I`d like to know if an HO 80 ton 3 truck shay will run on an 18" radius.
It will, but the larger the radius the better, you may have trouble though if you have grades of 3% or greater in the turns.
The shay runs well on 18" radius curves, I read in the forum that it will also run on 15" curves with no problems. A member of the forum also indicated that it takes steep inclines as well.
http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/board/index.php/topic,11790.0.html
Quote from: Pacific Northern on January 10, 2010, 02:47:45 PM
The shay runs well on 18" radius curves, I read in the forum that it will also run on 15" curves with no problems. A member of the forum also indicated that it takes steep inclines as well.
One member has created a 7% incline for his layout and the shay takes the incline with no major problems.
http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/board/index.php/topic,11790.0.html
The problem isn't going up the incline from what I've heard. A person at my local club had trouble when running down a 4% grade and a 7% grade, but it had no trouble going up, note that these grades were on approx 18" curves, they were not straight.
Quote from: Pacific Northern on January 10, 2010, 02:54:09 PM
The shay runs well on 18" radius curves, I read in the forum that it will also run on 15" curves with no problems. A member of the forum also indicated that it takes steep inclines as well.
One member has created a 7% incline for his layout and the shay takes the incline with no major problems.
It seems like the situation described in the forum is similar to what the guy at the club told me except 2 out of his 3 derail sometimes.