Lionel Shay

[Anonymous]

This is posted in the other forum in error I think

I just purchased a new Lionel Shay engine and upon reading the owner's manual, Item #1 says to run this engine on 054 track because that is what it is designed to run on.
I have 036 and 048 with 036 switches and Im wondering if anyone has any experience with this engine on these shorter radius curves? I dont mind some overhang, and Im not going to run this engine fast as I would like to keep it prototypical in operation so threading an 036 switch might be possible. I know some would say,"just run it and see" but, my layout is not completed enough for that as yet.
Any thoughts?

Thanks,
blabree11

[jimhaleyscomet]

My friend had a Lionel Shay. It tended to jump off the track because it had powered wheels under the "engine" and the "tender" and the tender was pushing the engine too fast. Perhaps that is why they say go 054. I just know it tended to jump off at every joint.

Jim H

[thor]

Darn! That one gets struck off my wish list then. Are you saying it has dual motors and tender drive Jim? Yuck! I hate tender drive its unnatural.

Mind you, I imagine it must be fairly tricky to get a big motor in there. I've been researching various universal motors with a view to redesigning a loco to be worm driven to the centre axle and gear linked to the other(s) to narrow down the drive train.
Its a long term project for a future scratch build

[Anonymous]

News! Joe from Lionel tech support ran their Shay on an 048 fastrack run and he said that it ran beautifully! The engine did however jump out of an 036 switch. Looks like I'll have to trade in my unused 036s for 060s.
Thor, The Shay is not solely tender driven but the tender's trucks are powered by the Shay's drive shaft/ spur gear drive system as on the prototype. The drive motor is located in the boiler as it should be and drives the mechanism by worm gear canted off behind the cylinder assembly.
Think of the Shay as if it were a Jeep vehicle- Full time all wheel drive. This is what gives it the power it is famous for with the slow speed and the ability to climb like a goat.
Joe said that at the time the Shay came out and the owner's manual was printed, that Fastrack had not been invented yet so therefore no one tried the 048 radius out to know that it would work on it. O52 was all that was available at the time hence the reference to it in the manual.
Hope this helps and thanks for the replies.

blabree11