Trains.com

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Four Truck Shay

3114 views
16 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    December 2015
  • From: Shenandoah Valley
  • 9,094 posts
Four Truck Shay
Posted by BigDaddy on Thursday, June 1, 2023 8:44 AM

Just got an email from Trainworld.  BLI is going to produce 4 truck shays, Paragon sound and smoke.   Preorders

Henry

COB Potomac & Northern

Shenandoah Valley

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • 685 posts
Posted by Howard Zane on Wednesday, June 7, 2023 4:50 PM

Any mention of what road?....I know of only three ever 4 truck shays: Hassinger Lumber, C&O/WM#5, and Mower Lumber co. All were previously done in brass and quite good, but none came painted. If offered in paint with full DCC, I'd guess this would be a sell-out for sure and then some. I need another large shay like I need a 25 pound carbunkle on my butt.....but if not to over priced, I'd bite!

Howard Zane
  • Member since
    December 2015
  • From: Shenandoah Valley
  • 9,094 posts
Posted by BigDaddy on Wednesday, June 7, 2023 5:42 PM

Hey Howard, long time no see.  I did not know there were 4 truck Shays.  MSRP $599, Trainworld preorder $479

  • C&O three numbers
  • Southern six numbers
  • N&W and WM two numbers each

One number of each of the following

  • Undec
  • Carolina and Northwestern
  • Mower Lumber
  • Greenbrier, Cheat, Elk
  • Red River Lumber

Henry

COB Potomac & Northern

Shenandoah Valley

  • Member since
    April 2021
  • From: saskabush
  • 127 posts
Posted by wvgca on Wednesday, June 7, 2023 8:52 PM

i don't know anything about the four truck version, but i do know the two and three truck versions [primarily bachmann spectrum] were very reliable with only one small breakdown [covered under warranty]  .. i had a couple of brass but i don't recall the brands

  • Member since
    November 2013
  • 2,775 posts
Posted by snjroy on Thursday, June 8, 2023 8:55 AM

Any new Shay brought to the market is great news for the hobby. I read the description on the Internet, I did not see whether the gears will be made of plastic and/or metal. Plastic gears for such a high priced model would be disappointing. 

Simon

  • Member since
    February 2008
  • 327 posts
Posted by AEP528 on Thursday, June 8, 2023 9:11 AM

There were 20 Class D 4-truck Shays built, 18 of which were the 150 ton version.

This site is an exellent resource: https://www.shaylocomotives.com/

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • 685 posts
Posted by Howard Zane on Thursday, June 8, 2023 9:58 AM

****.... at that price I may have to purchase one if they are brass hybrids. I am a brass guy, but I do apprecaite other mediums as they allow many to play choo choo for decent prices. I do have some BLI and MTH locos in my stable and hey are just great...not only for the reasonable costs, but inherent quality. I do draw the line with modern diesels as to me they look like bricks on trucks, albeit running well. Also when I sold personal brass when I changed to northen Jersey operations, I did not lose any money as all were brass. Had they been constructed from other mediums...most likely I would have taken a bath and not the Saturday night kind.

Howard Zane
DrW
  • Member since
    January 2008
  • From: Lubbock, TX
  • 371 posts
Posted by DrW on Thursday, June 8, 2023 10:14 AM

They are not brass hybrids. From BLI's description:

"Our models have die cast locomotive and tender bodies for maximum weight and tractive effort."

JW

Moderator
  • Member since
    June 2003
  • From: Northeast OH
  • 17,249 posts
Posted by tstage on Thursday, June 8, 2023 10:42 AM

Interesting that, after recent announcements by BLI to make more DC-only locomotives available to customers, BLI has apparently decided NOT to include any with their Shay.  It's sound & smoke, as usual...

Tom

https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling

Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.

  • Member since
    December 2015
  • From: Shenandoah Valley
  • 9,094 posts
Posted by BigDaddy on Thursday, June 8, 2023 7:50 PM

wvgca
i don't know anything about the four truck version, but i do know the two and three truck versions [primarily bachmann spectrum] were very reliable with only one small breakdown [covered under warranty] .. i had a couple of brass but i don't recall the brands

I have a Bachmann Shay, I picked it up at Timonium for a good price.  They had a well known plastic gear problem, solved by NWSL metal gears.  I moved since I bought it and it has had no real run time, so I have not replaced the gears.

Henry

COB Potomac & Northern

Shenandoah Valley

jpg
  • Member since
    July 2019
  • 32 posts
Posted by jpg on Friday, June 9, 2023 2:59 AM

tstage

Interesting that, after recent announcements by BLI to make more DC-only locomotives available to customers, BLI has apparently decided NOT to include any with their Shay.  It's sound & smoke, as usual...

Tom

 

Trainworld lists

BLI #7810-7824 are Paragon 4/DCC/Smoke for $479, 

BLI #8252-8262 are No Sound/DCC-Ready models for $399

 

Moderator
  • Member since
    June 2003
  • From: Northeast OH
  • 17,249 posts
Posted by tstage on Friday, June 9, 2023 8:22 AM

Thanks, jpg.  I was only going by the BLI link that Henry provided and all those showed only the Paragon4 and smoke models.

Hope it's a good locomotive for BLI and customers...

Tom

https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling

Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.

  • Member since
    June 2005
  • 4,368 posts
Posted by Darth Santa Fe on Saturday, June 10, 2023 10:44 AM

So we've got that and the 2-truck Shay coming from KR models soon.  Now we just need someone to make a powered class A!

_________________________________________________________________

  • Member since
    January 2017
  • From: Southern Florida Gulf Coast
  • 18,255 posts
Posted by SeeYou190 on Saturday, June 10, 2023 11:56 AM

It is interesting that from BLI's description of the prototype that they were no more powerful than three truck shays. They just had a larger water and fuel capacity.

If that was true, why run gears to the fourth truck? An idler truck would have allowed increased fuel and water at a lower expense.

What am I missing?

-Kevin

Living the dream.

  • Member since
    June 2005
  • 4,368 posts
Posted by Darth Santa Fe on Saturday, June 10, 2023 1:56 PM

Going up a steep hill, it would probably have more traction even if it wasn't any more powerful overall.

_________________________________________________________________

  • Member since
    March 2010
  • From: Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada
  • 252 posts
Posted by CNR378 on Saturday, June 10, 2023 3:18 PM

SeeYou190

It is interesting that from BLI's description of the prototype that they were no more powerful than three truck shays. They just had a larger water and fuel capacity.

If that was true, why run gears to the fourth truck? An idler truck would have allowed increased fuel and water at a lower expense.

What am I missing?

-Kevin

 

Depends how you define powerful. The added driven truck would provide added tractive effort IMO.

Peter

  • Member since
    January 2008
  • From: Big Blackfoot River
  • 2,788 posts
Posted by Geared Steam on Monday, June 12, 2023 12:52 PM

SeeYou190

It is interesting that from BLI's description of the prototype that they were no more powerful than three truck shays. They just had a larger water and fuel capacity.

If that was true, why run gears to the fourth truck? An idler truck would have allowed increased fuel and water at a lower expense.

What am I missing?

-Kevin

 

Extra axles, more weight in water and fuel, more adhesion. 

"The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination."-Albert Einstein

http://gearedsteam.blogspot.com/

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Users Online

There are no community member online

Search the Community

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Model Railroader Newsletter See all
Sign up for our FREE e-newsletter and get model railroad news in your inbox!