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Any Shay Experts Out There?

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  • Member since
    December 2006
  • 119 posts
Any Shay Experts Out There?
Posted by JDVass on Wednesday, January 31, 2024 4:16 PM

After many years of procrastination, my Spectrum 80-ton 3 truck Shay is running on the layout. NWSL metal gears and a SoundTraxx sound decoder is installed. Now I am setting up the sound. 

My question is, did the cylinders on the Shay operate like the cylinders on a non geared locomotive? By this I mean was steam pressure applied to the piston on both the downstroke as well as the upstroke creating two exhaust chuffs per cylinder per rotation of the crankshaft? Or was there only pressure supplied on the downstroke resulting in one exhaust chuff per cylinder per revolution of the crankshaft?

Thanks

Jeff

Life is too short not to play with trains, so grow old not up my friends.
  • Member since
    December 2015
  • From: Shenandoah Valley
  • 9,094 posts
Posted by BigDaddy on Wednesday, January 31, 2024 5:20 PM

There is someone who posts by the name of Geared Steam.   I think this is his website.

If I am in error about the website I apologize.

Henry

COB Potomac & Northern

Shenandoah Valley

  • Member since
    December 2006
  • 119 posts
Posted by JDVass on Wednesday, January 31, 2024 7:19 PM

I got my answer, thanks.

Life is too short not to play with trains, so grow old not up my friends.
  • Member since
    May 2021
  • From: Northern Colorado
  • 86 posts
Posted by CharlieM on Wednesday, January 31, 2024 7:31 PM

JDVass

I got my answer, thanks.

 

So for the rest of us, what is the answer?

Charlie - Northern Colorado

  • Member since
    December 2006
  • 119 posts
Posted by JDVass on Thursday, February 1, 2024 5:29 PM

CharlieM

 So for the rest of us, what is the answer?

Charlie - Northern Colorado

 

 

Sorry, the Shay cylinders work just like a regular steamers. Both the up and down strokes are powered. So the tree Shay engine cylinders produce six exhaust chuffs per one revelution of the crankshaft.

Lot's of chuffs - little speed. Lol

I got everything set up now and even set the top speed at a prototypical 15 mph. 

Life is too short not to play with trains, so grow old not up my friends.

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