Does Bachmann plan make oil and coal tender weights available to buy in the parts list for the HO Shay? I've been really looking to buy an oil weight for the bunker.

Thank you for the advice guys! Neolube sounds like its the way to go. I'll probably use the Blacken-it on detail parts just for looks :-)

Has anybody dealt with the chemical "Blacken-it" on HO stuff? If anybody has, do you know if you can use it on gears?

I'm going to guess the reason darker or black smoke hasn't been done yet is because of the chemical properties.

I'm guessing the new plastic gears are a little more sturdy? Good to know that NWSL makes steel gears in case the new Climax has any issues.

I have a question:

Will the new 3 Truck 70t Climax have either steel gears, or a better way of managing it? I'm sure Bachmann knew about the past issues with the older 2 Truck Climax. I don't want to buy one of the new 3 truck versions coming out unless Bachmann plans or has made a fix to solve that issue once and for all.

I'm wondering if theres a way to get the bachmann Shay oil burning smokestack and oil bunker? I'm trying to turn an undecorated coal shay into a oil burning one. I kit-bashed my other oil burning bachmann shay into a West Side Lumber Co. Shay. Heres a picture of it:




And so I would like to do the same with the other one I have. It would be a lot easier to get the bachmann smokestack and oil tender because its made to fit that engine. It would be a lot harder for me to try to fit a Details West or Details Associate's smokestack on there; if they make one that is.

Quote from: jerryl on December 02, 2009, 09:31:36 AM
If Bachmann got the Shay right, why the need for replacement gears made by someone else.  I worked in a machine shop & it wouldn't pay to set machinery up for just a few parts. There was a significant demand for new gears. 
   I commend Bachmann for trying to produce affordable geared engines in HO scale. It just seems that because of the small size, plastic gears just won't hold up. Unless a new plastic formula is developed, the smaller gears should be metal.   Maybe Bachmann & NWSL could get together on this & put the metal gears in at production. I would pay $25 more for metal gears in the first place.   Jerry

Thats pretty rare to happen to the Shay if it does. I haven't heard of that problem with the Shay. The Climax on the other hand was terrible from that I've heard.....which is why it isn't being produced anymore. Yet somehow they are able to make it in On3. Maybe the gears are big enough to be stronger or something.

You definitely have a point with making metal gears though. It definitely would improve things a lot. However, it may make the model a little bit more expensive.

Still want a Bachmann HO Heisler lol

Quote from: jerryl on December 01, 2009, 06:32:08 PM
Let's get the Shay & Climax right first before they open up another can of worms...but on the other hand, they are keeping NWSL in business...

I'm not sure what you mean Jerryl. The Shays are right and run great. As for the Climax's, Bachmann doesn't have any plans for making any more HO Climax engines. I don't think it would be opening a can of worms to introduce a new engine to the geared locomotive family that Bachmann has made so far.

If Bachmann can make a G scale Heisler, why not in HO?

How many of these threads get read by Bachmann for new ideas? How does it work on here? Do they throw new ideas in a pile, or take them in to serious account?

Due to Rivarossi no longer a company, does Bachmann have any plans for making an HO Heisler?   I have one of the Rivarossi versions. All though they are really nice, they are slightly out of scale. They are much too large for a Two Truck Heisler.

For a while, Bachmann Spectrum made HO scale Climax. But from what I understood they stopped producing them due to the same mechanical problems the real ones had? I would buy an HO scale version if they still had them. But since they don't, I'm asking for a small Two Truck Heisler. Perhaps a little 36 toner?

Thank you,
Steam Freak.

What is the minimum radius for the 1:20.3  2-6-6-2?

DT100r's are pretty hard to use with programming. Not only that, Digitrax hasn't made them for a number of years. I would advise getting a DT402R. They are VERY easy to program with and use.

Maybe I miscategorized this question?  I guess it should be in this forum instead of "General".



I'm going to be taking an undecorated HO Shay and turning it into a West Side Lumber Company Shay. What shade of red matches the best?  Any certain types of red that would match by Pollyscale paints?

I'm going to be taking an undecorated HO Shay and turning it into a West Side Lumber Company Shay.


What shade of red matches the best?  Any certain types of red that would match by Pollyscale paints?