Back in the article on the Hallmark Lionel OO F-3 there was a comment made by a reader noting that there was also a collectible version of the OO Hudson out there. With my eyes peeled for one for a couple years, last week I came across one of these at a show.

This model is not part of the Hallmark series but instead is an Avon collectible. But it is made along the same visual lines, with a nice base. The model itself would appear to have been cast from a resin material of some sort, and except for the added metal details of the handrails and whistle it was cast in one piece. From the plaque on the base you can tell that it is actually a replica of the 1937 O scale 700E Hudson, not the 1938 OO Hudson. But due to the scale size chosen by Avon it is actually very close to the size of the OO Hudson.

The second photo gives that comparison pretty clearly. The Avon model is just a bit bigger than the OO Hudson, but really not by very much at all. The biggest difference being that raised area just ahead of the cab.

This model is in short very close to American OO. As such, this falls in the category of being a great display item for the OO collector. It is not so far as I can tell a particularly valuable collectible, but is nice looking display item and one that should live in my office for some years.

UPDATE: See comments, there is also a Hallmark collectible version as well. It has a tender, working wheels, etc.

UPDATE II: This was part of a series of Avon models, check eBay to see them. I recently purchased the F-3 as well. It is an attractive model but larger than OO, closer to S for sure — I believe to a point they sized the models to the base they sold with them.