4-6-4 Hudson

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OK, I finally bought one, waited until I got a good price, $2,700 was not worth it to me.

Packed really well, in a wooden box with 2 pull out shelves, the tender and the loco are screwed to the shelves with two long allen screws from underneath.

There are contoured expanded foam pieces that encase both sides of the tender and loco.

Dissassembly

(thanks to Dave Bodnar for the pictures and Dan Peirce for the instructions)

Tender:

4 screws at the 4 corners. The tender is mostly empty with just markers and a backup light, and power pickups. I think it's a 6 pin connector (2 power, rear headlight, 2 markers)

Locomotive:

One screw at the front and 2 at the rear of the cab. The boiler and cab come off as an assembly

Here's a picture of one of the 2 screws at the rear: (note these screws have larger heads than their neighbors)

You need to remove the leading truck first, and then you will have access to the single, larger screw in the center:

Open carefully, there are wires between!

Be sure to unplug the smoke & light connections immediately, as the wires to cab light are barely long enough and are easy to rip out.

When the boiler top is off the you can find the plug from the loco track pick ups on the pcb.

Headlight is 5V, Markers are 3V,

Issues / Tips:

Lubricate! This loco needs lubrication and there are reports of abnormal wear in motor bearings and gearbox bearings (both plain bearings)

One user found that the large gear cover on the bottom of the loco kept coming loose and creating gear slip. He added loc-tite to those screws.

The tender does not like tight curves or any imperfections...

The plug from the tender to the engine is a pain......

This user also had one of the valve gear screws came off.....blue lok tite again

Some people have reported that the drawbar spring on the loco is a bit weak and can let the drawbar drop down and uncouple from the tender, you can shim the spring a bit or get a stiffer one.

If the rear of the loco sags, you can put a stronger spring in the trailing truck, but don't overdo it. Be sure to check driver bearing journal travel first, sometimes the bearing slot in the frame is too tight.

Periodically inspect the power pickup brushes on the backs of the drivers. I clean the backsides of the wheels with solvent and then a bit of conducta-lube (the clear watery stuff just for brushes and commutators)

The main connecting rod can hit the outsides of the brake shoes. If this becomes a problem, you can try a thin washer between the connecting rod and driver BUT be aware this "free play" is to avoid binding on curves. Test carefully.

Ray Manley modified a #1 scale Kadee to make a functioning drop coupler for the front, see his site.  http://www.rayman4449.com/USA_Trains_Hudson_Mods.htm#Adding_a_functioning_drop_coupler_to_the_front_pilot:

Need to get schematic

Find out chuff switch design, 

I believe there are 2 reed switches underneath for bell and whistle triggered from

left side switches:

Right side switches:

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