New York Central Hudson

The New York Central J3A Hudsons were a series of 275 4-6-4 "Hudson" type steam locomotives built in several batches by the American Locomotive Company and the Lima Locomotive Works between 1927 and 1938.
The Hudson came into being because the existing 4-6-2 Pacific power was not able to keep up with the demands of longer, heavier trains and higher speeds. The existing 4-6-2 design was modified with a bigger boiler and firebox, and a modified Berkshire-type trailing truck, creating a revolutionary class of locomotive that inspired other railroads to build their own 'Hudsons'. Indeed, the Milwaukee Road was the first to design its 4-6-4's - known at first as the 'Milwaukee' type in the planning stages, but later known as the 'Baltic' type - but not the first to be built as the Milwaukee was still short on money. These engines are named after a river that was 315-miles long and flows from north to south primarily through eastern New York in the United States - the Hudson River. Locomotive No. 5200 was the very first Hudson built for the New York Central and took to the rails in 1927.
These engines are used for high-speed passenger train work, the Hudson locomotives were famously known for hauling the New York Central's crack passenger trains, such as the 20th Century Limited and the Empire State Express. When these services were being re-equipped, the train engines had to be given some changes. In Autumn 1941, two Hudsons - 5426 and 5429 - were streamlined by Dreyfuss specially for the Empire State Express and were painted black but mostly clad in silver. The newly streamlined train was launched, rather soberingly, on the same day the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor - December the 7th, 1941. Soon afterwards, the US declared war on Japan, and joined World War Two.
In 1944, NYC received permission from the War Production Board to build a new, high-speed locomotive of the 4-8-4 type, combining all the advantages of the Hudson with those of the Mohawk.
All but 33 Hudsons were retired by the late 1950's with the onset of diesel locomotives in the mid-20th century though an engine of the same wheel arrangement, albeit with a design similar to that of the Union Pacific FEF-3 No. 844 - Nickel Plate Road No. 170 - survives.
== In popular culture ==
=== Thomas and Friends ===
The Character Connor the Streamlined Engine from Thomas and Friends is based on a NYC Streamlined J3A Hudson But Painted as Cyan, Yellow and Bright Blue. 
=== Courage The Cowardly Dog ===
In the Courage The Cowardly Dog episode, "The Mask" there is a steam locomotive loosely based off of a NYC Streamlined J3A Hudson, but it is painted red and black, pulling an express train resembling an Amtrak train, which destroys Mad Dog's car near the end of the episode. most likely in the episode is the Kitty, on the observation car. 
=== SpongeBob SquarePants ===
One of the special episodes from Season 7: "The Great Patty Caper". The train was called the Oceanic Express. The locomotive appears to be based on an unstreamlined NYC J-1A Hudson But Using Metalic Toilet Plunger, The engine is crashed into the wall of Far-Out-Ville Bank, as a result is badly damaged. But in "Night Patty", the engine reappears with a smaller tender.
=== The Iron Giant (1999) ===
This bizarre looking locomotive is seen in the movie The Iron Giant (1999). The locomotive is tender less, with a N&W J Class paint scheme, the whistle from N&W 611 and it is seen pulling hopper cars. The locomotive is a hybrid of a NYC Streamlined J3A Hudson and a N&W J Class, albeit without a tender. This engine crashed into the Iron Giant.
=== Rugrats ===
The locomotive pulling the Biendeltown Express in the episode, "Murmur on the Ornery Express" is based off the streamlined NYC J3A Hudson But Painted as Red, Blue, Grey and Dark Grey. 
==Trivia==
*There are 3 different Hudson classes: J-1, J-2 (for the Boston and Albany) and J-3. There are also 5 different sub-classes for the J-1 series: J-1a, J-1b, J-1c, J-1d, And J-1e.
*The Dreyfuss 'Century' Hudsons featured the nose of the smoke box that looked like a spaceship with the fin on it.
*Locomotive #5344 had streamlining briefly applied and named "Commodore Vanderbilt". The Commodore Vanderbilt was among the first streamlined steamers on the New York Central, if not the world. The streamlining was later replaced to match the last ten J-3a locomotives that had been built with streamlining designed by Henry Dreyfuss.
*The Hudsons were featured in the 2006 computer-animated film Everyone's Hero.
*A J-1d Hudson was once originally numbered 6615 and it was later renumbered 5390. It was built for the Big Four Railway, hence its original number.
*Two J-1 class Hudsons, numbers 5311 and 5313, were sold to the Toronto, Hamilton and Buffalo Railway in 1948 and were renumbered 501 and 502 respectively. They were retired and scrapped in 1954.
**Although all Hudsons were sold for scrap, the tender from the 502 (formerly the 5313) was retained by the TH&B and converted to a steam generator car for use on passenger trains. The generator car still survives today and is part of the collection at Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton, PA. It is the largest extant single piece of a NYC Hudson.
**Also the headlight of Locomotive #5344 remains it's at Hill's Hobby at Park Ridge, Illinois.
*The J1e Hudson was the basis for model train manufacturer Lionel's Famed 700e Hudson, produced between 1937 and 1939. The same locomotive would later be used as the basis for the semi-scale 763 Hudson, and later the postwar 773, which was produced from 1950 and 1966.
==Gallery==
*Full Gallery
New York Central No. 5241.jpeg
New York Central No. 5201.jpeg
135332612165728417071029006546074100302465n.jpg|Locomotive No. 5200 sits in a yard.
Nyc-5200-harmon-ny-january-25-1945-credit-gary-overfield-coll.jpg|The New York Central's very first hudson No. 5200.
FBMG1550730938723.jpg|locomotive 5200 'cuts' the inaugural ribbon for the class J 'Hudsons' on Febuary 14, 1927.
NYC J1 Hudson steam engine sideview.jpg|Sideview of J1a 5200,the first of the Hudsons, note the smaller tender.
Nyc5222.jpg|No. 5222 is getting ready to haul a train.
Hudson5262.png|NYC Hudson No. 5262 a J-1c is passing an oncoming freight train.
15263531746711.jpg|Locomotive #5275
1524685955073.jpg|Locomotive No. 5307 in Peekskill, NY.
NYC 5311.jpg
531320aka2050520THampBzpsocscbny4.jpg|TH&B 502 aka NYC 5313 before and after scrapping at Stelco.
Category:Six-coupled locomotives
Category:Steam locomotives
Category:Tender locomotives
Category:American locomotives
Category:New York Central locomotives
Category:4-6-4 steam locomotives
Category:ALCO locomotives
Category:Lima locomotives
Category:4-6-4 locomotives
Category:Locomotives featured in media
Category:Locomotives
Category:Built in 1927
Category:Built in 1938
Category:Scrapped locomotives
Category:Standard gauge locomotives
Category:Standard gauge locomotives of the United States
Category:4 foot 8 1⁄2 inch gauge
Category:New York Central