Bachmann Spectrum Shay....I like it!

[Rotorranch]

The Bachmann Spectrum Shay arrived today at my hobby shop. I opened the shrink wrap, opened the lid, peeled back the foam, priced it and stuck it in the showcase. Spent the rest of the afternoon doing the hobby shop thing.

Everytime I walked past the showcase, I'd drool over the thing, and have to clean the glass again. [:p]

I've wanted a Shay ever since the first one I saw on Tracks Ahead, or whichever TV show or video I first saw a real Shay running on. All the whirly -gig stuff going on, the vertical cylinders, just the unorthadoxness of it all, was way too cool! But I didn't think my modeling skills were up to assembling the Roundhouse kit, and it was kinda expensive, I knew I couldn't afford brass. So I never got a Shay.

Anyway, as I was shutting down the store tonight, nobody had come in all day long to buy the Shay. It had been there for 6 long hours, and no one wanted the thing. It was sitting there like a puppy at the dog pund, lost and forlorn, just looking at me. How could I resist? I just had to have it!

Got to the house, and set the box down. The Kid asked "What's in the box?" "Just a box" I said. "Yeah, right" he says. Grab a cold adult beverage, the box and into the train room I go. Turn on the lights, hit the power, and settle into the engineers chair. In a few seconds, The Kid appears, and grabs himself a seat. As I open the box, he exclaims "That great big box for just that one little train? I thought there was something cool in there!" As I hostled trains to the sidings and spurs, to clear the mainline, The Kid stated "That thing looks wimpy. It won't pull a greasy string out of a cats butt. What is it?" I explained the thinking behind gear drive locos, and what they were used for. He kinda sneered as I set the loco onto the main line. I eased the throttle on, and we both leaned forward to look. Rods and valve gear started to move, the wheels started to roll, and the little Shay crawled of down the track. I noticed the glow from the firebox as the little loco eased away from me towards The Kid. The Kid's jaw dropped as he watched the whirly-gig ease towards him. After a couple laps around the short layout, I eased the throttle towards wide open. The thing crawled to top speed, and just mosey'd down the mainline. Man, I hope the Fast Freight don't come around the bend behind me!

About this time, The Kid notices the firebox glowing, and gets a big grin on his face. I ease the Little Shay back onto a siding, and hook up to a waiting gon loded with broken P2K axles, which The Kid states the little loco will never pull. I ease back on the mainline, and throttle up to the amazingly slow top speed. The Kid sits in wonder watchin the Shay pull loaded gon around the mainline. We then pick up a consist of tank cars, and mosey right on down the main again. The little Shay just keeps on, at way less than breakneck speed. Soon we come across the cars the Fast Freight dropped, and hooked up to those. The Kid says "It'll never go" as the Shay pulls out on the line. The Kid's jaw drops. The little Shay pulls the consist on down the line. Finally, We pick up the rest of the rolling stock on the sidings, and head down the line, at the same amazing speed it was running unloded! The Kid shakes his head in disbelief!

This thing is AWESOME!!!!!

Slow as a snail, and will pull whatever we put behind it. And the awesome whirly-gig motion is way cool! I'm glad I saved it from the pound!

Now..DCC for the little guy is next on the "things to do" list!

What do y'all think about it?

Rotor

[ereimer]

heheh cool aren't they ?
i bought the HO 3 truck version too , because if i didn't i knew i'd be buying the 2 truck On30 version and end up trying to sell all the other HO stuff i already have because the On30 is even sweeter than the HO [:D]

[tommyr]

[#ditto] All of the above. My Wife bought me one for my B'day in June.[:D][:D]
Tom

[rexhea]

Well, thanks a lot!
I was doing just fine with my withdrawal program and you come along and write such a mouth-watering descriptive post of something I have wanted for a very long time. [:p][:p] Gads! Guess I better call my sponsor quick.

Have a lot of fun with the new...uh...puppy.
[:D] REX [:D]

[Vampire]

Yesssss, ain't Shay sweet???? [tup] [tup] Sound-equipped DCC will make it even better IMHO. I'll be doing that to my Shay's once the layout is ready for them. Glad you and the Kid had such a fun time with yours. [:D] [:D] [:D]

After reading your descriptive post I'm sorely tempted to go back downstairs and resume work on the layout room riiight now!! Pity I still must head off to work in the morning. Oh the pain...

[howmus]

Oh yeh!!!!! Oh yeh!!!!! Oh yeh!!!!! Oh yeh!!!!! Oh yeh!!!!! Shays are sooooooo cool. I put together a MDC kit about 20 years ago. Never did run that well, it shivered and shook as it growled down the track. But even so all the whirling parts were way cool to watch. It was my favorite loco back then. Only took me about 6 months to put together. LOL Gotta get me one of the Bachmann shays one of these days. [:D]

My Father-in-law used to tell about watching 1:1 scale ones running at industries when he was a kid. He loved them because they were fasinating to watch, just crawled along, sounded like they were going 200 miles an hour, and could out pull a rod loco 10 times its size. Enjoy it!

[oleirish]

I would to have one but IKE&MIKE might get upset[(-D][2c]My MDC 's are tourqie little beasts,but pull great,I've never had more than 20 cars on them,but think they could pull more,they are slow for sure but that is the way the real ones were.[^][:D][8D]
JIM

[Anonymous]

If you're in the Atlanta area, I think you said you are, why don't you drive down and see mine? I'm in Jones County. I've put the Soundtraxx unit in mine. It's awesome. You're welcome anytime. All I have right now is some track chunked on the work bench in the shop, but you'll get the picture.

[twhite]

What a GOOD description, Rotor--you pretty much say it all for that loco. I've got one, and it's quiet, sweet, slower than molasses in January, and pulls really nice (mine initially had some plating that had to be worn down on the wheels, but it was one of the first runs). Actually, I can double-head it with my old MDC kit-built Shay and it looks VERY cool with a log train. Of course, the MDC sounds as if it's going to just let go and fling little parts all over the place, but that's what you get with an open-frame motor and the MDC drive. But the Bachmann is a little jewel. Heck, ALL the Spectrum steamers I've got have proven to be just fine, thank you.
But that was a great description--REALLY enjoyed it!
Tom [:D][:D]

[Anonymous]

I left my two on the track (22" radius circle) and let them run for quite while and I must agree that despite the fact that they a slow runners watching the camshaft turnover and all the carrings on with the driving shaft is a sight to behold.

Rotorranch
Good decision, in buying the shay. I think a number of model railroaders have had bad experiences with some of the earlier Bachmann diesels, to them a bachmann is bachmann so they don't even consider a test run. Topics like these will serve as an eye opener for them.

[Rotorranch]

I have come to one conclusion today, while waiting to get out of the Hobby shop to be able to run my trains, and that is the Shay looks strange running in the flatlands of my layout pulling freight cars.

I guess there is only one solution...I need mountains, and log cars now! [:D]

I guess that could be the plan for Phase 3 of my layout! [:)]

Rotor