The Hoffman Hudson Story - An All Canadian Design

[carrdo]

Hi All,

There is a very long history to all of this truly Canadian design so let us get started. It goes all the way back to the 1930's.

If you go to the IBLS website (the International Brotherhood of Live Steamers) of which I am a member, I wrote about how Carl Hoffman from Kitchener, Ontario got into live steam starting in the late 1950's and how it developed. Just Google IBLS.org and The Hoffman Hudson Story.

As well, there is on Chaski.org/homemachinist/ my research (under carrdo my member name there) into the very first beginnings of the Hoffman Hudson way back in the 1930's starting with Jack Birch another Canadian who originally came from the UK who lived both in Canada (around the Windsor area) and in the USA around Detroit.

I now have all of the Hoffman Hudson design having purchased everything in 3/4" scale from Carl Hoffman's son Bruce Hoffman. Will I ever bring the design back? I don't know as time is not on my side but I do know that I wanted this historic design to stay in Canada.

to be continued.

 

[carrdo]

Hi All,

So how many of these Hoffman live steam locomotives exist completed or partially completed?

While I have never been able to determine the exact number, I would estimate around 50 or so with 25 being constructed in Canada and 25 in the USA and elsewhere. Carl said that he sold many more cylinder/drive wheel castings than complete sets so...

I do know that many of the Hoffman castings were used to make CPR Hudsons and a few CNR K1a Hudsons. In addition, Carl made a stretched Hudson frame to turn it into a Northern and probably 5-8 of these variations are out there also.

With the Hoffman Hudson being a "basic" design (that is not to say simple as it isn't), ingenious constructors have been left to convert it into any other variations of their choice as well as add additional details not shown on the plans and many have.

The following are examples of this.

Notice on the local Tony Lindsay Hudson, there are no brakes shown and now you know why. Also, many additional details have been added. Photo 90 is of the same locomotive as Tony found it about 18 months ago. The original builder had added a wooden boiler!

Photo 24 Another local Hoffman Hudson with a long history. When I first saw it, it was a CPR Hudson with years of running on it and in a pretty sad state. Joe Foster, a member of TSME bought it and converted it into a NYC Dreyfuss streamlined Hudson and changed it form running on coal to running it on propane. He never changed the valve gear though from Walschaerts to Baker (to be absolutely historically correct). Sadly, Joe is no longer with us and I believe the model is with the family.

Photo 100 is of a partially constructed Hoffman Hudson in Texas. It looks like the builder has passed on and the locomotive has been sitting for a number of years in this state. I know nothing about it or even how I got the photo.

Photo 20 is of another Hoffman Hudson constructed by an independent local Toronto builder Zoltan Kasco. Zoltan did a bang up job of constructing the model as authentically and as detailed as possible. I visited Zoltans shop many times to sketch all of the additional details he had added and to take as many photos as I could. Sadly, it ran only a few times before Zoltan passed away. I believe that the model is still with the family but I haven't seen it in years.

Photo 88 One of my own Hoffman Hudsons. The photo was taken several decades ago. The locomotive has its own all welded steel boiler now but is waiting to be finished just like so many other projects sitting here. I made some changes too which I have documented.

And finally, a rare Hoffman Hudson Northern sitting in my shop waiting to be finished also. This locomotive model was originally constructed by Bill Schmidt of Dallas, Texas who was a professional corporate jet pilot. It was stated that this was the first and only locomotive constructed by him. If so, I am amazed by the quality of the build. Totally professional.

I have many more photos of other engines as this gives only a small sample of what is out there. I would be interested if you have run across any other engine(s), have photos of them or if you know something about their history, please let me know.

The NYC Hudson was one of the most popular locomotives to model so there are several other designs where one can still purchase the castings and model prints in various gauges and configurations. But, be warned, a locomotive project is never finished.

 

[PeterT]

Grrr.. are we ever going to get our image issues resolved?

 

[Tecnico]

Grrr.. are we ever going to get our image issues resolved?
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