NEW YORK CENTRAL VISION COMMODORE VANDERBILT - DISC DRIVERS

in 1934, the new york central pulled one of its most modern hudsonÕs, no. 5344, from service and fitted her with the first streamlined covering in the country. the design was touted to reduce wind resistance and increase efficiency. while the operating gains of streamlining have long been debated, there is no question the effect it had on the traveling public. renamed commodore vanderbilt, 5344 emerged in a new gun-metal gray cloak with aluminum trim and lettering. the commodore's first assignment would of course be the twentieth century limited - particularly the western leg of its run. after 8 months, the locomotive returned to the shop for more modifications, the most visible of which were new disc drivers to complement the modern look. then it was back to the rails, working passenger runs on the west end of the system like this until 1939 when 5344 was restyled once more. throughout this time, it is worth noting that although the streamlined look had met with great fanfare on the locomotive, the trains commodore pulled remained traditional heavyweight consists. the new york central's efforts on the commodore vanderbilt quickly caught the public's imagination. lionel would be one of many companies to produce toys in its likeness. unlike the famed 700e hudson, which was a scale replica in every way possible, the 264 and 265 "commodore vanderbilts" resembled their prototype in form only. smaller, 2-4-2s, these streamliners showed up in a variety of colors and sets in the late 1930s and are part of the enduring appeal and lore of this famous locomotive. in our 125th year, lionel is bringing back this icon with new tooling and more features than ever. under that newly tooled body and tender, the commodore vanderbilt features the same features as our vision j1e hudsonÕs (minus the swinging bell of course!) prototypical versions with both original spoked wheels and later disc drivers and roller bearing rods are available and perfect for any new york central heavyweight consist. special lionel and themed variations can be found throughout this catalog as well. isn't it time for the legend to return to your railroad?