MTH ELECTRIC TRAINS

In the summer of 1934, Hudson 5344 entered New York Central's West Albany shops; before year-end, it emerged as the Commodore Vanderbilt, America's first streamlined steam locomotive. By the following February, the Commodore was heading NYC's premier train, the Twentieth Century Limited. Just months later, two versions of the Commodore appeared in Lionel's 1935 catalog: the budget-priced, red 264E leading the Red Comet set, and the deluxe black 265E, "equipped with crosshead and piston, driving rod, connecting rod, and simulated reversing gear."

While the actual Commodore was never paired with streamlined stainless steel cars, Lionel created its own modern train by matching the 265E with chrome-plated articulated cars borrowed from its Flying Yankee model - oddly predicting the prototype Empire State Express, a 1941 NYC train that coupled a different streamlined Hudson with gleaming Budd-built passenger cars.