Model Train Show honoring the Hudson Steam Locomotive

The Hudson type steam locomotive is a 4-6-4 wheel arrangement (four pilot truck wheels, six drivers (larger diameter wheels turned by the side rods) and four trailing truck wheels). This type of locomotive was extensively used by the New York Central in passenger service. The first one went into operation on the NYC System in 1927. Since the "Central" was basically the first user of this type of wheel arrangement (4-6-4), it had the honor of naming it. They chose to call it a "Hudson" after the Hudson River in New York state reflecting the New York Central's advertising slogan, "the water level route". The "Central's" Hudsons were best known for pulling their premier all Pullman passenger train, "The 20th Century Limited", between New York and Chicago and back. But, they also pulled the NYC's all coach train, "The Pacemaker", between these same two cities. How 'bout that!



My employer, the Canadian Pacific Railway, until recently, operated a restored 1930 CP Hudson steam locomotive. When it came to Chicago several times to our Bensenville Yard for excursion service it showed itself to be quite a powerful steam locomotive. Despite its age, it was able to pull 14 vintage coaches with over 600 rail fan passengers at speeds up to 60 mph (track speed limits kept if from going faster).



And yes, I did get a photo of my '50 Pacemaker directly in front of the CP engine back in 2004 which also delighted the many people nearby with cameras as they also got a "shot of Hudson in front of a Hudson"!



Dan

Here is a shot of the Canadian Pacific's Hudson (4-6-4) steam locomotive at the CPR's Bensenville Yard (Chicago). This shot was taken last year in August, 2008 when the engine and its passenger cars were brought down from Canada for a number of days of railfan excursion service (apparently it cost around $75.00 per passenger for a 125 mile round trip and was pretty much sold out each time). Its engine number is 2816 and it was built by the Montreal Locomotive Works (MLW) in 1930. Unfortunately, the 2816 has been "mothballed" at Calgary, Alberta for the foreseeable future due to the slowdown in the economy. By the way, as far as I could tell, it was the only operating Hudson type steam locomotive at the time anywhere in the world.



Dan

RL Chilton wrote:

Thanks, Dan. Cool pictures. I've been storing/collecting HO scale railroad stuff all my life for . . . retirement, now, I guess. Mostly Great Northern.

Thanks Russ! By the way, although the Great Northern didn't operate any Hudsons, they did have some beautifully painted 4-8-4 Northern type steam locomotives built in the late 1920's for their passenger trains such as the Empire Builder.