I am not familar with Roundhouse engines. How do they look? How do they run. I need a little two truck shay and is this a high class option?
In answer to your last question, No. Space Mouse has had several threads on his, as well as discussions on its operation. The “Shay” was the reuse of their Box Cab diesel chasis and gear train, which had several short comings operationaly. Roundhouse came out with a “Mickey Mouse” fly wheel kit for the Box Cab/Shay, that was not very effective.
Over allyou would be better off with one of the more expensive Shays currently on the market. This is in no way intended to be critical of the Space Mouses work, but rather an attempt to give you an honest opinion of the “Class” of Roundhouse’s original product.
Will
I second Overdurff’s comments. I have an old (22+ year old) one that took quite a long time to assemble as a kit. It was a lot of fun to assemble, but I never got it to run well. It was very noisy, wobbled and shook like crazy. My Father-in-law used to say it was very “prototypical” in that most of the real ones he ever saw wobbled an shook too. It will be assigned to “static display” duty on the layout. I would look elsewhere for a shay unless they have seriously improved them since then.
Art,
I’m currently in this process with a 2 truck Shay, It’s a older kit, 1983, but I’ll tell what I have learned to this point. Get Jeff Johnston’s MDC Shay Handbook, copy of RMC 2\84 which has a product review with construction tips and the kit instruction sheets and use all 3. It is recommended in the Handbook that you replace several gears from NWSL and Contact wipers from Echo Mtn Models. I replaced wipers but not gears maybe I should. There is a lot paintaking sanding on the gears to them to run smooth. I should say at this point that my running gear is complete and on my test track the little Shay does very well. When I put the Shell and everything else on that could be a different story.
I don’t know if this will help you any but for me it has been a enjoyable experiance thus far.
Good Luck, Bob
It is not a reuse of MDC’s boxcab diesel, that was their version of a Climax, a whole different model.
I have one and believe its just too much effort to get it to run right. The Bachmann 3-truck Shay might be a bit too large for your needs, but it is a flawless model. I think Trainworld is offering them for around $115.00. Might be worth a look.
Bob Boudreau
Roundhouse produced two versions of the Shay – kit and assembled. The kit version required a lot of time and effort in regearing in order to run well. The Chinese-built assembled version runs very smoothly but the headlight LED is far too bright and the gearing produces a high-pitched whine.
The Bachmann 3-truck Shay is a much better product than either one of the MDC versions.
[#ditto] Again lots of miss information.[:(]
the high class option for 2 truck shay can be described in one word…
brass
i guess you could use another word …
expensive
shays are pretty small , very complicated engines , and getting one to run well is quite an accompishment . the fact that there is now an N scale shay just blows my mind . maybe i’ll see one at the toronto train show this weekend
Many years ago, when they were first introduced, I built a couple of MDC two truck shays and also a three truck version, all for a local hobby shop. While I found them very enjoyable to build, getting them to run smoothly was quite a job.
However, it is possible, and if you’re interested in improving the performance of any locomotive, it will teach you the patience required to do so, along with the value of a systematic and methodical approach. If you’re overwhelmed by the challenges of the MDC version, the Bachmann version is ready-to-run and it runs beautifully.
Wayne
Art:
Bob and Wayne are both right. Get the references, esp the magazine. The book is very useful for detailing. The magazine is more useful for assembly and debugging. NWSL offers several ways to redo the mechanism on the shay. One is just a new bull gear off the motor. Second is the bull gear and gears for the trucks, and finally the gears and new universals for the drive. Go with the total rebuild. You’ll get a better running machine.
Unlike most other model shays the MDC one uses a set of universals going from the motor to the center of the trucks and driving them internally. The outside gearing just “goes along for the ride”. But if this isn’t built right, so as to be basically free wheeling, no new gears or universals will make it run well. I’ve built several two & three truckers as well and this is not a good first timer kit or even one for someone who has been limited to regular MDC engine kits.
Take your time and you can definitely build a superior running engine. The ones I’ve built can generally start moving when the throttle is barely cracked, and stay at that speed with no problems, and only have a top speed of around 15 -20 SMPH.
I have one of these noisy rough running shays. It is a preassembled one i was warned about the kits by LHS owner. To say it is not smooth running would be an understatement there is nothing smooth about it. I had to replace the axles as the geares slipped on them rendering it noisy & motionless. The wheels get very dirty very fast. It gets great traction for pulling grades and has a lot of power. I just bought a Bachman, the mdc hasn’t moved since except to compare speed to see if i could double head them, which would be kool (70s)
I have 2 kit built shays. I totally agree with Doctorwayne they require work to make them smooth runners. I took my time with them. I ran the gears in with toothpaste until they were free running. They are great runners with excellent slow speed running. Smooth & quiet. I also have a Bachmann 3 truck which I am extremely satisfied with. The Roundhouse kits are much cheaper but do present a challenge to make a smooth runner. The Bachmann are considerably more but are superb runners with no effort on the modeler’s part… So choose your poison- smooth runner with effort or smooth runner with $$$$
Tom
BRAKIE wrote:
“Again lots of miss information.”
JB says:
I respect the comment regarding misinformation (we’re all entitled), but what is the misinformation you reply to…All six of the previous posts? Just cacole? it there an additional comment forthcoming or missing??
Maybe I’m just lost…but, I’m at a lose. Sorry, but rather an open ended comment without anything else!!!I As far as I can see.
I agree with the posts that MDC Shay kits require a lot of “tweaking” to make them run right. Jeff Johnston’s book is a great guide. If you are going to build one from a kit, be prepared to spend a large number of “fun” hours tinkering…Perhaps as old Ephraim did on the original.