Time for a parade of Shay’s, lets see your best pics of your Shay geared logging locomotives any scale you have. Here is my early run PFM C3 heavy 3 truck shay, factory 8 wheel pickup and flywheel, huge Pittman motor, directional lights with glass lenses in the headlights, still have a few thin spots in the paint I didnt notice till the flash highlighted them, I will catch that when I weather the engine. Still need a crew and red MV’s in the rear marker lamps. After I paint my Shays, I remove the paint from the crankshaft counterweights, Stephenson valve motion and connecting rods. When I visited Cass Scenic a few years ago, I remember the valve motion and rods/crank had the patina of brass and steel and not so much black paint. Also makes it a wonder to behold while running, when its all painted black it blends into the shadows and is almost invisible. Enjoy. Mike
I acquired an MDC RTR 2 truck, runs like crap of course. I ordered the proper parts from NWSL to make it right. The second picture shows me breaking in the bullgear and installed the Digitrax decoder.
How much do the NWSL parts help the RTR MDC Shays??? I used to have 2 that I built up from kits before I could afford the PFM brass ones. They always ran like crap, lacked the valve gear that makes a Shay so fun to watch. Mike
I have only completed the bullgear upgrade, I just started on the trucks, the driveshaft inside of the trucks must be de-burred (polished) and new gears installed on the drive axles (all of mine were split out of the box) Since the valve gear on the MDC is cosmetic and does not propel the axles like the prototype, the trick is to only have one gear on the line shaft mesh with one wheel, driving the valve gear instead of 4 gears on 2 truck and 6 gears on the 3 truck. It apparently was very difficult to get all the line gears timed correctly for smooth operations. I have done alot of reading on the subject like all locos , you need to take your time and polish/remove all flashing and burrs. I have seen several MDC Shays a train shows run as well as any shay I have seen, and they all have the NWSL parts in them. They appear to be great pullers as well. I have the Bachmann 3 truck but I really wanted a 2 truck shay to add to the mix.
For some good reading on building the MDC, check these links out.
If this post’s still going in early Janurary 2010, I’ll be able to show you photos of a custom-lettered (NMLC - New Mexico Logging Co) Atlas N scale Shay with DCC installed.
I have some Kadee skeleton logging cars to go with it. After an NWSL regear, it is one nice runner.[:D]
I hope to get a Keystone Shay for Christmas this year (top of the list). If I get one, I’ll also try getting the NWSL power kit for it since they’re being made again. The pictures may not get posted here, since I’ll probably be making a whole progress topic for it instead.[:D]
I had one of these kits, I just sold it, compared to the instructions provided learning to read Mayan while wrestling a wolverine was a more preferable pasttime,
Well, I guess I’m gonna have to post the pic of the FHN’s sole Shay. An MDC kit, it runs typically poorly, but when I get the nerve, I’m going to try that trick of removing the teeth from all but one pinion gear on the external drive shaft. It may help. Looks pretty good, though, IMHO:
