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I'd normally say skip the Williams and find a MTH Premier PS1 NYC Hudson. They have a much better drive train and could be found cheap (less than $300). Unfortunately now prices have gone through the roof. So if you're on a budget the Williams is probably the best bet. If you're fine with Pullmor motors the Lionel Hudson is better than the Williams version, if you can find a Lionel one for cheap.

Just wondering, why do many members dislike these locos?  Are they that fast or are slower speeds possible?  I have a Williams EP5 that does start quick and runs fast with my zw but if I run with z1000 or cw80 It starts reasonably and will run at slower speeds.  Could the Hudsons run the same way?  I see them at decent prices compared to lionel and MTH thats why I'm interested.

@671/681 posted:

Just wondering, why do many members dislike these locos?  Are they that fast or are slower speeds possible?  I have a Williams EP5 that does start quick and runs fast with my zw but if I run with z1000 or cw80 It starts reasonably and will run at slower speeds.  Could the Hudsons run the same way?  I see them at decent prices compared to lionel and MTH thats why I'm interested.

The gear ratio is horrible,….if you like running at whip lash speeds, then this is the locomotive for you,…for those of us that posted replies on this thread, the ability to cruise and cruise with good torque are a must…..stock, they’re not ideal for us….it depends on how you enjoy your trains,…..but for the record, no, they’re not bad at all,….just some of us enjoy different styles of how we operate ,…..I don’t dislike them for a bit,….they’re well made, and robust, it just takes a lot more modifications to make them up to our desired operating status,…if you’re a conventional runner, you’d probably love it as is,…

Pat

@671/681 posted:

Thanks guys for the info.  Yes I am a conventional operator so whatever one I get should satisfy me.  I'm going to retire in three weeks so this is going to be a present to myself.

Oh cool,..heck yeah,…don’t let us deter you, they’re well built and run fine conventional…..one trick I’ve learned with them in conventional operation, stick as many cars as you dare behind them, the weight keeps them in check!…..congratulations on your upcoming retirement!….I’m only 13 months from joining you!!….counting the days,…

Pat

I have a scale Hudson and I think it is fine. The valve gear and non-existant brake gear are definitely missed but they are beefy and run well. Some complain about slow speed operation and I haven't experienced any issues at any given speed. It will pull lots of scale cars with no problem. My Premier FEF is much nicer in overall detail and I can get parts for it, but it is over twice the price. So for the price point it's a decent scale loco.

As far as the 5205 and 5207 are concerned it appears that they were offered in two road numbers. This loco is prototypical for NYC, so I would imagine that two road numbers would be desired by NYC modelers.

Last edited by Mike D
@E-UNIT-79 posted:

Norton, that's the calmest Williams Hudson I've ever seen.  What did you do to it to get it to go so slowly and smoothly? And it looks like the original sleuth smoke unit but I've also never seen one smoke like that.

Both the motor and gearbox have been replaced with a Pittman 8700 motor and Northwest Short line 23:1 gearbox driven by an ERR Cruise Commander. Will have to wait until I can run it on the club layout to see how many cars it will pull at what speed.

Swapping the gearbox with one with a lower gear ratio (higher numerically) is the key. I tried a number of motor swaps but couldn’t get it to run any slower than it did with the original motor.

As for the smoke unit, its stock. I have a few that smoke like that. I found Suethe fluid is the best for these and only use 3-4 drops. It won’t last more than a few minutes but too much fluid will cool it down too much to smoke. Also turn it off when not in use or it will burn up. Its now powered by the R2LC so I can shut it down with the handheld.

Pete

Last edited by Norton

I used one of their standard gearboxes. I would suggest a mod .5 or mod .6 idler gearbox for a 5mm axle. I used their mod .6 23:1 gearbox but a mod .5 with a 25:1 ratio should work too.

Here is there website.

https://nwsl.com

Be aware because their gearbox is shorter you will have to either angle the motor or add a belt drive to connect the motor to the gearbox. I got a smaller motor and angled the mount.

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Pete

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