New York Central O Gauge RailKing 4-6-4 Imperial Empire State Express Steam Engine w/Proto-Sound 3.0

Before it was eclipsed by the Twentieth Century Limited, the Empire State Express was the New York Central's flagship passenger run. In 1893, it was the Empire State Express, led by a hot rod 4-4-0 with outlandishly large drivers, that became the first man-made vehicle to exceed 100 mph and made the New York Central famous around the world. Beyond the record-setting run, the Empire State Express gained recognition as a pioneer in high-speed rail service on its New York-Buffalo-Cleveland route. Scientific American magazine noted in 1898 that the Empire State Express "opened the present remarkable era of fast, long distance express trains. [It] will always figure conspicuously in the annals of the world's railroads as being the first to maintain a regular schedule speed of over 52 miles an hour for an unprecedented distance and for runs of unprecedented length between stops."

But by the Roaring Twenties, most high-class rail travel was by Pullman, and coach trains on daytime runs, like the Empire State Express, were seen as a less desirable way to travel. High-quality coach travel made a comeback during the Depression, however, as railroads sought to attract customers by offering less-expensive fares combined with upgraded amenities. So it was that on December 7, 1941, with much fanfare, the New York Central launched a newly equipped Empire State Express with two Henry-Dreyfus-styled Hudsons and gleaming, streamlined Budd-built train sets. Passengers on the inaugural run were surprised at the scarcity of trackside observers - until they heard about the event halfway around the world that had overshadowed all other news that December Sunday.

The 1941 ESE was a train with one foot in the past and the other in the future. Its reserved-seat, stainless steel Budd coaches and parlor cars presaged the postwar streamliners, America's last hurrah of luxury passenger travel. But its two specially styled Hudsons, Nos. 5426 and 5429, were clearly a bridge - albeit a beautiful one - between a dying technology and cars that belonged behind a diesel. Designer Henry Dreyfus blended the stainless fluting of Budd's streamliners with his design for the 1938 Twentieth Century Hudsons, arguably among the best-looking streamlined steamers ever built. After the war, however, more powerful Niagaras bumped the ESE Hudsons to lesser trains, and by 1949 their streamlining had been removed.

Relive the brief but glorious era of streamlined steam on the Water Level Route with these superbly detailed Hudsons. Imperial features include a real coal load in the tender and an LED-Illuminated cab with glowing firebox and hand painted crew figures. Our model also features the prototype's distinctive Scullin disc drivers, Empire State Express station announcements, and the ability to start your train so smoothly you won't spill a drop of water in the diner.

• Intricately Detailed, Die-Cast Boiler and Chassis
• Intricately Detailed, Die-Cast Tender Body
• Authentic Paint Scheme
• Real Tender Coal Load
• Die-Cast Locomotive Trucks
• Handpainted Engineer and Fireman Figures
• Legible Builders Plates
• Metal Handrails and Whistle
• Tender Truck Chains
• Metal Wheels and Axles
• Remote-Controlled Proto-Coupler
• Prototypical Rule 17 Lighting
• Constant Voltage LED Headlight
• Operating LED Running Lights
• Operating Tender LED Back-up Light
• Powerful Precision Flywheel-Equipped Motor
• Synchronized Puffing ProtoSmoke System
• Locomotive Speed Control In Scale MPH Increments
• Wireless Drawbar
• Near-Scale Proportions
• Onboard DCC/DCS Decoder
• Proto-Sound 3.0 With The Digital Command System Featuring Passenger Station Proto-Effects
• Unit Measures: 21 3/4" x 2 1/2" x 3 1/2"
• Operates On O-31 Curves Steam DCC Features
• F0 Head/Tail light
• F1 Bell
• F2 Horn
• F3 Start-up/Shut-down
• F4 PFA
• F5 Lights (except head/tail)
• F6 Master Volume
• F7 Front Coupler
• F8 Rear Coupler
• F9 Forward Signal
• F10 Reverse Signal
• F11 Grade Crossing
• F12 Smoke On/Off
• F13 Smoke Volume
• F14 Idle Sequence 3
• F15 Idle Sequence 2
• F16 Idle Sequence 1
• F17 Extended Start-up
• F18 Extended Shut-down
• F19 Labor Chuff
• F20 Drift Chuff
• F21 One Shot Doppler
• F22 Coupler Slack
• F23 Coupler Close
• F24 Single Horn Blast
• F25 Engine Sounds
• F26 Brake Sounds
• F27 Cab Chatter
• F28 Feature Reset