Large Scale Central

Waverly Southern RR Gets New Engine

General Discussion
#1

The Waverly Southern Railroad received another locomotive today. The railroad’s owner, B.C. Paws, has been in discussions with the Ely Thomas Lumber Company on the purchase of a used 2 truck shay. The deal was finally struck a few days ago and the engine arrived today.

This will complement the 3 truck shay the railroad purchased some time ago. I guess now the railroad’s chief engineer, R.E. Mington, will have to either build another engine house or modify the one that is currently under construction and can be seen here.

#2

Aw, its a Shay. It will be fine parked outside beside the engine shed. Sheds are for the prissy little passenger locomotives, not the butch, hard working, brutes like a Shay. (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)

Edit for picture

#3

I want the 2 truck shay to look similar to this:

This model was created by a gentleman named Ferd. You can look at his other pictures of this build here.

#4

The Shay is a nice addition to your roster Dan.

I have one of those and I think you will find it hard to take a saw to it. Besides painting what is supposed to be wood, brown I don’t have the heart to beat up on mine.

#5

Todd,

The “supposed to be wood” parts were often painted black in the shops you know. (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)

#6

Todd, I have no problem cutting it up. That’s one of the things I love about this hobby, taking perfectly good engines, cars, etc., apart down to the least common denominator, then cutting those up and then putting it all back together in a different manner. Now, the CFO on the other hand, is completely dumbfounded by that desire. My mom says I’ve been doing it since I was old enough to hold a tool. (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)

Joe, you are correct. Most 1:1 shays are painted completely black. I plan to replace the decking, the cab and the buffer beams with wood. I’m not sure what the final weathering will look like, but it won’t be black. I want wood to look like wood. I have quite a bit Ipe laying around, I may use it and just leave it unfinished and let it weather naturally.

#7

Me and pal Broos have got seven Shays between us - six sparkie and one Live Steam. We never get tired of either watching them ‘shaying around’ or talking about them to folks who have never seen one before, which is most often the case here in yUK.

tac

Ottawa Valley GRS

POCRR Extension

#8

Yes, but black painted wood eventually flakes off the paint and weathers from wood brown to gray.

Ah yes Dan. My mom doesn’t understand my cutting up a “perfectly good engine” or car neither.

#9

Well, here is what the 3 Truck Shay looked like yesterday.

Here is what it looks like tonight. I believe a new car has less parts than this thing.

#10

Your a braver man than I am Gunga Din!!(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)

#11

Good luck with your bash Dan. My problem is once they come apart they sit around for years waiting to be finished. I’m finally re-assembling a Dizzy I took apart 14 months ago and I’ve got a Connie in pieces for maybe 2 years.

At least your 2-truck didn’t come to you as dirty as the one I got. I had to give it a bath…

#12

Ross Mansell said:

Your a braver man than I am Gunga Din!!(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)

Ross, I don’t know if its bravery or idiocy. I’m thinking since this is my first bash, idiocy. We’ll see.

John, I hope I don’t let this sit on the workbench too long. I will never remember where all these little parts and screws go!! (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)I’m currently waiting on some taps and dies that I hope will be here by the middle of the week and then I can start putting her back together. In the meantime, I got to cut some wood. What ya think I ought to go with for the buffer beams? White oak, red oak, … what about Ipe? I’m thinking good ol’ white oak.

#13

Bath? you done gived a Shay a bath? Oh my! (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-surprised.gif)

Dan, that’s why parts should be put in little baggies or containers. These hickeys with the screws that hold these hickeys on, are in a separate baggie from those thingamabobs and the screws that hold them on. Also taking pictures during the disassembly helps too.

I know, I should have told you 2 days ago. I am sorry, I forgot.

#14

We had to do that to a real steam Locotive at the WW&F … Talk about taking pictures to remember where stuff goes… And scary! Now there are bits and pieces all over the shop!

#15

Eric, and that old steamer probably doesn’t have an exploded view drawing in the instruction manual neither. (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)

#16

David, I didn’t put the parts and pieces in bags, but I did put them in segmented storage containers like so:

Lots of photos also. My backup plan is the two truck shay sitting on the bench with this one. I can always use it to figure out anything I missed.

Eric, I can only imagine what it would have been like to work on a real shay. Fun and daunting at the same time. In my younger days I have rebuilt lots of heavy equipment including taking a D9 Cat as far down as the shay sitting on my bench and putting it back together. I think the D9 was easier though, at least I could see all its parts and actually hold them in my hand and not have them get lost in the wrinkles!!(http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)

#17

Dan, that works. When I worked in smaller scales I used to use ice cube trays, the ones that make bigger ice cubes.

#18

Nothing better than seeing a new acquisition in pieces in a box. Can wait to see the duck turn into a swan (if you can really call the original a duck)

I vote for white or red oak, to my eye the grain in oak looks better than just about anything else. It doesn’t look so outplace. Not to mention its durable and weather resistant.

#19

I dissected every one of my lokies. It’s fun and a leaning experience. All a part of the hobby.

#20

Devon I’m planning to turn the swan into the ugly ducklings red headed step child. But I guess in narrow gauge modeling old, used, grimy and rusty may be considered the swan. I’m with you on the oak. I prefer white oak due to its grain pattern and durability. Its hard, heavy and stands up outside well. I like red oak for its faint color and because I have a ton of it available for free. I have been using red oak for the proof of concept phase during this build. I think I will continue using it on this one and use white oak on the 2 truck shay rebuild.

BTW: The build log for this transformation can be seen here.