Large Scale Central

CMC&L T-Boiler Shay

Modeling
#1

OK…just one locomotive project at a time is a defeatist attitude, so I jumped in on the THIRD locomotive project of 2010, the goal being to get this one done before York in just 13 working days. Ever wonder what happens when a Shay engine assembly gets too close to the Screwdrivers of Destiny?

So yeah, I need to lose a cylinder to complete my collection and make a Class A T boiler Shay, this will make yer shorts pucker…

And just to prove that I CAN fix a broken crankshaft if I need to…

The result, a pre 1905 Class A 2 cylinder Shay engine assembly…honestly it didn’t take as long or was as difficult as I originally thought it would be…

Now that the cutdown is complete…I can begin the rest of the locomotive which has to be scaled from the truck spacing resulting from the engine assembly cutdown…

#2

I know nothing about steam but the Shay is an interesting locomotive.
They use no counterweights on the crankshaft? Are there vibration dampners on the ends?
I can’t watch these threads…too many questions on my end!
:wink:

#3

Well honestly at a max speed of 12-15 mph theres not of dynamic augment to compensate for and the whole driveline dampens vibrations…

#4
Bart Salmons said:
Well honestly at a max speed of 12-15 mph theres not of dynamic augment to compensate for and the whole driveline dampens vibrations......
With a load????
#5

With a load…without a load…up hill down hill…

#6

A casual glance at any full-size Shay will show you that the crankshaft DOES have counterweights. I have six model Shays - two of them steamers, and have spent a good amount of time around the real thing, too. We also have a 1" scale WSL in our train club. The science of balancing motive power units was well-advanced by the 1840’s - especially with small reciprocating engines like that used in the Shay. The Shay ‘engine’ is nothing more than a marine engine stuck on a set of wheels - by the 1870’s, when the Dunkirk locomotive was first built - it actually used a twin-cylinder marine engine.

Have a look at a movie clip of the Cass WSL in action, - that baby is smoooooooooooooooooooooooth.

tac
www.ovgrs.org

#7

Dave - One thing you might not be considering is RPM. Unlike internal combustion engines that need lots of RPM to develop torque, steam engines have full torque from first movement. Thus the geared locomotives are set up so that the engine does not have to develop very much RPM at the drive shaft in order to get moving at working speeds. So like Bart says, at 12-15 MPH you are not getting anywhere close to the RPM of an internal combustion drive line, so vibration isn’t such an issue.

In this video I shot of CASS #2, if you look closely there is a point that you can see the drive line and the front gear. It’s not spinning very fast.

#8

Bart, you’re a brave man, cutting up that Shay engine! Nice work. I love these build threads. Seeing how you guys do this stuff makes me feel more confident for the day when I finally get around to building/bash some locos.

#9

Looks good Bart Nice work

#10

Boiler Shop was open to day, started the next major component of the T-Boiler for the CMC&L Co …just some simple pipe in a T…

(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/bart_salmons/tboiler/tboiler06.jpg)

#11

When will it be finished?
:wink:

#12

MArch 26, 2010

#13
Bart Salmons said:
MArch 26, 2010
My birthday..... Thanks. I didn't know you cared.
#14

Since you’re building them as presents, my B-day’s in Oct. if you don’t already have someone on the list :slight_smile:

#15

Well. you’ve missed MY birthday - that was yesterday.

Hmph.

tac
www.ovgrs.org

#16

Happy Belated Birthday Terry.

#17

Belated thank you’s, Ric, old chum. :wink:

tac
www.ovgrs.org

#18

Spent most of today working on the frame for the T boiler. Then I decided I didn’t like it, scrapped it, and started over with 1/2 " styrene I beam…

(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/bart_salmons/tboiler/tboiler07.jpg)

Looks almost like a locomotive kit now. Anyone interested in T boilers. I dug up the May 2000 Finescale Railroader and the FR 2004 Logging and Mining Annual…

(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/bart_salmons/tboiler/tboiler08.jpg)

#19
Bart Salmons said:
[i][/i] Anyone interested in T boilers. I dug up the May 2000 Finescale Railroader and the FR 2004 Logging and Mining Annual.....
Well, Yeah :D

Lookin’ good so far. Gonna be a big one?

#20

You’ll have to send them photos.