HO Scale 4-6-4 J3a Hudson - New York Central #5438 (gothic lettering). As the demand for rail travel increased in the 1920s, the need for faster, more powerful locomotives to pull the 20th Century Limited and other express services along the New York Central’s Water Level Route become clear. The solution was delivered by the American Locomotive Company in 1927, as the 4-6-4 Hudson entered service alongside its namesake Hudson River. The type quickly became a symbol of both the New York Central and fast, luxury rail travel. Factory-set for maximum realism and equipped with a TCS WOWSound® CD-quality 16-bit 44,100Hz decoder with Audio Assist®, the Hudson arrives factory-programmed for maximum realism with a steam locomotive sound package that features user-definable whistle options, bell, blowdown, cylinder cocks, water fill, coupler close and release, brake application and release, momentum, grade crossing quill, station announcements, and more.
