Greetings from a new 2-truck owner

[Skip]

Just saying hi, and also seeking a little info.  Have just taken delivery of a new 38-ton 2-truck shay, and its quite the little machine.  I have a couple of nits for Bachmann tho - suggest they spend less money on the fancy DVD and a bit more on info. 

A guide to getting it out of the foam without crushing small parts (ie where to grab it...) would have been nice ... , and a bit of discussion about installing the loose parts that need to be installed, like the stack...   It was a brute to get that in the top of the firebox, and ultimately required some trimming and a few heavy whacks with a small hammer... Yikes!

The version I have is the undecorated- it comes with a small bag of tools which also contains some parts not illustrated on the expoded diagrams - so far their use eludes me - anybody share?  I'm speaking of the black u-channel drawbar-like piece with a keyed hole in one end, and the two little black plastic trianglular blocks that look like they snap into holes in something, but I haven't figured out what yet.

I haven't talked to Bachmann yet but it sounds like my chances of replacing a couple of support brackets from under the front deck are slim and none...

Rant over (well, new to G, and the coupler game, makes my N scale issues seem trivial...), OTH, looks like the loco will be fun.   

[Jon D. Miller]

Skip,
I think you'll find the 38 ton Shay a great runner.  I have one Shay of each version and they all give great service.

Didn't realize that folks would need directions on how to take a locomotive, to include the Shay, out of its foam tray. 

The stacks are a tight fit. That's what keeps them from falling out!  Never found installing or changing stacks to be a problem. 

The black long u-channel plastic with the key hole in the end has nothing to do with the Shay.  It's actually the draw bar that was/is used on the hand car with trailer.  Guess the factory has an over supply so they just throw one in each bag of detail parts.

I think the black triangular blocks you refer to are the re-railers.  These are rather lacking in detail, but since most folks don't know what they represent anyway, the level of detail is a non issue.  Give them a coat of light rust paint and place one or both someplace on the Shay.  One of the side running boards or on top of the tank might be a good place.  Or you can make a set of hangers for them and they can hang down from the floor edge under the tank.  Look at some prototype pictures and you will see re-railers hanging from tenders and usually from a caboose.

Enjoy your Shay.

JD

JD

[Skip]

Mostly I was looking for a heads up on handling the loco -  I have an Aristo C16 which is best handled by the sideboards, and tried that with the shay, not realizing there were little bits under the boards which are quite fragile.    Anyway, have since figured out where to grab it, but unpacking instructions would have been useful. It would be nice to see the mfgrs come to some agreement on AAR type couplers ...

[Tim Brien]

Skip,
       just a warning about handling locomotives.  On your Aristo C-16 the weakest point is actually the 'sideboards'.  I recommend picking it up by using two fingers on the smokebox to pilot deck support rods and two fingers on the cab (either st the roofline or under the cab attach at the chassis level.  I have seen too many broken sideboards on Aristo C-16's.


      Picking up the shay is a little daunting at first,  but commonsense is essential when handling any highly detailed model.  It is usual to receive the model new, with the siphon hose support brackets broken off intransit and sitting in the bottom of the plastic wrapping.   I try to pick the loco up at the chassis rails,  adjacent to the bogie mounts.  In so far as the bag of detail pieces,  well most could be thrown in the bin.   The DVD is good viewing and the lube info essential prior to operating the loco.

[Skip]

I cradle the side boards on my fingertips with the Aristo, but I'll look at it again.  And yes, hose bracket in the bottom of the tray, and sideboard support from the otherside in pieces....  I now lift the Shay by putting my fingers in under the frame at the front and rear, either side of the couplers...

[dum]

This is why LGB is a great product.

[Tim Brien]

Skip, 
        my apologies if I seem a little picky,  but when picking up the Shay or other heavy geared locomotives,  by the ends,  then make sure that you do not use the pilot 'step' to pick it up as these are quite fragile and replacement parts from Bachmann unavailable (you would need an aftermarket supplier to obtain a replacement).  If you are able to get your fingers under the pilot beam then this should be OK.

[Skip]

Yes, I pick it by the beam ends, not the fragile bits.  My rant had to do with the fact that a heads-up from Bachmann in the packaging would have been appreciated.  Once I got it out of the foam and had a good look at it, it became more apparent how it needed to be handled.  Interesting that they seem to not have parts, yet offer a "limited" lifetime warranty...  At any rate, I'm busy freelancing it at the moment, while waiting for track to arrive...

[Tom Lapointe]

In response to "dum"'s comment -

This is why LGB is a great product.

- Um, maybe it's because LGB DOESN'T usually put on the level of detail that Bachmann does?  ANY model with fine detail (including some of LGB's higher-end models!) requires careful handling!

Skip, this is an excellent locomotive   - I own no less than 3 of the two truck Shays, & they've all given me superb service, with few problems.

                                                                                                       Tom

                                                                                                     

[Tim Brien]

Skip,
       the fragility in handling is common with Bachmann's highly detailed locomotives,  extending back to the first release Shay and subsequent locomotives.  Even the Anniversary model  'Annie' is a little daunting when first deciding how to handle it.  Basic commonsencse approach is all that is needed.


       In reality,  even if a handling warning/advice was emblazoned on the packaging,  few would actually take any notice of it.   The video/DVD at least encouraged people to view it,  with its scale model and prototype info and the extended lube scenario.   It still amazes me that modellors who have read the lube advice in the warranty booklet still question whether lubrication is really necessary.  If they take no notice of lube warranty requirements then no amount of handling advice is going to convince some people.

[FrankO]

Hi:

I had the same problem with the brackets that hold the Hose...  Bachmann was good about sending me a few replacement brackets (2 sizes...).
The part # are G811X-0ZD03 and G811X-0ZE04.  The hose is the black tubing and is used to get water from streams, etc. for the Shay boiler...

Good Luck.
FrankO
PS:  It you want to convert the Shay to a coal fired unit, see the responses to my question dated March 9, 2007.