This hobby (adventure?) . Fellow club member just gave me a Roundhouse Shay kit that he has had on self for years that he does not even remember where he picked it up at... Went on line, checked out a few sites on it, sounds like a good challenge to build.... Kit has updated brass gears and pickups and is partly assembled.I will disassemble and investigate. The instruction manuel is missing and apears to not be available at Roundhouse site. Would anyone have a copy of the manuel that could be E-mailed or faxxed to me ?
Axim, I built one of those guys years ago. Challenge doesn't seem enough like a four-letter word to explain the construction process. LOL There was an after-market book published about building and maintaining the loco. I had a copy but I haven't seen it since I moved last. I'll look around for it, but don't hold your breath. You might try Amazon.com. I think the name was something like "The MDC Shay." If I find my copy, we'll figure some way to get it, or a copy, to you.
Rusty
Here's the link to the book on Amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/Mdc-Shay-Handbook-Jeff-Johnston/dp/0964752115
but the price is a bit over the top.
Rusty
try this site, they have several pictures of plans/schematics
http://www.hoseeker.org/assemblyexplosionMdc/Assembly%20Explosion%20370%20%20Shay%20pg15.jpg (http://www.hoseeker.org/assemblyexplosionMdc/Assembly%20Explosion%20370%20%20Shay%20pg15.jpg)
January 1991 Railroad Model Craftsman had an article on upgrading the MDC Shay but I believe it was the two truck version. How similar the two and three truck versions were I do not know.
Jim
Had two glorius days over the weekend assembeling the Shay Kit from Hell, It is going to make a great STATIC model !!!!!! I can see it now, pocking it's boiler out of the round house, as the maintenance crew repairs the drive arms and cracks that the big giant guy beat with large hammer.
The Jeff Johnson book is a good one. Not for the Amazon price though. That's ridiculous.
I had the RTR Shay and was backdating it. Then I had my hear attack and amnesia and it never got done.