Awesome website Kevin, outstanding detail work.

I read your post a while back and my first thought was your power supply may be borderline on the low side. Under the the additional load, power may be insufficient for your smoker to function fully.

Hope you get some good answers on your post. I have similar questions about powering up my static display #7 Shay  but it is only DCC ready.

Thanks for the update David

Hope you get some good tips on your project, I'll be wiring my Shay soon. Did you look at IS007 also?

I have a G scale Bachmann 3 Truck Shay on my mantel (with log cars and caboose) that is DCC ready and I want to power up the lights, fire box and sound. Looking for a sound card, controller and power supply to accomplish it.. Obviously do not require multiple trains etc. Haven't seen anything on line that fits the bill and hope to get some advise on the project that is cost effective (or not). May try to include drive train operation without motion in the future with brushes or rollers (would hate to waste all that magnificent drive train function) but not on the front burner for now.
Thanks, Tony  

I stand corrected regarding the locomotives used on the little bear (Lake Arrowhead later) dam. just got back from the local museum with some good pix of what appear to be 1890 Porters. Thanks again for the posts.

I picked up one yesterday along with some rolling stock, thanks anyway Bill.

Thanks for the advise and link, Glad I didn't buy the three truck I had in mind

I've been looking for a G scale model of a 3 cylinder 2 truck Shay, 35 ton or so (with no luck) to use for an indoor display. It will be something like a shadow box with a few log cars and maybe a caboose but I want to be able to power the engine with sound, firebox, lights, and maybe even drive train movement.
My question, can I reconfigure a Three truck 55 ton by removing the center truck from the assembly to look like a two truck? I want this display to be reasonably correct as it will depict a scene in the area of my mountain cabin around the early 1900s. They also used two truck Shays to build a dam for the lake below my cabin using dump cars that I would like to copy as an alternate display. I have some pictures of the construction period. Any advise would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks, Tony (757s@dslextreme.com)