As the demand for rail travel increased in the 1920s, the need for faster, more powerful locomotives to pull the 20th Century Limited and other express services along the New York Central’s Water Level Route become clear. The solution was delivered by the American Locomotive Company in 1927, as the 4-6-4 Hudson entered service alongside its namesake Hudson River. The type quickly became a symbol of both the New York Central and fast, luxury rail travel. Factory-set for maximum realism and equipped with a TCS WOWSound CD-quality 16-bit 44,100Hz decoder with Audio Assist, the Hudson arrives factory-programmed for maximum realism with a steam locomotive sound package that features user-definable whistle options, bell, blowdown, cylinder cocks, water fill, coupler close and release, brake application and release, momentum, grade crossing quill, station announcements, and more.

Features Include:

• DCC sound-equipped for sound, speed, direction, and lighting control

• True CD-quality audio in 16-bit 44,100Hz sound

• Keep-Alive device that keeps your engine running during power interruptions due to dirty track or loss of electrical contact

• Voice-guided Audio Assist programming tool for easy set-up of almost all decoder functionality

• Dual-mode NMRA-compliant decoder

• Precision motor

• All-metal chassis

• Operating directional headlight and reverse light

• Blackened metal side rods 

• Blackened metal wheels with RP25 contours 

• E-Z Mate Mark II couplers on the front and rear