IHC Premier 23020 UP 4-6-4 Hudson Locomotive w/Vandy Tender

Excerpt from IHC 23020 Documents: "It was 1925 when the first North American 4-6-4 locomotive design was put to paper. The St. Paul Road's motive power people required a locomotive design powerful enough to pull their heavy passenger trains in the low temperatures and heavy snow falls of upper Midwest winters. The loco was named the "Baltic". However, plans to construct it were shelved when they entered receivership.

In November 1926 the NYC applied a four-wheel trailing to a 4-6-2 Pacific, perhaps to check the track-ability of the 4-6-4 wheel arrangement as the the extra trailing axle did nothing to improve the tractive effort of the Pacific. Satisfied with the 4-6-4 wheel arrangement, the first 4-6-4 was ordered and delivered to the NYC on February 14, 1927. This new locomotive was named the "Hudson" type.

The decade 1927 to 1937 represents a period when many railroads were seeking to achieve the greatest speed and tractive effort obtainable by utilizing new technical developments in metallurgy, mechanics and thermodynamics. Larger stoker-fed fireboxes, thermic siphons, feedwater heaters, large diameter high pressure boilers evaporating massive volumes of steam while consuming vast amounts of water and coal, determined that the 4-6-4 steam locomotive had developed the six-coupled engine as heavy and powerful as designers dared to go.

The super power race was the direct result of the railroads need to compete with the growing highway systems of North American and growing popularity of the automobile. In order to keep the traveling public happy and to assure their continued patronage, railroad passenger schedules were optimized and many amenities were added to the great steel fleets. The 4-6-4 Hudson locomotive had the power, speed and economy that the continent's railroads required to keep pace with the growing technology of the the air and highway transportation systems."

Produced in the early-mid 2000's, heavy, powerful, affordable and highly reliable, the IHC Hudsons are the finest and most highly detailed locomotives ever offered by this great, historic and now endangered brand name. All aboard!

FEATURES:

• Excellent C-9 Condition with Excellent Original Box & Paperwork.
• No evidence of run time.
• MRRHQ Locomotive Works serviced, tested and certified.
• Upgraded with MRRHQ Custom Bridge-Rectifier-Controlled Always-on High Performance LED Operating Headlamp.
• Factory Installed Directional Back Up Light.
• One-piece boilers, engine covers, cabs and tenders of pressure-cast high impact plastic.
• Steel main and side rods.
• Real brass bell.
• All additional fine detail parts included.
• Powerful state-of-the-art can motor w/flywheel.
• Scale 79" Drivers.
• Easy rolling steel needle point truck axles.
• Dummy Front and working Rear Knuckle Coupler.
• Optional Upgrades Available:
  • TCS MC2-KAC Standard DCC Decoder Installed.
  • TCS MC2-KAC Standard DCC Decoder w/KA4 Keep Alive Installed.
  • TCS WOWSound 101 Digital DCC/Sound Decoder Installed.
  • TCS WOWSound 101KA Digital DCC/Sound Decoder with Keep Alive Installed.
• Made in Slovenia by Mehano. Production Year 2003.

Dimensions: Locomotive 7 7/8"L x 1 1/2"W x 2 1/8"T - Tender 6 3/8"L x 1 1/2"W x 2 1/8"T

HO Scale 1:87