Yet another Kline Hudson comes in for the swap!..Tales From Harmon Shops

With this chassis swap, what of the K-Line chassis/drivers is salvageable?

My stock locomotive runs well and has given no trouble for years (little use however). Is the chassis/motor a throwaway?

@c.sam posted:

With this chassis swap, what of the K-Line chassis/drivers is salvageable?

My stock locomotive runs well and has given no trouble for years (little use however). Is the chassis/motor a throwaway?

When it’s all said and done Sam, the Kline chassis will only have the drive block with drivers and the motor left....everything else gets harvested for re-use,....I wouldn’t call it a throwaway, but then again, it doesn’t serve any purpose after the swap is done,.....and yes, some guys are quite content with the stock Kline as is,...however, most say the same thing as you, little use, and don’t pull a lot of cars.....the fact is for some of us, the Kline Hudson is one of the ( if not the ) finest scale Hudsons to grace the rails,...so the whimpy underpowered motor must go!.....there’s just no comparison in performance with the large Pittman powering these gems,...

Pat

Pat,  Thanks so much for the posting and the photos.   I'll be following along.   Enjoyed the details on the mounting of the K Line boiler shell to the new chassis set up.   Looks awesome !!! 

As we discussed this majestic steamer will be pulling 6 GGD 21 inch Heavyweight Pullmans, not the plastic ones either, up a 28 to 30  foot  1.5% grade.   

Hey Pat, thanks for the quick reply. I would heartily concur about the beauty of the K-Line cab and tender - to me still the nicest out there for the most part. Perhaps someday I will send you mine if I get another layout built at home. Mine has PS2 and perhaps a MTH smoke unit (can't remember) and it has performed well but would eventually like the larger motor.

Below is K-Line #5344 and the lower photos are #5343 K-Line and #5344 MTH 1st issue PS1

Hmmm. Maybe the Harmon shops could look at the MTH one gauge Hudson soon? The engines don't do what they should. May be just too light?

I sent mine off to another scratch builder for salvage use. I thought about working on it. I just didn't seem to have enough interest at the time. It was beat up so I let it go.

I have a GS4 that also seems a little weak. The MTH one gauge PS2 Challengers seem to be just the right set-up for my RR. I am a modern diesel fan so I loose interest in the older beasts that need to go to the scrapper.

Uh Oh. Did I say that?

Pat

Love your re-builds. A couple of questions:

1. What's your source for all these Pittmans?

2. What do you use to "chemically blacken all the new parts"?

Keep the posts coming!

Mark in Oregon

@Strummer posted:

Pat

Love your re-builds. A couple of questions:

1. What's your source for all these Pittmans?

2. What do you use to "chemically blacken all the new parts"?

Keep the posts coming!

Mark in Oregon

Mark, very good to hear from you!..

1. Everywhere & anywhere!....and when I do, I buy in bulk!..

2. Caswel chemicals, they have a great product line of blackening chemicals, they have Oxides for just about every kind of metal,..these are cold oxides, designed for the DIY guy, and available in large or small quantities,.....

Pat

@chris a posted:

Pat,  Thanks so much for the posting and the photos.   I'll be following along.   Enjoyed the details on the mounting of the K Line boiler shell to the new chassis set up.   Looks awesome !!!

As we discussed this majestic steamer will be pulling 6 GGD 21 inch Heavyweight Pullmans, not the plastic ones either, up a 28 to 30  foot  1.5% grade.   

You are a lucky guy Chris. Can't wait to see this loco pulling your cars along your beautiful layout.

My ROW won't handle one of these, but my Rivaroasi HO NYC Hudson gives me my Hudson fix when necessary.

Bob

I am starting to think I need to start searching for a K-Line Hudson just so I can get Pat to upgrade it for me!! 

