Introduction to Live Steam Shay (Part 2)

Continuing my introduction to running Accucraft's 3-cylinder live steam Shay locomotive, part 2 of 3 (3 to be uploaded shortly).

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• model
• railroads
• trains

[8espritdrummer]

How much coast that in new?

[WA1LBK]

@8espritdrummer: Right now, these engines are going close to $2000. If you have a LEVEL layout, you can get an 0-4-0 Ruby live steamer starting around @ $450.

[cprich22]

its a great train and vid btw and uve done great work. but frankly that locomotive would annoy me, i cant see it going that fast and the speed the pistons are moving at compared to the wheels makes me cringe, like when u see someone pedeling too fast on a bike for the speed there going at. but thats just me

its a great train and uve done some great work on the line. great vid!!! ;-D

[WA1LBK]

@cprich22 : If it's speed you're looking for, get one of the Ruby's! (Mine is the BY FAR the fastest thing on the railroad! - Before I added radio control to slow it down on the grades, it wrecked spectacularly at something like 150 scale MPH!). REAL Shay's run slow, @ 12 MPH is typical - but this one will take @ 5 ~ 8 8-wheel cars up my 3% grade, where the Ruby struggles to pull ONE. On LEVEL track, the Ruby has pulled up to 14 cars; I usually run a 4 car train of Bachmann coaches with it.

[Rachmaninov08]

Is converting the engine from inside to outside admission just a matter of turning the eccentrics 180º? It seems like all the valve gear would have to be reworked...

[WA1LBK]

@Rachmaninov08: That's basically what I did; these engines tend to run better in reverse than forward out-of-the-box. This engine has a LOT of run time on it; by changing the admission, I now of plenty of power forward, though reverse is anemic. It's NOT a procedure for the faint-hearted! - First time took me about 3 tries to get it to run AT ALL. Best way to re-time is running the engine on compressed air & optimize each cylinder individually.

[WA1LBK]

@kerbizetimus : Thank you! :) Hope to have more video in the future as soon as I increase hard drive size on my PC for editing!

[WA1LBK]

@crazietraindude: 3 live steamers at the moment; this 3-cylinder Shay, a "Ruby #11" 2-4-2, & a Mich-Cal #2 2-cylinder Shay. I think I'm somewhere up around 20 electrically-powered locos! ;)

[WA1LBK]

@Shipwright1918 : Your best bet for the Ruby would be a "Goodall valve"; it's a 1-way valve that functions similar to the check valve between the hand pump & boiler on this Shay. I use one on my Ruby & 2-cylinder Shay; just unscrew the brass filler cap & replace it with the Goodall valve. To fill while steaming, you use a squirt bottle with a mating fitting to pump distilled water thru the Goodall valve; a piece of silicone rubber in it seals the valve closed from steam but admits water.

[Shipwright1918]

Is there any way to adapt the hand pump injector to another engine? I've got a Ruby, and running out of gas isn't a problem, for it tends to last longer than the water, ergo, I need a way to put more water in the boiler whilst under steam pressure.

Know anything that might fit my bill?

[crazietraindude]

how many locos do you have?