Logging lines would be in heavier grades and the Shay was well used on them, don’t be afraid to have heavy grades.
note 1% grade is 1’ in 100 feet, a good working example for 3% grade is a yardstick 1 inch high on one end, roughly.
nyah nyahs for those who want to be exact…I use it as a general construction rule.
Nope, there’s 4 primary types of modeler’s, Coal, Logging, industrial and passenger. in that order, there is a vast number of people that do logging layouts, especially in the larger sizes (O, S, G) where short trains are more common. Logging is becoming increasingly more popular with the smaller gauges as well, as people want to get away from coal (the everyones doing it syndrom).
There are exceptions, as there are people out there that will combine the 4 types in a multitude of combinations, but it always balances out that coal and logging are the two most modeled aspects.
Shays were used in high grade and sharp turn areas, so it would not be un usual to see a shay going up a 3-5%, and occasionally a 6% grade and traversing what would consitute a 10-15" radius curve in HO scale.
According to many polls posted here, the majority of responses were freight related, also by the amount of freight cars sold compared to other systems, seems to confirm this , Myself I don’t know of one other person logging and just came from a large train show and not one logging operation was to be seen, I tried to buy some logging cars here, one guy had 3. our LHS has 2 shays(hundreds of dollars) and possibly 8 logging related cars and no logging type buildings, the owner said he sells maybe 10 cars a year and never sold a logger loco. this in a city of 980,000. I have never seen a layout dedicated to coal. I do agree some layouts probably combine a bit of all 4 groups somewhere on the site. let’s hear some more on just how many log exclusivley???
When it comes to logging locomotives, what is the difference between a Shay, a Climax and a Heisler? If you get the chance, come to Cass. I think you will enjoy it. Bring a sweater or jacket even if its in the summer.
As I understand it, the Heisler has rods driving the wheels on each truck (gear drive to one axle then coupled with rods, cylinders are inclined under the loco) while the Shay has gearing connecting all axles (and the drive system is all on one side with vertical cylinders). The Climax seems to have driveshafts to each truck and a different cylinder arrangement - inclined alongside the boiler. I’m guessing they were designed to be just different enough to avoid infringing patents - they’re all “variations on a theme”. If you go to www.walthers.com and search for the three names you’ll find photos - that’s where I found this information. I’ve wanted one of the HO scale ones for ages but the price is a bit high for me!
Being interested in both the logging & mining history of my region, I’ve been paying attention to logging layouts that I’ve seen online. My current layout thus far only has a logging portion begun but will grow to include other industries. Logging lines of the past in these mountains generally were organized as common carriers anyway and never carried only a single commodity so I’m not worried about a need to be “exclusive” to be a “logging line.”
We may be getting into a question of semantics or statistics here. Being in a minority of modelers isn’t a bad place to be. Minority or not, logging lines (however you define them) seem to growing in popularity with lots of opportunities for scratchbuilding. Some other modeling forums I participate in have dedicated forums for the subject and there are lots of creative layouts being constructed. Here’s a link to one of the best, in my opinion: http://www.cooncreek-and-tumbleweed-springs.co.uk/
Wayne
You might also want to take a look at “The Narrow Gauge and Short Line Gazette,” which is a first-rate magazine. They publish a lot of articles on logging and mining railroads, and some of their contributors (I have Alexander Zelkin in mind) are extraordinarily talented modelers with a definite interest in logging roads.
I am one of those who has combined all 4. with coal, I fear being different[:p], (just kidding) but it is mainly industrial. With all the forests on my layout it was only natural I have some logging. I dont run shays or anything, trucks bring the logs to the team track and trains take the logs to the lumber mill where they become boards which are taken to the furniture factory etc. etc. There is also a good size passenger terminal on the lower level.
I kinda combine a lot of industries so I can have variety. I model steel works. Does anyone else model this? I run lots of gondolas, hoppers, torpedo cars, slag cars, ore cars, and coke cars. Most of my torpedo cars are small, but I have a Heavy-Duty 16 wheel transport car. I’m thinking about the logging line, which will be narrow gauge that transfers with standard gauge. I also run a Pennsy passenger train, and I also have many lineside industries.[^][:D][:D]
[#ditto]
Basically, the differences lie in the quantity and orientation of their cylinders, and their drivetrains.
Here’s a good site on the topic: http://www.gearedsteam.com/
Try the forum “the-gauge.com”. There are alot of people doing logging there. They have a whole forum section on just logging.
From the research i’ve done, Shays worked grades up to 16%. It was said that if a Shay could get a toe hold, it would climb a tree. Typical max. speed was 12-15 mph with a normal working speed of about 5. They were geared so low that when doing 12 mph they sounded like a rod loco doing a 100. They were turning so fast at 15 mph that there was always the worry of things flying off from the high engine rpms.
Check out the Bachmann On30 stuff for logging locos and cars. Their Spectrum On30 is great.
Wait a minute! 12!?..20x22 layout???..Shays!?..Spelling!?
Congrats, dude. I’m 14 and you’ve done more than I’ve done in my whole life.
20x22…wow…faints…[:D]