I am new to this. I was given a 80 -ton Three Truck Shay Loco. Spectrum by Bachmann. I do not know a thing about it. The only thing I have is a spare parts list. Could someone please point me in the right direction. Thanks
Tom
Dear Tom,
Put it on the track and run it. What exactly do you want to know?
Have fun!
the Bach-man
Tom remember that the top speed of this locomotive was 10 to 15 MPH. So don't run it wide open. Slow is the game.
Where was it used? How it was used? Mountains, citys, any info will help. I have tried to look it up on line and it sends me to e-bay. Just give me an address I will gladly do the research.
Tom
Tom
Check this link, more links at the bottom. The way to search at Google is like this:
Three Truck Shay Wikipedia.........Wikipedia has lots of information, not always up to date but good to start:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shay_locomotive
Here is another link found at the above site, specifically for the history of Shay
http://www.shaylocomotives.com/
Good luck
Bob
Many Shays were used for logging. Check the website for Cass Scenic in West Virginia. They are still running Shays as a tourist line.
Here's another good site for Shay reference......and other materiel as well.
http://steaminthewoods.com/ (http://steaminthewoods.com/)
Sid
Similar to Shays, Climax locomotives occasionally worked in cities with shrouding so they wouldn't scare the horses.
(http://climaxlocomotives.com/confirmed/img/sn1682.jpg)
To add to Guilford's comment - several Shays also received a covering for the same reason.
A large number of geared locos - Shay, Climax, Heisler - were narrow gauge. As noted, they were frequently logging road power, also some mine runs. They were hardly ever on the mainline because they were slow. The Bachmann and Rivarossi models of the geared locos are all standard gauge, but this was not necessarily the norm.
The were designed to operate on essentially temporary track, with bad ballasting, tight curves, and steep grades.
Gene
The KSC used a shay In downtown Kansas City Mo. due to tight curves, and steep grades.
Several Class 1's owned geared locomotives.
New York Central
(http://www.railarchive.net/nyccollection/nyc7189.jpg)
Western Maryland
(http://www.gearedsteam.com/shay/wm6.gif)
,and I'm sure there were several others.
Gene,
MDC/Roundhouse made a narrow gauge (HOn3) Shay as a kit & as ready to run. This is pre-Horizon.
Guilford,
Western Maryland #6 is at Cass & was operational (as of a few years ago). It was swapped with the B&O Museum for a smaller Shay & I believe a tank engine(??).
Jay
Shrouding! BAaAA Get rid of the Horses.......Let the loco show!
Jim
Ah man GG!!! Why didn't you save those for the guessing game!!!!!
The C&O had, I believe, two geared locos. I don't know if they were standard or narrow. Note the difference between "normal" and "all." :D
Gene
Thanks everyone for all the info. The web sites are just what I need. I have enough room on my current beach work to work in some track work for the Shay. Once again Thanks
Tom
IIRC, the C&O Shays were big four-truckers (standard gauge). I think one of them got sold to the N&W. Biggest Shay ever was West Virginia Pulp & Paper No. 12. It was built as a 150-C (three-truck) engine, but was rebuilt by the company shops into a four-trucker tipping the scales at over 200 tons. It ran out of Cass, WV, and survived into Mower Lumber ownership but I believe was scrapped in the early 1950's. WM 6 was the largest (and last) Shay built by Lima, weighing in at about 165 tons. I once chartered her on a photo freight on the old C&O line from Cass to Durbin, before the great flood took the track out.