BLI Hudson- visually convincing?

[Anonymous]

I did exactly that today--  Went to Trainland and took a look at the Spectrum K4, the BLI K4, and the BLI Hudson.

I ended up buying the BLI Hudson (NYC J1e). Has sound and DCC, very nice value for $129.  The BLI Pennsy K4 is also a nice engine, but it's $20 more, so I went with the Hudson (I'm fine with either a Pennsy or NYC engine..  Either will fit in fine with my pike).

The thing is reasonably heavy, and it had no problems pulling a string of twenty 40ft. boxcars (I know, it's a passenger engine, but it's just a pulling test) on level track, and this is with the metal wheels.   It comes with one pair of optional traction-tire-equipped drivers you can swap in, but I don't think that's necessary.

There are little annoyances though...  The running gear needs lubrication--  Mine squeeked with every revolution.  Figure a dot of light machine oil here and there should work wonders.  Also, the engine has all of its weight on the three sets of driver wheels, and the lead and trailing trucks are just there for show and contributes nothing to supporting the engine's weight... Consequently on uneven track you will see the engine bobble up and down a bit.  The front coupler is a non-functional dummy...  I will have to figure a way to mount a Kadee extended-shank coupler there.

The little annoyances aside, I think I got a great deal for $129.

[tstage]

Roddo,

If you are interested in one, you can pick one up from Trainworld for $129.99.  Quite a deal.

Tom

[BRVRR]

Roddo,

I am not a rivet counter, but my BLI Hudson convinces me. The detail is more than adequate for my needs. My Hudson was a Christmas present (2005) from my wife. Cost $169.00. It has seen a lot of service since then and has operated flawlessly. The sound is great too.

Good luck with whatever loco you choose.

Photos on my website.

[Anonymous]

On the second production run, BLI enlarged the gear train encasing to the front: http://www.broadway-limitedwest.com/images/nycj1e/thbside.jpg
v
http://www.broadway-limited.com/J1eThumb/locoapartside.jpg Because the 2d run has much better running properties overall, I guess it's a good tradeoff.
In an otherwise beautiful locomotive, other bad parts are the cab windows (not flush) and the lack of builders' plates on the smokebox. The pilot-, trailer- and tender wheels, inside and outside, need touching up with flat black paint.
But why not go 1:32 and get a _really_ nice little piece (sigh...):
http://www.fineartmodels.com/pages/product.asp?content_area=3&sub_area=10&product_area=50
have fun,
Rik

[selector]

It was my first loco purchase, and I have never been disappointed.   Now, I am no expert on things steam, and certainly on NYC-type steam, of which my TH&B J1 is.  I weathered it with acrylic paints, and must say that it convinces me every time it goes by.

This is not a brass model, and you are not paying for an additional $200 worth of added parts for a "Holy smoke!" factor.  But, the detailing is second, in my opinion, only to the Proto 2000 Heritage steam from the former Life Like folks.  Still, the injector and other overflow drainage is all there, and the firebox and ashpan are very convincingly detailed.

When you get down to eye level to have a wide-eyed look, it is not one of the cheaper engines that seems to sit higher in the boiler with a big dark chunk of drive visible between the drivers and the boiler.  They did a very good job on that.

Finally, I suspect that I have some backing to my assertions because this loco was chosen to be the Model of the Year in 2002 by both readership and the staff at MRR magazine.  It must have had something going for it.

[Anonymous]

Hi fellow model railway fans

I have recently made the move from UK outline to US prototype (I love NYC and  PRR) and am looking for advise before spending lots of money (or as much as I can get away with- you know bills and stuff!)

Could I please ask for opinions regarding the BLI Hudson in terms of its visual appeal especially in the area in front of the firebox behind the two rear drivers- should there be daylight or extra detail as in brackets or pipes?

I've looked at numerous photos and am not sure whether BLI have captured this area effectively- is there just a slab of unprototypical metal that too obviously houses a gear train, or is it convincing enough- should there be a more pronounced curvature of the boiler?

I've read the threads re its running and other qualities (ie go for the secons run), yet have not detected that anyone is displeased with its visual appeal (Am I being too fussy?)

Any comments would be greatly appreciated (or pictures!!)

Cheers

Roddo