Bachmann Announces N NYC J3a Hudson

[RAILCAT]

So will a 3d printed body be an option to make the streamlined version on the Bachmann chassis or are there mechanical differences?

[prr7161]

FWIW, I emailed the Bachmann folks about potentially stocking up on extra tenders and tender trucks, and got a nice response back fairly quickly.  For those looking to get these parts, maybe drop them a line.  The more they hear it the more likely there will be parts to go around!

[PiperguyUMD]

FWIW, I emailed the Bachmann folks about potentially stocking up on extra tenders and tender trucks, and got a nice response back fairly quickly.  For those looking to get these parts, maybe drop them a line.  The more they hear it the more likely there will be parts to go around!

Just emailed them and offered to pre-order 6 pairs of tender trucks! 

[w neal]

Can anybody tell if the tenders have track pan scoops?

[wcfn100]

Can anybody tell if the tenders have track pan scoops?

The Facebook stream looked like they had them.

Jason

[w neal]

In the words of Palpatine:

"Gooood. Goooooooooooood."

[wcfn100]

Jason

[peteski]

Nice couplers!   

Also, what happened to the cylinders in the front view?   

[Brian M]

Looking at the picture of the front of the model, this image popped into my head, which is a drawing that appears multiple times in the excellent book Throughbreads, by Staufer and May.


The other thing that occurred to me is that it looks like that they are not going to change the feedwater heater for the later, "Gothic" versions of the Hudson.  In 1943, all of the feedwater heaters were switched from the Elesco, as shown in the model, to the Worthington, as shown in the drawing above.  The NYC started to apply the Gothic lettering to their engines in 1940, so yes, technically, there were 3 years where the J3a's had Gothic lettering and the original Elesco feedwater heater.  But for those of us that model the post-war period, it will require cutting off the cylindrical ends of the Elesco, touching up the paint, and adding a Worthington.  I've done this to the old Con-Cor Hudsons, but I was also repainting the whole model, so I didn't care.  It will be a little bit trickier to do in this instance and try to match the factory applied paint.  Thankfully it looks like the Detail Associates Worthington parts are still easy to get on ebay or N Scale Supply.

-Brian.

[dem34]

Do we know that Bmann is only doing the one version? I recall they did a pretty fair range of different K4 variants when those were released.

[ChristianJDavis1]

Looking at the picture of the front of the model, this image popped into my head, which is a drawing that appears multiple times in the excellent book Throughbreads, by Staufer and May.


The other thing that occurred to me is that it looks like that they are not going to change the feedwater heater for the later, "Gothic" versions of the Hudson.  In 1943, all of the feedwater heaters were switched from the Elesco, as shown in the model, to the Worthington, as shown in the drawing above.  The NYC started to apply the Gothic lettering to their engines in 1940, so yes, technically, there were 3 years where the J3a's had Gothic lettering and the original Elesco feedwater heater.  But for those of us that model the post-war period, it will require cutting off the cylindrical ends of the Elesco, touching up the paint, and adding a Worthington.  I've done this to the old Con-Cor Hudsons, but I was also repainting the whole model, so I didn't care.  It will be a little bit trickier to do in this instance and try to match the factory applied paint.  Thankfully it looks like the Detail Associates Worthington parts are still easy to get on ebay or N Scale Supply.

-Brian.

Another thing your photo shows as missing on the Bachmann model is the class lights (unless they were a later addition, too). Makes the face look naked.

[reinhardtjh]

Do we know that Bmann is only doing the one version? I recall they did a pretty fair range of different K4 variants when those were released.

Probably for now.  The three K4s variants were all on the same advertisement when initially announced.  Since the J3a ad has only the one I would assume they will all be the same.

[Brian M]

Another thing your photo shows as missing on the Bachmann model is the class lights (unless they were a later addition, too). Makes the face look naked.

Yes, you're right, the class lights are missing.  Those were on the locomotives as-delivered, and they gradually lost the class lights in the post-war years.  I'm sure there are at least a few more details we can continue to pick at with these models....part of what makes the hobby fun, right?   

-Brian.

[Dadman]

The Kato soon to be released NYC 20th Century Limited is the "1950's Consist." These cars and paint scheme are different than the 1938 consist which matches the Dreyfus Streamlined J3A Hudson. The "1950's Consist" had dark gray bodies with light gray center stripe and was hauled by matching E7 diesels. The observation car has distinctive larger rear windows. The upcoming Kato set and diesels are accurate to this train.
The 1938 consist had light grey bodies with darker gray or bluish center stripes with two thin light grey stripes in the center stripes. To my knowledge the Hudsons never pulled the "1950's Consist" and were never painted in the later dark gray body, light gray center stripe.
I personally wish Kato had produced the 1938 consist rather than the 1950's consist. Hopefully now that Bachmann is producing the NYC J3A Hudson they will later offer a streamlined "Dreyfus" version.
Regards,
Robert Diepenbrock

[peteski]

I personally wish Kato had produced the 1938 consist rather than the 1950's consist. Hopefully now that Bachmann is producing the NYC J3A Hudson they will later offer a streamlined "Dreyfus" version.
Regards,
Robert Diepenbrock

Most of us on this thread are bemoaning the fact that Kato did not model the 1938 consist.  But I suppose that since Kato always releases locomotives to go with their passenger set, the Streamlined Hudson was not in their immediate plans (they are busy investing their money, and tooling time on another Big Boy).

I'm also no longer hopeful that they will ever release the 1938 version, since most all of the cars would have to be tooled up.  IIRC, that consist had full-width diaphragms.