Photo upload test, Another Shay

[ray_m]

This (if the photo upload works) Is another MDC Shay I have been working on

[TrainNut]

Good lookin' loco so far Ray. I hope to see more progress pics as you make headway.

[LynnB]

Wow must have been one heavy train, it ripped the wheels right out from underneath.

[Ralph]

Geeez! Beautiful work already Ray! Its good to be able to see your craftsmanship again!
Ralph

[nachoman]

Nice looking loco. One of these days, I will have mine put together. :mrgreen:

[ray_m]

Thanks everyone,
I dug up a few more photos. I have most of the details on the boiler completed and am working on the trucks at this piont.
Just a few more brake parts and maybe a cab interior and it will be ready to paint.
This loco has a bit of history that goes with it.
It has been passed down from Jim Marksbery to Drew, and then to me.

[Sarge]

Ray that is great work

[TN_Trainman]

Very Nice, Very Nice indeed I love Shays, I had to sell mine when the wife got sick, but there will be at least two on the new RR.

Cant wait to see yours done.

TN

[doctorwayne]

Nice workmanship, Ray. I especially like the bunker extension and the ladder. I'll bet she'll run as sweet as she looks, too.

Wayne

[ray_m]

Thanks again,

Nice workmanship, Ray. I especially like the bunker extension and the ladder. I'll bet she'll run as sweet as she looks, too.

Wayne

I am impressed with how it does run.
I have used every trick I could find from talking with others who have built these locos and then a few I learned from building my other Shay.
The MDC shay has gotten a bad reputation over the years for being a difficult kit to get running .
One of the things I did was to ream the holes on 3 of the pinion gears of the trucks so only one gear turns tha dummy drive line and the shay motor. That eliminates the binding and bucking.
Although I didn't use them I would recomend the NWSL regear sets.

[Dave Harris sctchbld]

Thanks again,

Nice workmanship, Ray. I especially like the bunker extension and the ladder. I'll bet she'll run as sweet as she looks, too.

Wayne

I am impressed with how it does run.
I have used every trick I could find from talking with others who have built these locos and then a few I learned from building my other Shay.
The MDC shay has gotten a bad reputation over the years for being a difficult kit to get running .
One of the things I did was to ream the holes on 3 of the pinion gears of the trucks so only one gear turns tha dummy drive line and the shay motor. That eliminates the binding and bucking.
Although I didn't use them I would recomend the NWSL regear sets.

I Changed my side gears on the trucks ( one of them-- like yours only one actually worked) to some of Grandt lines bevel gear sets. They wern't built for a Shay , his Shay gears are all O scale. I think they were just a 2 to 1 set. I had to machine the Gear that went on the Wheel & machine a pocket in the wheel to press it in but it works smooth as silk. Another thing I learned is to shim the truck boxes so the wheel sets only have about .001 or .002 side to side movement , it keeps the gears in proper mesh, other wise every time you change direction the gear sets get out of whack.
The NWSL gear sets work well but all they really do is quiet things down a bit , nothing to make it any smoother. I did use them however.

[ray_m]

Here's a few photos of #7.