G scale Bachmann 3 truck shay

I would recommend an ESU XL decoder. One decoder does it al. Enough current for all the motors at once and the original Shay sounds are amazing. This is mine with ESU XL:


Greetings
Maxim
 
If anyone is still looking for the best coupler fix for any of the Bachmann Shays; just go to the Kadee Coupler web page and look up the instruction sheet they provide for body mounting their couplers. You can download the sheet. The project is rather simple, and if you use it, you will end up with the best looking and working coupler.
Truck mounted couplers on any of those geared locomotives look just plain awfull...of course opinions possibly will differ.
BTW, the "Draw Bar" on the three truck Shay, is not mounted properly. The two hole end should be for the long pin to attach to. The screw should be on the single hole end, to allow for short or long coupling.
Fred Mills
 
tac foley said:
All I ask is that you follow the lube instructions to the letter, particularly as it has sat unused for years. The Hob-E-Lube set of different grades and types contains all you'll ever need. My two-truck shay was bought from Caboose Hobbies in Denver in 1999, and is still going strong - on the original trucks!!!!!!!
Click to expand...
Youre lucky tac.
I too bought the earliest release. From caboose.
After lube per instructions (vhs tape!!!), one of the white wheel axel gears cracked i halves after five minutes, running light.
Ball bearing wheel back pick ups were way too tight. Plastic was b rittle and awful, some cracks as delivered. Warranty shipping , imho, was not worth sipping damage risk, delay, and postage versus getting parts and doing it myself.

Left a very bad taste re Bachmann for years. I actually sent a letter the the president of bachmann re my experience. I Rebuilt the original shay trucks. What a pita this loco was compared to lgb!

i bought the metal replacement trucks, cheaply, about a year later, $59 a pair!
The difference was night and day.

I now love these locos, but for the care and total lack of weather resistance.
I never leave them outside, aside from actual running time.


I have Changed my perspective on bachmann, to a large extent.
I have a 2 truck shay, 3 truck shay, 2 climax, C19, and spectrum 2-6-0 , the latter 2 being breathtaking in every aspect except robustness. A few spectrum freight cars and caboose, 2 eureka and palisade passenger cars, all of which seem to inexplicably shed detail parts which i find and re-glue.

Still fiddly and delicate, but amazing.
And, i am astounded at the pricing given the detail and running quality.
Never again to be seen.
 
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I bought two three-truck Shays for $480 - for the two - the Oregon Lumber version is mine, and the other one isn't. Even including the shipping and duties they worked out at less than $300 each, when they were almost a thousand dollars here in UK.

Now that Mr Riley has gone, you can betcha there won't be any more like this - locos or rolling stock. My advice is, if you find 'em, snap 'em up.
 
I got mine from Al Kramer @
Engines – Roll-Ez Wheels and at the time with shipping was about $360.00 being as they are in limited supply he has gotten another shipment in but they are now $ 430.00 still a good deal. I have purchased several items from Al and found him to be a very reliable dealer
 
MaximDeDonder said:
I would recommend an ESU XL decoder. One decoder does it al. Enough current for all the motors at once and the original Shay sounds are amazing. This is mine with ESU XL:


Greetings
Maxim
Click to expand...
Hello Maxim
I have recently purchased a 2 truck Shay. May I please ask how do you set it up to produce smoke ? I have put some of the correct fluid into the smoke stack on the front and given it a run but no smoke. Can you please tell me how to do it.
Thank you
Don
 
here is the exploded parts diagram. There are 2 switches in the front of the smokebox, once you open it. The smaller part swings out.

One is the smoke switch... (on first page, lower right corner)


Somewhere out there, the manual, which was supplied on a VHS cassette (and maybe later on DVD) is available.

Greg
 
Not directly relevant to the question but looking at the exploded parts diagrams there are an awful lot of moving and detailed parts to that loco. Very impressive. It must take ages to assemble.
 
Shunter46 said:
Thanks Greg
I will take a good look at the engine in the morning.
Best
Don
Click to expand...
Took a look this morning. I found the switch is in the front of the smoke box.Sadly the switch was in the ON position.
I have run the engine with this in the on position not knowing about it. So the element must be burned out.
This is the reason for no smoke.Thanks to all for the help and comments.
Don
 
Do hunt-out the lubrication instructions for this model..

There are lot's of moving parts, and potential for wear, and you will not get any spares in the future.
Get pleasure form running it, but remember you are the Custodian for the next owner.. :nerd: :)
 
PhilP said:
Do hunt-out the lubrication instructions for this model..

There are lot's of moving parts, and potential for wear, and you will not get any spares in the future.
Get pleasure form running it, but remember you are the Custodian for the next owner.. :nerd: :)
Click to expand...
Hi PhilP
Thanks for your comments. I have managed to get the video and a lubrication kit so no excuses now for
not looking after the Shay properly.
Don
 
You have some catching-up to do. The instructions are quite clear that you should lube-up before you start-up. Back when the original two-truck version came out, Bachmann AND the MR press remarked that it was THE most complex mass-produced railroad locomotive model ever produced, with more working parts than a Chinese laundry.

You'll need to get on top of the lube programme sooner rather than later.
 
Look around, someone put the original owners manual to video somewhere, I searched for about 15 minutes for you and did not find it, but it is out there.

If it is any consolation, if you received the loco with the smoke switch on, then most likely the previous owner burned the unit up. The smoke units should be available somehow, or perhaps a seuth unit could be fitted. They were not great, and I would consider a better unit anyway.

Greg
 
tac foley said:
You have some catching-up to do. The instructions are quite clear that you should lube-up before you start-up. Back when the original two-truck version came out, Bachmann AND the MR press remarked that it was THE most complex mass-produced railroad locomotive model ever produced, with more working parts than a Chinese laundry.

You'll need to get on top of the lube programme sooner rather than later.
Click to expand...
One thing I do when oiling the loco is to take off the bottom plates instead of just removing the plastic bung. That gives you more access to the gears etc. and you can check for cracked final drive gears as well. Easy to remove as just four small screws per plate. I love the fact it uses ball races and not just plain bearings.

Geoff
 
Shunter46 said:
Hello Maxim
I have recently purchased a 2 truck Shay. May I please ask how do you set it up to produce smoke ? I have put some of the correct fluid into the smoke stack on the front and given it a run but no smoke. Can you please tell me how to do it.
Thank you
Don
Click to expand...

First, of course you'll need to switch on the smoke unit. But to get the amount of smoke I got, you'll have to place a tiny fan behind the smoke unit. The air flow is not good in this model. The smoke unit makes an awful lot of smoke, but it falls back down in the chimney.
Good luck!
 
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