The Home Machinist!

Hello My Friends
Here is the start of a new project. There are several locomotive projects laying around, the 3/4" scale Hunslet tank engine. The 3/4" scale 0-6-0 and the New York Central Hudson chassis and boiler that was purchased from our friend Anthony. I had actually planned on finishing up the Hunslet first as it would be the simplest quickest project to complete. But the other day I was thinking, what do I really want to do? I mean reeaallly want to do. That Hudson chassis has been setting on the work bench here for a while...The Hudson, that's what I want to finish. The material for the stand had been cut out years ago and had been laying in the steel rack. So it was dragged out and the rust was wire brushed off. A little zap zap with the TIG welder and there you go. Some paint, New York Central colors, and a shelf to put things on. The chassis was plunked down on it, lets go! As I was rolling the little gem around it dawned on me how nice 3/4" scale is. It was easily moved with one hand. I had just been moving the big streamliner around and it weighs a ton, what a contrast. So the little engine will be finished up as a J1e, just as it left Alco. This is my all time favorite locomotive. This may be the result of receiving an old Lionel catalog when I was just a sprout. I remember looking longingly at the cover, on it was the Lionel scale Hudson. I have lusted after one ever since. I may even number her 5344 which was the engine New York Central presented to Lionel for the basis of the model. So here we go.....
Jack

Jack,

I can hardly wait to see what you do with this engine! Memories of finding that chassis came to me every time I walked through the consignment tables at Cabin Fever last weekend.

Looking forward to posing #5544 next to #4683, and I'm glad to see your personal projects getting some TLC.

Anthony

if you need photos or information for 5344 jack, I got tons of photographs of the real 5344 that ive collected over the years. both unstreamlined and streamlined, from spoke to scullen disc drivers and eventually her later end of steam service with monster centipede tender. my father has the two big informational bibles, Thoroughbred's and Know Thy Hudsons. so I can always look in the bibles for info.

Hello My Friends
Thank you Anthony. I hope to see them both tearing around the high line here at the Alcalde & Coalfield Railway. And thank you Dan. I'm sure I will need your help with photos before the engine is done. I only have a few photos of 5344 and they are in the "Know Thy Hudsons" book.
Now I need everyone's help. I have no idea who's casting set was used. So here are a couple photos of the cylinders and pilot. They both look like pretty nice castings to me. There is no lettering or numbers on the castings as far as I can see. I'm sure one of my friends out there can identify them. The chassis will get run on air just to check things out, and then a full strip down. Any old paint will be stripped and then a good bit of clean up and metal finishing. The rods are OK but will need a bit of sharpening up. Also the valve gear has some giant cotter pins that must go. Proper castellated nuts will be made with tiny cotter and hair pins. At least that's what I call them. Same for the rods. New brake rigging will be made also with the correct brake heads, shoes, hangers, and brake beams. Little 3/4" scale J1e, too much fun.
Jack

JBodenmann wrote: ↑Thu Jan 24, 2019 11:54 am
So the little engine will be finished up as a J1e, just as it left Baldwin.

Hi Jack;
I think you will find that the NYC J-1e Hudsons were built by ALCO and not Baldwin.

They are my favorite locomotive too.

Attached is a photo of a 3/4” scale NYC Hudson that was built by the late Harry Hansen of Lyndhurst, NJ. This particular locomotive now lives with me.
This picture was taken in the 1960’s at the long gone Eastern Live Steamers track in New Jersey.
And your locomotive was built using the Langworthy castings. You can get the drawings and any castings you might be missing from John at Friends / Yankee Shop

Keith

Another view of the Harry Hansen Hudson.

Keith

Hello My Friends
Thank you Keith. So it's made from Langworthy castings, very cool. I wish I knew the builder. Keith your Hudson is a gem. How often do you run it? Hopefully you can bring it to the Alcalde & Coalfield some day. Mr. Hansen was very talented. I wonder how many Hudsons are out there. It's a shame that most of the Hudsons in the 3/4" roster were, "owner and location unknown". Also thanks for the heads up about ALCO vs Baldwin . The little Hudson got run on air yesterday and she ran sweet. First I dosed the cylinders with Marvel Mystery oil and she was a bit cranky waking up from her long sleep. Then after oiling around and giving the cylinders a dose of light way lube she settled right down. No hitches or jerkiness. I will be ordering some smoke box hinges from Brian Keim and scratch building a smoke box front. Masters and molds will be made of many parts and then they will be available. These will include such things as, Frankin precision reverse gear, Barco low water alarm, Coffin centrifugal feed water pump, stoker engine that one of Anthony's small injectors can be hidden in, trailing truck booster and ball joint steam lines, headlamp bracket, sand dome, main and auxiliary stack, air operated fire door, brake beams for the engine and tender, tender truck brake and spring equalizers, trailing and tender truck axle boxes, smoke box door dogs, loco valve pilot, tender steps, and some others. Hopefully this will encourage others. I feel extremely fortunate to have this engine.
See you in the funny pages...
Jack

The NYCSHS has just recently put a huge collection of photos online. The images are fairly low resolution but you can order good copies from the society. I ran a search for 5344 and there are 115 images available. Look here:

https://n317.fmphost.com/fmi/webd#RR_Research-ValMaps

Sandiapaul wrote: ↑Sun Jan 27, 2019 9:48 am The NYCSHS has just recently put a huge collection of photos online. The images are fairly low resolution but you can order good copies from the society. I ran a search for 5344 and there are 115 images available. Look here:

https://n317.fmphost.com/fmi/webd#RR_Research-ValMaps

huh, I keep clicking on it and when I click on steam photos, nothing pops up. am I doing somethin wrong?

Steam Engine Dan wrote: ↑Sun Jan 27, 2019 1:27 pm

Sandiapaul wrote: ↑Sun Jan 27, 2019 9:48 am The NYCSHS has just recently put a huge collection of photos online. The images are fairly low resolution but you can order good copies from the society. I ran a search for 5344 and there are 115 images available. Look here:

https://n317.fmphost.com/fmi/webd#RR_Research-ValMaps

huh, I keep clicking on it and when I click on steam photos, nothing pops up. am I doing somethin wrong?

You have to enter 5344 in the search block then click find.

Keith

LVRR2095 wrote: ↑Sun Jan 27, 2019 1:34 pm

Steam Engine Dan wrote: ↑Sun Jan 27, 2019 1:27 pm

Sandiapaul wrote: ↑Sun Jan 27, 2019 9:48 am The NYCSHS has just recently put a huge collection of photos online. The images are fairly low resolution but you can order good copies from the society. I ran a search for 5344 and there are 115 images available. Look here:

https://n317.fmphost.com/fmi/webd#RR_Research-ValMaps

huh, I keep clicking on it and when I click on steam photos, nothing pops up. am I doing somethin wrong?

You have to enter 5344 in the search block then click find.

Keith

i did that and still nothing. all im getting is sorry website cannot be displayed. search for online program to view content and when click show all content it just takes me to home page again.

Dan...try this link.

Keith in Maine and formerly New Jersey

https://n317.fmphost.com/fmi/webd#RR_Research-ValMaps