like a Lionel 785, for example - if you like that look, you'll like the Williams).

 

Mine, now - looks good and runs pretty well - but it was work. Mostly fun work.

(The lead truck with scale-size wheels is a Lionel part, and drops right in, of course; really adds to the appearance.)

 

 

That looks great detailed. The standard model is pretty sparse - like the 1950's Lionel remake but a nice engine for the price point. I got mine really cheap and one day will hopefully get around to detailing it a bit more. Its speed/throttle responce can be "interesting" !!

 

MIKE

Mike -

 

So far as I know, if you just want a reversing unit with Cruise Control to rein in those "interesting" (read: "maddening") throttle responses, I believe that you can just get the ERR Cruise motherboard/rev unit and skip the command/radio board, if you'd like.

 

It;s a solid loco, mechanically very appealing, but it deserves a proper gearbox.

Easy to do, for the designers. My Lionel 785 Pullmor Hudson (now on display) actually ran better than the stock Williams.

 

 

You have done something very similar to what I would like to do. Add some detail, ERR cruise control, command board, railsounds, etc. I will skip the weathering part, though. I have a WBB Dash 9 I bought before I decided on an era, and that thing is very fast; I just ran it this morning and it really moves at just less than half throttle. I just want a big, beast of a locomotive to add to my roster and work on when time permits.

My preference would be the K-Line scale Hudson. I think it would be in the same ballpark price wise, and it runs and looks great!

 

Jeff C

I have the K-Line Scale Hudson and I love it. If you can find one go that route, but you have to remember parts can be hard to find for it if it ever needs work.

That said my K-Line Hudson runs like a dream.

 

Good luck.

I have one. I like it. It does go really fast, but all I have to do to keep it under control is stop advancing the throttle when it gets going fast enough.

 

D500, great job on yours. I want to add detail parts to mine as well. I just haven't had time to look up the parts and get them ordered.

 

This is the only picture I could find of mine. Hope it helps.

 

I have a Williams by Bachman scale B&O Hudson.  Its a great runner!  Yes it will run fast but adjusting the transformer throttle will keep her in check speed-wise.  It arrived from the retailer having a problem with the sound.  Retailer was great in working things out with me ... very fast turn around on getting me a new loco.  I did have to pay shipping back to retailer even though dealer shipped me a defective unit.   

 

Since I have had problems with the last two of 3 WbB locos I purchased over the last year, I'd suggest you have yours tested at the retailer BEFORE its shipped to you.

 

Good luck!

What would be neat is a list of parts to convert from 773 to 700 detail.  I too could get tempted; mine would get 2-railed and repowered.

Buy a K-line Hudson on E-bay. much better engine in every way. Don

 

The K-Line has better and crisper detail, but I disagree.  I two-railed a K-Line for the local museum, and was horrified by the inaccuracies below the running boards, among other things.  The Lionel/K-Line at least can be made to look like the classic 700E.

 

Remember, this is Opinion.

 

Also, it seems that if you look carefully, the Williams can be had for about half the cost of the K-Line.  Also opinion.

How do the Williams and K-Line Hudsons compare with the Lionel 18005 remake of the 700E?  Any preference or experiences from the readers?

Another viable alternative would be the early PS1 MTH Premiere Hudson. No 5344 Very nice detail, powerful motor, and decent sounds and should outsmoke them all!

 

Are you running conventional? Adding command control to an existing locomotive is usually more costly than buying a TMCC or PS2 engine initially. Something else to consider. K-Line Hudsons can come either way. Early MTH and Lionel Hudsons with TMCC can often be found at reasonable prices too.

 

As mentioned above, the K-Line models are very well detailed. Here's ours with a PS2 conversion and MTH smoke system installed.

 

My two cents still votes for the K-line. I don't run mine just like to look at it. don

With the WBB scale Hudson, the minimum curve says 0-42. I was wondering how firm this is. Does anyone know or has anyone tried running a WBB scale hudson on 0-36 track?

I had the Williams 773 scale Hudson. As well as the speed issue. Mine had numerous electrical gremlins.
Gave up and sold it.
Bought the 1-700e from 1990. In my experience it runs great. It's so good I had to collect the scale freight cars from the same era to go with it!

Nick