detailed Hudson

Scott K · Post by **Scott K** » Sun Jan 27, 2008 9:34 am

Yesterday at the Amherst Railway Society train show in West Springfield MA a gentleman stopped by the Pioneer Valley Live Steamers table with a photo of his 3/4" scale NYC Hudson.

WOW!!!!!! This engine was a real beauty. Very detailed!

I did not get but 5 minutes to talk to this gentleman because the show floor was mobbed. The guys name was William Muller has any one here seen his engine? He said he got it from somebody in California and he finished it up him self the date was the late 80's early 90's ? I would like to know more about this engine. Does any one have photos?

There have been a few super detailed live steam engines such as the NKP Berkshires in the last two issues of Live Steam,this Hudson and a few others.Other than that detailed engines in the riding gauges are few and far between. How come? Our engines certainly lend themselves better to super detailing than the weenie scales do. I know some people will make the argument that you can't scale this or that because of operational considerations etc,but the above engines prove that myth wrong........so is it a lack of available parts? No will to take on the detailing after a major construction project like building a live steamer?

Scott K

srrl5 · Post by **srrl5** » Sun Jan 27, 2008 11:24 am

I believe it is not important enough to most people to put in the extra time. Having had the fortune to know both Doug Alkire and Jack Bodenmann, Jack detailed a Berkshire, he started with a running chassis and spent far more time detailing then was spent to get the chassis running. Doug spent over 7,000 hours building a 1" scale B&O President Washington. Again a far bigger part of the time on the detail then the running part. And all of Doug's appliances are dummy, but photographically perfect, so to make them work would have taken even longer.

David

Rwilliams · Post by **Rwilliams** » Sun Jan 27, 2008 12:52 pm

Hello Scott,

In regards to your recent Hudson experience, was the Hudson polished stainless steel with considerable amounts of half round brass trim and raised cab numbers? If I remember the builder was a serious fan of the NYC and used to live on the East Coast when speaking with him. He was very old at that time and was having doubts as to whether he would be able to finish the tender.

I remember seeing a locomotive like this at GGLS back in the 1980's during a meet there and if I remember correctly, it was 3/4 inch and the tender was not close to being finished. GGLS is one of the few tracks on the West Coast that still has a 3/4 inch elevated track since it is one of theoldest clubs out here. It is the last strong hold for 3/4 inch in the entire state of California.

Does this sound like the same locomotive you saw a picture of recently?

I agree that many in our hobby get a model running and loose interest too rapidly except to operate it a few times a year. A few dedicated ones keep on improving the model until it is a work of art. Many detail items are just not on the market so it is easy to stop when the detail parts run out. The research to make these detail parts alone runs into many hours. Then the scaling of the parts with a computer and or calculator also consumes many hours. Dedication is what seems to be lacking as there are way too many things to watch on the plug in drug called TV.

The only thing to do is to do your personal best and hope to inspire others to greater production in the shop. I have almsot finished a Westinghouse SD-6 compressor governor in 1.5 scale that has taken much time over the past several years with several dormant moments due to pressing issues of aging parents. It is back on the front burner and I have already had offers of serious modelers wanting a clone of it when done. While it will never operate, it is the real deal for detail and would stand up to anything my good friend Jack Bodenmann would make in his humble shop. This may mean I have to draw it up from nothing more than notes and sketches as I had no idea the interest it would generate beyond a few friends.

Take care,

Robert

srrl5 · Post by **srrl5** » Sun Jan 27, 2008 2:28 pm

My own loco which is a model of a 1890 Forney for the SR&RL has most all details from the original prints. It took 17 months to run on steam and after 6 years was still not fully detailed. Of course after it was running most every weekend was then spent running and construction was done only during the week.

David

alanstepney · Post by **alanstepney** » Sun Jan 27, 2008 3:13 pm

For some reason, super-detail doesnt seem to be popular in the US, unlike in the UK where many models are finished with as many / all the detailing and where possible, to very fine scale limits.

This has often been discussed but I dont believe the reasons have ever been agreed.

Whilst I enjoy seeing the equisite details that some people produce, as long as the builder is satisfied, that is the most important thing.
After all, it is "only" a hobby.

LivingLegend · Post by **LivingLegend** » Sun Jan 27, 2008 3:28 pm

alanstepney wrote:For some reason, super-detail doesnt seem to be popular in the US, unlike in the UK where many models are finished with as many / all the detailing and where possible, to very fine scale limits.....

Whilst I enjoy seeing the equisite details that some people produce, as long as the builder is satisfied, that is the most important thing.
After all, it is "only" a hobby.

I am a detail oriented type of person. That said....

Others in the hobby, as long as their engine has wheels, is powered by steam, painted black, and just looks like something that might be a steam locomotive are happy with that.

The majority are somewhere in the middle.....

What ever makes the builder/owner happy.

As I have said before.... Whatever curls your toes or twists your shorts.

LL

Bill Shields · Post by **Bill Shields** » Sun Jan 27, 2008 9:02 pm

or lifts your safety valve.......

I think that I know who you are speaking of - regarding the Hudson - think I spoke to him last time I was at WLS...

Interesting point is that I don't believe that he actually steams the engine...which is not to say that a good looking engine cannot be steamed...

there are people that like 'glass case display pieces' such as you see in the Smithsonian...

Scott K · Post by **Scott K** » Mon Jan 28, 2008 8:50 am

Robert,
No raised numbers,stainless steel or polished brass. Just detailed and painted like the real hawg!
I agree that some times we are in front of the TV to much. I am guilty of it at times to.
My Raritan that I am building will be quite plain,but I have been designing some detail parts for my other engine so that it will at least have the appearance of a prototype engine. I build in 3/4" scale so these details will be dummy. Working out of scale appliances will be hidden.
If you ever see some old Model Railroader magazines from the 40's and 50's check out the construction articles by Mel Thornburgh. His techniques were way ahead of his time and they easily scale up.

Scott K

rzawarski · Post by **rzawarski** » Thu Mar 06, 2008 5:11 pm

All the details for the hudson owned by Bill Muller were made and attached w/mostly simulated piping by myself. They are all original patterns constructed of brass. Per Bills instructions they are exact scale replicas. They took many hours to make drawings and hours more to make the parts.

rzawarski · Post by **rzawarski** » Thu Mar 06, 2008 5:15 pm

I do have photos of this engine and of course all the parts that I made. If anyone is interested I will email some photos.
bob Zawarski

tsph6500 · Post by **tsph6500** » Thu Mar 06, 2008 7:55 pm

rzawarski wrote:I do have photos of this engine and of course all the parts that I made. If anyone is interested I will email some photos.

Yes please!

j.leggett@sympatico.ca

srrl5 · Post by **srrl5** » Thu Mar 06, 2008 9:28 pm

I'm interested.

David

The Home Machinist!

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