Been a while since I did a review! This one is on BLI’s new HO scale Dreyfuss Hudson from their Brass-Hybrid series. This one is the DC version.
This model represents how the Hudsons looked a little later in life, with some of the skirting removed from choice areas for better access for maintenance. When I first pulled it out of the box at the hobby shop, the owner of the store, I think another customer, and myself were all amazed at the quality of the detail. The work BLI put into the detail looks absolutely fabulous. Everything is sharp and clean as can be, and I wouldn’t be surprised if most everything is as close to scale as you can get (while following NMRA standards). The model is constructed mostly out of brass, but the cylinders (minus the cylinder heads), drive wheel brakes, and rear truck are all plastic (apparently to reduce the risk of a short circuit. This is where the “Hybrid” comes in). The engine’s underframe is a more typical diecast zinc alloy. The rest is solid brass as far as I can tell. The use of brass allows the major details like the skirting cutouts to be very thin and clean, yet durable. It also allows all of the fine separate detail to be much stronger than plastic would ever be. Every single pipe and grab iron is a separate part, made from wire or a casting, and I can’t find a single one that is molded as a part of the body. The bullet-shaped nose appears to be rounded perfectly, and the headlight and razor casting, or whatever you want to call it, fit very neatly. The cab has a fully detailed and painted interior, although a crew isn’t included like what was advertised originally. The windows have the clarity and perfect finish of clear acrylic, which they may v
I think BLIs detail is great. I also think buying this model the way Darth Santa Fe did without sound and smoke is the way to go.
BLI has a really neat decoder and smoke features but there are issues.
Several of BLI’s offerings (blueline and P2) use the EXACT same sounds (whistle, chuff, and background). If I am coughing up 3 to 4 hundred dollars for a Paragon 2 engine then it should sound better than a Blueline and more unique to that engine. Whats the point of the extra money. BLI needs to address this sound issue because it cheapens how neat the Paragon 2 decoders really are.
Also the BLI smoke is neat but what a mess!!! I had the P2 Hudson and after a few hours of running with the smoke it looked like I was running it through Criso tunnel. If you look at the Model Railroader video and photo reviews you can already see the mess forming on the engine.
This engine looks great but slapping a Tsunami decoder in it will really make it a standout!
That’s incorrect I’m afraid. The streamlining of these Hudsons didn’t change during the brief period they wore the Dreyfuss styling. Remember this streamlining was applied in 1938, and was removed during WW2. The only difference between the BLI engine and the original 1938 design is the train originally had blue stripes separating the dark and light gray, with three white stripes thru the windows. This was changed beginning in 1939 or 40 to all stripes being white.
Pictures and other models show some of the Hudsons having additional skirting over the drive wheels and in front, as well as on the top of the tender. Were they just built differently from eachother then?
These “hybrids” remind me of what AHM tried to do back in the 1960’s, they used a brass superstructure with a cast metal running gear. Unfortunetly they ran like carp right out of the box and there wasn’t much that could be done to them either. Also as they aged quite a few of them experienced “frame rot” and ended up being relegated to the junk box.
BLI has a damn good idea here and I’m glad to hear they run nicely because there is still no substitute for brass if you want fine details that don’t break off in your hands.
That said I do think it would have probably been a better idea to use something more durable than “zamac” for the frame castings, brass would have been the preferred choice and is not that much more expensive and as the old advertising slogan went they don’t call them “made out of lifetime brass” for no reason.
I’ve owned my old LMB NYC hudsons since the 1960’s and they still run beautifully, have great detail, and no rotting frames under them.
The jury will be out for sometime as to how well the zamac holds up.
