Maybe the start of something new

[Scottl]

I was on a work trip and had an hour to kill as the roads were not as bad as I thought they would be and I was early.  I stopped at my favorite train store, Credit Valley Railway Co. on the edge of Toronto to see if I could pick up a back issue of N Scale magazine and to browse.  They have all the goodies and it is a large, well-stocked store.  I couldn't find the magazine, but drooled over the Rapido 8-40CM HO locomotives and many other things.  And then I found in the random/clearance section something that was entirely unexpected.

It was an old MDC HO 42 ton Shay kit.  It was not sealed so opened it up and looked it over.  There were the basic body parts in metal and plastic, and many bags of details, trucks, a motor, some NWSL Shay gear kits and the full, and very yellowed instructions.  There was even an email from 1998 from a second owner to MDC with some questions, along with the response.  Really cool, and all for $35 CDN, so like $30 US.  The prices on the NWSL packages were more than the cost.

2018-03-03 11.38.41 by Scott L, on Flickr

I came home today and spread out my find on the table.  It all looks to be there with the details in sealed bags and an open motor of some kind. The instructions must be 20 pages and nicely prepared.  Lots to do here.

I've always wanted a Shay and I think this will be just the way to do it.  I think I will convert it into On30 and if I can, make it a two-engine (it is three as is).  It might need larger wheels to look right in On30, and the cab and bunker will need to be scaled up, but the rest of it will look suitably sized to be something like a 12-16 ton unit in O-scale.

This might be what it takes to get me out of my modeling funk.  I have a small collection of On30 loks, a caboose, and some nice building kits squirreled away.  I had this same feeling after visiting Caboose Hobbies in Denver in 2004 where I impulsively bought a n-scale Atlas locomotive and freight car.  That turned out to be the start of a 13-year run of modeling and layouts.

I'll post my progress as I go with this.  Good thing there is a new Narrow Gauge forum topic 

[Chris333]

I built a Roundhouse Shay about 30 years ago. 

I think Wiseman Model Services still sells the Shay, but it is just a bag of parts or something like that.

Edit: I think they also make different boilers for it to make it On30.

[Chris333]

Also had a Bachmann On30 Shay when they first came out. I built a larger cab for it. Never finished:

[Scottl]

I'll have to look at the Wiseman parts, but I think I will keep the boiler as is.  I'm aiming for a baby Shay look.  I have the Model Railroader with the plans.

[Chris333]

Did the baby shay in HOn30...


Sold it before I painted it.

[Scottl]

 

Painting that would have been wrong, somehow.

[Santa Fe Guy]

Nice kit to work on Scott.
Rod.

[Scottl]

Thanks Rod, I'm really looking forward to this.

The open motor that came with the kit worked when I applied a 9V battery.  I see online a lot of people have replaced the stock unit with a can motor.  What are the benefits with a can motor?  Anyone know of a good source for can motors?

Enlarging the cab and bunker to O scale should be easy enough.  The trick is the side engine.  Looking at the parts, I think I can remove one cylinder and move the engine forward.  I'll need to extend the side shaft to the back truck, but that should be a simple part to fabricate.  The power mechanism underneath won't require any modifications to do that.

I might need to go with the stock HO wheels supplied with the kit.  They are on the small side for O scale, but I think I would be biting off more than I can handle to scale these up. 

BTW, Wiseman does sell parts for this model, but not the kits. 

[Scottl]

I scanned the line diagram in the instructions (not very straight... ) and did some graphical bashing to see what this project may look like.

I have removed one of the side engines and enlarged the cab and bunker.  Aside from the crude rendition, I think it looks pretty good and is doable with what I have.

[Santa Fe Guy]

Sweeeet.
Rod.