Russell's Ramblings

RL Chilton
RL Chilton Administrator, Member
edited June 18 in HUDSON
Scarlett.png

A few people have asked about me and my car lately, so I thought I would get folks caught up. Unfortunately, Scarlet has been in dry storage for a long time. It blows my mind to think about it, but after a 9-year restoration and another 9 or 10 years in waiting, I look up at the calendar and realize I have owned her for 20 years. 

Several factors caused my hiatus from the Hudson world. About 6 years ago, I started a web-based business manufacturing a product for the Model Railroading industry. Since I still have my day job, that has kept me very busy on nights and weekends. Eventually, this sideline business will become my retirement job. Additionally, in about 2 months, my wife Vicki and I will become empty nesters as #1 son has gone on to the Air Force and #2 son is starting college in August in Kansas. The reclamation of our time from hands-on parenting has made me all the more aware of how much I have been missing Hudson folks, doing Hudson things, and Hudsoning with my car.  There is no time like the present to get back into the swing of things! Poor Scarlett has been up on jacks in the garage, fluids drained, sans battery, nothing but Kroil and cobwebs in the cylinders—her hulk hiding beneath a car cover. There really is a lot to be said for out of sight, out of mind.

The International Meet is coming up in French Lick, and I would absolutely LOVE to go, even without a car. I’ve been wanting to visit that place since before the Inter. Meet was there the last time around. What a beautiful setting for the world’s most beautiful marque! Unfortunately, this just isn’t the time right now. But NEXT year, it is my understanding that the Hudson IM will be in Denton, Texas (along with our Regional).  That’s much closer to home for us here in South Central Texas. Even if I have to drive her myself, I’m taking Scarlett up there. 

Obviously, I’ve re-found my Hudson bug. Recently, I have been organizing the garage and getting ready to get her back on the road. (It’s amazing how much dust can accumulate over time. I cleaned for 3 days and am still not quite done clearing it!) And just polishing the brightwork after letting her sit for so long can become a Herculean chore. After an extensive restoration, there’s always that last 5% that needs to be re-done, finished up, fixed, repaired, or changed—all the things that you rushed when you were trying to get the car done are the things you really needed to take the most amount of time and care to do correctly. I have a list of items on this list and have completed roughly half of them in the last weeks.   

This Fall, I have a long-time Hudson friend who is coming to stay with us to help me finish her up, mainly to review and fine-tune the hydraulics (I had to replace the driver quarter window cylinder) and to dial in the engine. He can do that even better than I can—the difference between a real mechanic and a shade tree, like me. My time is still limited, but that is going to change as this year gets into its latter stages. 

For those of you that know me, this gets you caught up on my doings and for those of you that don’t, I used to be a fairly prolific poster on this forum. Maybe I can be that again going forward.  

Comments

  • RL Chilton
    RL Chilton Administrator, Member

    One of the items on my list was actually something I wanted to do initially, a 6-bladed fan as opposed to the 4-bladed stock fan that doesn't move a whole lot of air. I started this project before the restoration was "finished" and got frustrated with it, ran out of time and threw it on the shelf. I figured I would get to it later. Later finally came! It's a universal-type fan and I had to make an adaptor to go from the hole pattern on the fan to the hole pattern on the water pump. You can see the adaptor if you look closely on the back side of the fan. The larger blades were initially going to run into the clutch on the compressor, so I had to back-cut the backside of the blades. After the first blade engineered to clear properly, I made a template to cut all of the other blades to match. Also, after moving the radiator all the way forward, I could still maintain the 7/8" from fan to radiator, so that worked out well. After getting the fan back off of the shelf, it only took me a half a day or so to finish up the engineering. Don't know why I put it off for so long.

    Only thing I don't know is how much noise this fan will make. I've been told that 6-bladed fans can be a little noisy. We'll see when she's running, again. I'll make sure to comment on that when the time comes.

