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Let us take some of the stress out of holiday gift buying this season by giving you more time to qualify for price adjustments. Price adjustments on purchases are available 10/8/2022 until 12/25/22. If an item you buy has a price reduction before Christmas, we will credit the difference upon request, so you can shop confidently knowing your price is guaranteed.
All credits will be issued as Loyalty Club Points on your Tower Hobbies account.
In the summer of 1934, J-1e Hudson #5344 was pulled from service and sent to West Albany to be fitted with the first sheet metal shroud in America. Painted gun-metal gray with aluminum trim, the locomotive was named "Commodore Vanderbilt", after the successful US businessman who previously owned the NYC railroad.
Developed by the Case School of Applied Science, the shroud covered the locomotive and tender. The shroud was not just for looks, but rather was well-planned and functional. Hinged panels made maintenance points accessible, and a grilled recess on top of the cowling aided the updraft of smoke. Two major benefits of streamlining were improved air flow and improved insulation. Engineers estimate a 2% aid to air flow and the shell certainly minimizes heat loss. Unfortunately the disadvantages of increased weight and exta maintenance tended to outweigh the benefits.
The Commodore Vanderbilt had her inaugural trip on February 19, 1935. After working for about 8 months, she was sent to West Albany Shops for further improvements. Boiler pressure was increased to 250 lbs, roller bearings were applied to the side rods, and disc drivers replaced the original spoked drivers. #5344 maintainted this appearance until July 1939, when she was returned to the shops again and given a shroud similar to the "Dreyfuss Hudsons".
In this production, Broadway Limited is offering models of the Vandy Hudson in her original appearance with spoked drivers, and also in her later and longer-lasting appearance with roller-bearing siderods and disc drivers. BLI will deliver the models ready to run on 18" curves. To accomplish this, they have removed two small pieces of shrouding at the front, and the locomotives will have a modified rear trailing truck. The two shroud pieces and a prototypically accurate trailing truck are included in the box, and can be easily installed as desired. Each of the Vandy Hudson models has a die cast boiler and tender body, and all models come with a Paragon4 DC/DCC Sound System with synchronized puffing smoke and integral GoPack capacitor.
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Points displayed here do not include bonus points for select products. If the product is marked with the Bonus Points Badge below, you will earn the extra bonus points listed in the banner in addition to the calculated points displayed.
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