Yes fellows, this thread is going to get really exciting and with do respect, Chris’s K-Line Hudson is going to look great, run great, chuff and chuff and smoke, headlight change, curtains, deck plate, ERR, and can run like there’s no tomorrow, and Pat will probably fire the present engineers, and so much more. I am very pleased with the way my Hudson runs. It’s my favorite steamer. Thanks for posting this thread. Happy Railroading Everyone

Larry,  thanks for posting the photos.   It's great to see them while I am waiting anxiously for the "Leapin Larry Option Package" !   

@chris a posted:

Larry,  thanks for posting the photos.   It's great to see them while I am waiting anxiously for the "Leapin Larry Option Package" !   

I really need to find a K-Line Hudson so I can get the "Leapin Larry Option Package" also!!! 

Yes,  Mark,   you Do !!!!   And no I don't get a commission or finder's fee....

Mark, check with Pat first if you plan to upgrade it. Parts supply is not infinite.

Pete

@chris a posted:

Yes,  Mark,   you Do !!!!   And no I don't get a commission or finder's fee....

  Chris, I see it looks like they are going for about $600.  That would be a nice finder's fee.

@Norton posted:

Mark, check with Pat first if you plan to upgrade it. Parts supply is not infinite.

Pete

Pete, yes I can imagine that is true.  I got that idea when Pat wrote a couple days ago, he gets the Pitman motors from various sources.

@Norton posted:

Mark, check with Pat first if you plan to upgrade it. Parts supply is not infinite.

Pete

This is true, .....at some point the well will run dry, but as of right now, I can’t see the bottom of the barrel,....yet,....but it is coming,........

Pat

@Mark Boyce posted:

  Chris, I see it looks like they are going for about $600.  That would be a nice finder's fee.

Pete, yes I can imagine that is true.  I got that idea when Pat wrote a couple days ago, he gets the Pitman motors from various sources.

Mark, the motors won’t be a problem, but at some point, the MTH chassis I use will be,...I won’t run out anytime soon, but eventually it will,.....I am working on some “ insurance for supplies “ remedies with the new MTH parts company, and if that pans out, that’ll be a whole new supply source,....unless a dozen folks cram in all at once, my current supplies will last for a while,....and of course, I’m always looking for that next evolution.....every one of these jobs is custom tailored to meet the specific needs of the operator. For example, Chris A has challenged me with what he wants his Hudson to do,...and his will need more power, and more tractive effort than previous builds,....but I like the challenge...Larry’s Hudson suits his needs for his layout perfectly, Larry & I spent quite a few evenings on the phone, and emails back & forth so I could absorb as much information about Larry’s ( gorgeous by the way) layout ,.....I did the same with Chris A,.....I’m not sure if Chris mentioned  this, but we have one heck of a grade to combat, so that presents a unique set of challenges that we’ll overcome,.....but don’t worry, we’ll tug that train up that hill kicking & screaming!..😉

Pat

Thank you Chris for the nice compliments, however, it really should be called The Hudson, Re-Created by “The Harmon Shops” because Pat, the CEO of Harmonyards is the magician that through his engineering experience made this happen. When Pat and I talked on the phone before he performed the tremendous upgrade, his explanation of what the transformation was going to include, the new parts, fitting the MTH Chassis in precisely the exact spot, placing the big Pittman motor in the rear part of the locomotive, Gunrunner Johns chuff stuff, Cruise Commander, re-designing the smoke unit, ERR, and all of the add on detailing, his assuring way of telling me the locomotive will run for hours and never overheat and become a real Stump Puller. It’s exactly that. Chris, you will be very happy when you receive your K-Line Hudson, a Harmon Shops specialty. The Journey has begun, hang on for the ride. Happy Railroading Everyone

I love this topic, and I always feel like I am eating steak at Espo's here in NJ. That place can really cook a steak, and make you feel great too. Besides that, I myself am hoping to snag one of these Kline Hudson's out there in the great wide world. May get lucky, may not, see how things progress. But rest assured, if I do, I will be talking to Pat about what we can do to make it a magnificent engine for the ages, like the real deal. I also have a few other things that need to go Pat's way when I get my act together, lol.