hello all, I am wondering if anyone knows the story on the lack of shay train engines in n scale, i have been to the edison train show for the last few years and no one has those engines, , local train store same thing no, can nay one help me
IIRC, Atlas imported one a number of years ago. Not sure if it has ‘working’ gearing on the side. One of the problems with ‘small’ engines in N scale is the lack of room for weight - pulling ability and electrical pick up suffers.
Jim
Atlas been dragging their heels on rerun releases for reasons unknown.
A use one shows up from time to time at N Scale Supply.
One basic fact about a Shay - all of the drive gearing (and a rather intricate engine with a rather complex set of motions) is on the outside - and is easily damaged. By comparison, a 4-axle diesel of equal wheelbase has much beefier gearing, is a lot easier to motorize and doesnt have two or three cylinders worth of steam cylinders and motion.
Because of those tiny sizes and tolerances, a fully-working Shay in N scale is a project for a Swiss watchmaker. That level of precision is simply beyond the typical Chinese model factory - both in fabricating the parts and in assembling them. Another factor - the gears would have to be precision cut out of hard steel (read expensive gear milling machine.) Molded plastic simply wouldn’t last.
It might be possible to put a diesel-type internal gear system into a Shay in N scale, and simply have the external engine and power train as non-working cosmetic add-ons. Then the weight problem Brother Bernier mentioned comes up. With a bunker full of motor and a boiler full of drive, where do you put the weight? Shays were haulers. Having one that can barely move three empty skeleton flats on level track wouldn’t be very satisfactory.
Somebody, somewhere, might produce a Shay in N scale. I won’t be in line to finance it - at any level.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - would dearly love to have a HOjn762 Yahs*)
Yahs - a left-handed Shay, opposite the usual arrangement)
YAHS -LOL!!!
Chuck,Atlas makes a 2 truck Shay in N Scale.
The Atlas N scale Shay was last run in 2009:
http://www.atlasrr.com/NLoco/nshay2.htm
I’m not an N scaler, so I don’t know how it runs. And with this loco, that’s an important thing.
But, if you want Atlas to do it again, drop them a (friendly) line. And remember that they’re having trouble getting product out right now.
But a little encouragement can’t hurt.
Or, you can try on E-bay. Or the like.
Ed
Actually the link I posted is for preordering the next Shay run…
The first run of Shays had some issues(so it was reported on the Atlas N Scale Forum) but,the following run(s) the issue was fix.
The Shay does have working side cranks.
thanks to all for the news, so what is a good alternative for use in a logging or col minning operation?
Also the one fellow at the tain show in Edison NJ told me that he has orders for shay trains dating back almost two years… If they are so complicated o make why do they try to in N scale being as the engine is so small?
I’m not sure what you mean, 1st you ask why there are “no shays in N-Scale”, then when your told there is/was one available, you question why did they bother to make one in such a small scale?
Ebay has two at the moment, better get one if your really serious.
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=n+scale+shay
If you want a shay that’s isn’t used and readily available, go Bachmann HO, or On30, or wait until Atlas does another run of the N scale version. All scales have their +'s and - 's.
I remember reading MRR’s review of the Atlas N Shay, and they found it to be a very good runner. It’s probably the best Shay you’ll ever see in N, just because they’re so small and complex.
One alternative is the Life-Like N-scale 0-6-0T. It’s cheap, but with some fine-tuning, it’s really not a bad engine for its price. I upgraded the motor with neodymium magnets, and it runs pretty smoothly now.