Hudson Comparison
Comparison my O-Scale model of the Max Gray J1 Hudson No. 5200 to my Lionel MPC era 783 Hudson.
The Max Gray model was likely produced and built sometime in the 1950s or 1960s. The 783 on the other hand was produced in the 1980s, but has its roots (tooling wise) with the original 700e Hudson from the late 1930s/early 1940s.
Both engines generally are in the same size bracket, though its clear there are a lot of differences in both engines.
The Max Gray wins in the category of overall detail and "size" to a degree. The model, as far as I have researched, is very faithful to the original J1 Hudson No. 5200 as it was delivered from the ALCo shops on Valentine's Day, 1927. The Walschearts valve gear and shorty 4-wheel tender are correct for early NYC Hudson steam. 5200 later in its life was upgraded to a larger 6-wheel tender and converted to Baker valve gear, and was likely scrapped around the time this kit may have been produced (this I am still trying to research, I have no paperwork or way to verify the "heritage" of this model).
Where it falters however is the fact that this engine is unfortunately nothing more than a display. Its a 2-Rail O-Scale model that has no identifiable markings or modifications that show this was ever intended to be a motorized kit. There are no gears in the wheels nor does it look like there is space in the boiler or cab for there to be a motor. The wheels CAN turn and everything is timed nicely, but it is stiff. If I somehow manage to have this get towed by sometihng, it would undoubtedly be dragged in the consist, and it wouldn't even sit correctly on 3-Rail track due to the pilot truck's assembly. The engine itself is also very light.
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The 783 wins in the play value category and general "history" aspect. The Lionel semi-scale Hudson family had its roots planted with the 700e Scale Hudson. This is the MPC era issue, which is the "4th" family member in line (700e Scale Hudson, 763 Prewar Semi-Scale, 773 Postwar, 783 MPC era, and so fourth) from the 1980s. Mine features a worm driven motor (I think) and the rather horrendously loud "mighty sound of steam" feature. I haven't ran it to its full capacity given my sub-par transformer but it does run all right. The 783 is also the most "budget friendly" of the semi-scale Hudsons, though regardless it ain't gonna be an inexpensive model.
Where it falters is the fact that detail is generally out the window. Its a faithful model of a Hudson and the valve gear operation is superb at speed, but a lot is altered. Details are molded on, simplicity is at its finest and the mighty sound of steam is not only incredibly loud when turned on (and thats assuming you have the sound board repaired; the board rests on insulated foam that over time has deteriorated, even on NIB models) but there is no volume control and you lose out on the equally-loud whistle if you turn it off. I've never had a train make my ears ring before. To the uninitiated, this engine being all die-cast metal means its gonna weigh a lot too. In some cases you'd even have to resort to two-handing it.
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Each of them have their pros and cons, but I still love them both dearly. The 783 will log a lot of miles on my track in the future and the 5200 will be proudly displayed once I get some good 2-Rail track.
