I recall reading many years ago that the streamlining for the Hudsons fell victim to the WWII demand for scrap metal so I assumed none were around in the postwar period. However I just read in the current edition of the Central Headlight, the historical society magazine, that 5344 kept her streamlining until October of 1945 when it lost its streamlining after being damaged in a grade crossing accident. It made me wonder if other Hudsons kept their streamlining into the postwar era. When was the last time a streamlined Hudson ran on the NYC system?
The reason I ask this is that my layout is a fictional subsidary of the NYC in the mid 1950s. I know I am stretching things by operating both a Dreyfus and 1941 Empire State Express streamliner on the layout but maybe I am not stretching things as much as I thought.
jecorbett a fictional subsidary of the NYC
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
Thanks Bear. That's good information. The article I just read said that 5344 had received pre-Dreyfus streamlining in 1934 but I don't recall having seen a picture of it. I also didn't realize this was the first streamlined steamer.
Some --- maybe all? --- received big PT tenders in later years. That's another interesting detail you might want to consider.
Tom
It is my understanding that the earliest version was called the "upside-down bath tub" and then you have the second version introduced in 1941? Incidentally, the recent issue of Classic Trains has some photos and a small story of the Empire State Express engine making its still born run on Pearl Harbor Day.
You are correct that the bathtub design was the first streamlined Hudson appearing in 1934 but to the best of my knowledge, only 5344 received it. In 1938 Dreyfus created his first streamlined design which was given to 10 Hudsons to match the new lightweight 20th Century Limited cars. The 1941 Dreyfus design was for the stainless steel cars of the new Empire State Express which made its first revenue run on December 7, 1941. I'm guessing the PR department figured Sunday would be a good day for the innaugural run since it would be a slow newsday and they would get lots of press. OOPS!!!
Would it have helped if they'd consulted the Imperial Japanese Navy first?
Just wondering.
5344 lost it's number and became the "Commodore Vanderbilt" in 1934, with the so-called "bathtub" streamlining.
http://www.steamlocomotive.com/streamlined/scrapped/
The only other engine ever given that streamlining was the NYC Mohawk 4-8-2 that was leased to Rexall Drugs in 1936 for the "Rexall Train" cross-country promotional tour.
http://www.themetrains.com/rexall-train-main.htm
In 1939, 5344 got it's number back, and was re-streamlined in the 1938 20th Century Limited scheme (5344 was a J-1, all the previous 20th C. streamliners were J-3s).
As noted, some Hudsons were streamlined into the 1941 Empire State Express scheme. A few streamliners were still at least partially streamlined after WW2, but most that made it thru the war lost their streamlining soon after - not so much due to the steel being needed, but because of maintenance headaches.
p.s. when Northern Pacific began it's plan to streamline the North Coast Limited after WW2, it at first considered streamlining some of their A class 4-8-4s into a style very similar to the Commodore Vanderbilt / Rexall Train style. They decided to go with EMD F-units instead, but it's interesting to picture two-tone green "bathtub" Northerns....