Lionel pre-700e

700E SCALE HUDSON 4-6-4 1937 TO 1940 - THE MOST FAMOUS LIONEL LOCOMOTIVE

 

  • Built from 1937 until 1942, this piece is historic in the world of model trains
  • When released in 1937, Lionel devoted the front cover of the catalog and three pages of text to what it referred to as the "aristocrat of the models", a 4-6-4 full scale Hudson per NMRA Standards for O 72 T-rail
  • Each loco was given its own serial number engraved on the underside, under the front trucks. They were sequentially numbered when they were built in 1937, beginning with the prefix 01 (01 0865, etc.)
  • Then in 1938 there were slight mechanical changes made to the brush retaining screws and Lionel changed the serial number prefix from 01 to 38. After the change in 1938, the serial number prefix remained 38 and pieces were still numbered sequentially
  • According to information published in some books, there were later models of this Hudson released without serial numbers
  • Don Shaw, founder of the Train Station, was tutored on the 700E Hudson by Treasure House owner Bill Vagell and revered collector Ed Buxbaum, both of whom had been good friends with Joshua Lionel Cowan
  • Both men cautioned Don that some 700E's without serial numbers were not original; they were made after 1950 when the 1950 773 Hudson was issued with a steam chest extension
  • That part could replace the steam chest used on prewar 763's (which were made without the extension); when the wheels were replaced with the scale wheels and the scale piping and valve gear added. the 763 became essentially mechanically identical with a 700E
  • We agree with the books and other experts that some were made without a serial number but certainly a 700E with a serial number is a premium item, definately authentic and a much safer investment
  • Each piece came with its own display board (mounted with T-rail track) and plaque
  • Tooling cost was $65,000 (imagine what that would be in today's dollars!) and everything is to scale, including couplers and wheel flanges (and yes, there is a flange on the center drivers)
  • The loco will only operate on scale T-rail track (see picure showing T rail track on the display board), put together with fishplates, nuts amd bolts)
  • This feat was never repeated until the low cost labor off-shore enabled fully detailed locos to be produced in 2000 using softer metals. The quality of this Hudson and other Lionel Pre-War and Post-War stock has never been matched and this Hudson will still be running when all the off-shore models have given up the ghost and quit working!
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