From when this locomotive was announced there had been some negative comments regarding the inclusion of classification lamps on the boiler front. J-3a Hudsons, as delivered from Alco in 1938, did not have these class lamps because they were no longer required on the NYC mainline.
We have been defending the Lionel model as being prototypical based on the presumption that the J-3a Hudsons were eventually relegated to secondary service on subsidiary lines throughout the system where classification lamps were still required. However, up until now we were never able to back up this presumption with photographic evidence.
Thanks to a post on another forum, we went back and checked for new photos and found what we were looking for.
That is NYC J-3a Hudson 5451 in its later years on the “Big Four” sporting class lamps, and a PT Tender. 5451 was one of the 10 J-3a Hudsons originally delivered with the Dreyfuss designed streamlining.
This is the 6-28072 Lionel J-3a Hudson.