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  • RL Chilton
    RL Chilton Administrator, Member

    This forum used to be hotbed of Hudson activity. Not so much anymore?

  • KenU_Tx
    KenU_Tx Member

    Russel, we all went to the HET Club Facebook page and the HET Club, Non-AI Facebook Page. Not much activity here anymore.

  • sshftn
    sshftn Member

    Well that explains a lot! I haven't been on facebook in 10 years and haven't been active enough on here to realize everyone left for facebook.

    Russel, it's great to see you getting back the Hudson. I remember when you were knee deep in that project. I haven't had much time for my project but still make a couple of small steps forward every now and then.

    Jeremiah

  • atc
    atc Member

    Glad to see you back at it Russel! I'm still here on the forums, I don't care much for Facebook.

    Remember it's never too late to get back into a project. If you're interested in improved cooling even with the stock fan, I have a fan shroud mod you may be interested in. It's on my website and Ken's as well.

    Happy hudsoning again!

  • RL Chilton
    RL Chilton Administrator, Member

    atc-

    Send me the link to your website, please. Would like to see the shroud.

  • atc
    atc Member
    https://www.53hor.net/2021-10-01-shroud-your-rad-for-an-ice-cold-hudson

    Incoming! Keep in mind I originally wrote this for the Dodge radiator conversion.

    I've been wanting to adapt it to the stock rad. I'm sure it wouldn't be hard, maybe you can showcase that.

  • onerare39
    onerare39 Expert Adviser, Member

    Russell,

    Nice to hear your voice again / see your text, in the Open Forum. You were possibly the most prolific poster on this website during the years you were building Scarlet. I have missed seeing you at the meets and hope that you will re-engage with both feet, on the ground in the parking lot, at the meet in Denton in 2027.

    Inquiring minds want to know... What are you doing for Model Railroading Industry? I took a 62 year hiatus from Lionel, O Gauge, Post War, and am now spending time looking on the Trainz.com website regularly. Last fall I purchased a Lionel freight set, 736 with operating cars for around the Christmas tree. I was thrilled to be back in the hobby but know that if you are not careful it can get out of hand.

    Wishing you and your family the best!

    John Forkner

  • RL Chilton
    RL Chilton Administrator, Member

    Adam-

    Interesting. I think I will put that into my back pocket for now. We'll see how the 6-bladed fan works out. If it's not what I was expecting, then I will get back to you. I'll also keep this in mind for the next build.

  • RL Chilton
    RL Chilton Administrator, Member


    John-

    Thanks so much for commenting! I will be at the Denton meet. Look forward to seeing you, again.

    As far as the Model Railroading, most track hand-layers prefer to use a product called Homasote, which is a Sound Board. They use it as the simulated "roadbed" as it holds spikes very well and they are easy to drive in. Homasote is made out of recycled newspapers and other print material.

    So, I take the raw product, Homasote and process it and turn it into roadbed. We ship it all over North America. After it's roadbed, we call it HomaRoad. Currently, we make it for 8 different scales. Website is here:

    https://www.cwhomaroad.com/

    My father was a Model Railroader and had a small layout. Ever since I was small, I wanted my own layout. Unfortunately, I have never had the space for anything more than small switching layouts. But, I do build a lot of structures, freight cars and collect HO scale stuff. I've always been a train nut, too. Heck, most things mechanical I like. Here's a 6' Trestle bridge I made (It had over 1800 pieces of wood in it):

    20200101_174046.jpg
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    20201126_124922.jpg

    Wishing you and yours the best, too!

  • onerare39
    onerare39 Expert Adviser, Member

    Russ,

    Looks like you have found quite a niche product for your spare time and future retirement. Based on the following that the model railroading industry has you should continue to do really well. That trestle and the display are a spectacular work of art.

    John Forkner

  • atc
    atc Member

    Love the model railroad stuff Russ, that looks like a ton of fun.

  • RL Chilton
    RL Chilton Administrator, Member

    Thanks for the comments!

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