Is that the sound system Bachmann includes with the shay or did you install that yourself?
By the way, post some pics of it.
Springfield PA
Hamltnblue I would just use a drop of plastic safe oil. Keep it light.
Thanks!
I would just use a drop of plastic safe oil. Keep it light.
Here's a link to a video of my shay before I sold it. Loved the little thing but it didn't fit with the rest of the layout.
Hamltnblue I had one with sound so I didn't hear the grown. I would suggest you lube the gears some though, including the drive shaft linkages.
I had one with sound so I didn't hear the grown. I would suggest you lube the gears some though, including the drive shaft linkages.
Any suggestions for lube/grease?
Some lightweight white lithium grease okay?
John
richg1998 You are most probably at the max speed for a Shay. Below is a link to calculate your loco speed. The gears would be rotating quite fast and making a lot of noise.There would be a lot of shaking as the cylinders are on one side of the loco.http://home.cogeco.ca/~trains/rroperat.htmTry doing a You Tube search for Shay locomotive. You will get many links for protoype Shays in use. Rich
You are most probably at the max speed for a Shay. Below is a link to calculate your loco speed.
The gears would be rotating quite fast and making a lot of noise.There would be a lot of shaking as the cylinders are on one side of the loco.
http://home.cogeco.ca/~trains/rroperat.htm
Try doing a You Tube search for Shay locomotive. You will get many links for protoype Shays in use.
Rich
The growl is not very loud, just more than I expected. And as I replied elsewhere, it seems to pull a weighted train okay with no change in performance or noise. It doesn't "shake" at any speed, its actually a very smooth runner, ignoring the growl. And the noise doesn't get much louder-- a little perhaps but not a lot-- at top speed.
That's a good idea to check YouTube, I'll do that.
thanks
dstarr I have a Bachmann shay. It isn't very fast.
I have a Bachmann shay. It isn't very fast.
Okay, that's good to know-- I don't think it has a problem but I wasn't sure about the little growl.
Thanks
Darth Santa FeIs the growl in the lineshaft and axle gears? If so, I wouldn't worry. I have NWSL's replacement gears on mine, and it makes a very faint growl. No signs of gear wear. If none of the gears are cracked or split, there's no need to get the NWSL upgrade. They have the exact same shape as the Bachmann gears, and run exactly the same. The only difference is that they're made of metal.
Is the growl in the lineshaft and axle gears? If so, I wouldn't worry. I have NWSL's replacement gears on mine, and it makes a very faint growl. No signs of gear wear.
If none of the gears are cracked or split, there's no need to get the NWSL upgrade. They have the exact same shape as the Bachmann gears, and run exactly the same. The only difference is that they're made of metal.
Yes, the growl is in the driveline / lineshaft. I don't think anything is cracked and it sounds about the same under load (pulling a weighted 5 car train).
If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.
The top speed of a real Shay was only in the range of 12-15 MPH, so the Bachmann Shay is geared realistically. Run it slower than full throttle and the noise will go away.
David Starr www.newsnorthwoods.blogspot.com
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I have a quick question about the HO-scale Bachmann 3-truck Shay...
I just purchased one "gently used" and it does seem to be in very good shape, no complaints there. And it seems to run reasonably well-- supposedly it has only had a very short run-time to-date (but who really knows, right? :-) I know shays are geared locomotives and designed to have more power over speed-- but it seems like it has a somewhat limited upper end, and it has a slight "growl" when it runs. Not loud, just noticeable. I didn't clock the speed yet-- haven't had a chance yet-- but I'd say its probably 15-20 scale MPH... just a guess.
I've never owned one of these before, nor seen one in real life (the model I mean) so I'm not sure if what I'm seeing/hearing is normal for the loco or if there's a problem of some sort. I know these locos are famous for stripped gears and such. How would I know? Also there could be the possibility of insufficient lubrication-- if it is "brand new with short run time" it may simply be an issue of never having been lubricated out of the box or broken in.
Does anybody have experience with this loco and could offer me some perspective?
Also I know about the NWSL replacement drive train and will probably get around to performing that upgrade sooner or later.