Berkman wrote: ↑Fri Nov 06, 2020 9:32 am
Doesn't look like little engines castings?
no they are lester friends castings
Dan, I think you will find that the castings on your Hudson actually pre-date the Friends Yankee Shop. I believe that your locomotive was one of four that were being built by Calvert Holt of Greenwich, Connecticut for the 1939 New York World’s Fair. Mr. Holt died before he could finish the locomotives and one of the chassis and the patterns were sold to Lester Friend. He then sold castings using the Calvert Holt patterns. One of the other chassis (the one you and your father now own) was sold to an owner in Worcester, Massachusetts. That unfinished chassis passed through several other owners before your father purchased it and it was then completed. So it is a very historic locomotive.
Best regards, Keith Taylor. Jefferson, Maine
No that Hudson was not a Holt engine,the drivers came from the patterns built by Al Kolmar Buffalo my,I also believe that Dave Scalvi did a lot of the chassis work in this engine,and Dick Cudd did a lot of work getting her finished and running to her present state.
Joe
Joe,
The unfinished chassis came from Worcester, Mass and work on the chassis was done by Rudy Blonk and Stanley Robinson. You would have to ask Dave Sclavi what he may have done. I do remember that when the locomotive was in Dave’s shop he talked about changing the drivers from the B&A style. I don’t know if Dave ever changed them or not. When Stan and Rudy were working on the locomotive they had a boiler made by Harry Quick, but that boiler was never used.
Dick Cudd did the lions share of finishing the locomotive. The Al Kollmar Hudson ended up in Southern New Jersey and was originally 7 - 1/8” gauge and was re-gauged to 7 - 1/4” gauge by Hugh Wachter.
Keith
Well, here's another scenario. Lester Friend purchased an unfinished chassis and patterns made bu Friend. That chassis was the Joytown railroad Hudson that ran at the Topsfield Fair in Topsfield Mass. The loco changed hands, ended up with Mr.Barclay , I believe . It ,along with Maxhimers Atlantic became resident locomotives at the Charlton Railroad on the Charlton Masonic Homes property. It now is one of The Washakum Live Steamers club engines. To my knowledge, this was the only chassis that Holt built for the Worlds fair order,and was likely the one that indirectly caused his death.
hi guys, so the history as was told to me by my dad and many others over the years is that yes 5344's castings did start out as one set of four by mr calvin holt, however only two of the sets would be completed as running Hudson locomotives. the joytown and 5344. the other two sets of castings to my knowledge are lost to history. and the rest is like joe and keith have said. 5344 has a long history. but she is here and 23 years strong. and will continue to be strong for years to come.
We may never know the exact true story, but The Joytown engine was the chassis in The Friends Catalog. There were castings to my recollection still with the Friends collection while Dick Boucheron owned it. Those may have been the other 2. There were allegedly copper boilers being built in England for them. All heresy at this point ,interesting possibility though.
Hello My Friends
The history of Dan's Hudson has been very interesting. I wish I knew the history of my Hudson chassis. It would be cool to know who started it. Whoever built it did a fine job of it. That Dan's engine goes back to 1935 is something to think about. Her big sister 5344 was probably pulling the 20'th century Limited during this time. You could go down to the station at train time and measure the real thing! When 3/4" was the BIG scale, the New York Central Hudson was the penultimate live steamer. I really enjoy watching video from those early days. B & A tankers, and Hudsons...too cool!
Jack
Holt was an interesting guy. He supplied brass rail and finished locomotives only from what I have heard. Many high ranking New Haven and New York Central brass hats came to his estate in Greenwich CT to ride behind his locomotives. There is also an interlocking on the Shoreline named.... Holt..
