Does anyone know any "secrets" to installing NWSL replacement gears on Shays?

[thewvnetwork]

I recently attempted to install the NWSL steel replacement gears on one of my Shays, and ended up bending the lineshaft in the process.  I would like to successfully complete this process, but I can't see a way to do it without destroying the brittle plastic parts.  I read the directions to a "T" and did what they said, but it literally seemed impossible to do.  I must have spent four or five hours on a single truck.  I had no troubles really with taking the old gears off, but I just couldn't get the new ones on at all.

Any suggestions to make it easier?

[Geared Steam]

Not an easy job by any means ,I did the conversion when the NWSL gears first came out. After I did it the gears started slipping in the shafts, I had to apply some ACC to hold them. I lost track of exactly what happened but those parts are in a part box and I ended up getting new trucks (when they were still available). It has been my experience that the newer gears don't have an issue, I have 3 shays, all now running with the factory gears.  There is a guy on the web that will do the job for you if needed....

http://www.shayfixer.com/

No worries, it is a tough job, especially with my fat fingers, personally I wouldn't have a problem with letting someone else do it so I can do things I enjoy.

[thewvnetwork]

Thanks for the information.  I did go ahead and purchase replacement shafts from Bachmann, and have installed those on one of my Shays.  They seem to be working fine so far, its just too bad that I had already purchased the NWSL parts.  I wish they weren't so hard to install, though, because it really would be much better to have steel gears rather than plastic.  I may consider contacting shayfixer if I have any further issues in the future. 

[richg]

Actually there arr no secrets to this. It is just knowing the limitations of what you are dealing with. I have done stuff like this but have experience of doing this on a much larger scale.
In this case it is the size of the shaft. Very easy to bend. I have done gear and flywheel replacements and it can be very easy to bend a motor shaft and those are not as long as the shaft you are dealing with.
I sometimes put the shaft/motor in the freezer for about an hour to shrink the shaft and then carefully press the gear or flywheel into place keeping everything square. This is not plug and play. Sometimes I may heat the metal gear or flywheel a little to expand them.

Rich

[thewvnetwork]

Actually there arr no secrets to this. It is just knowing the limitations of what you are dealing with. I have done stuff like this but have experience of doing this on a much larger scale.
In this case it is the size of the shaft. Very easy to bend. I have done gear and flywheel replacements and it can be very easy to bend a motor shaft and those are not as long as the shaft you are dealing with.
I sometimes put the shaft/motor in the freezer for about an hour to shrink the shaft and then carefully press the gear or flywheel into place keeping everything square. This is not plug and play. Sometimes I may heat the metal gear or flywheel a little to expand them.

Rich

Yeah, I never would have thought about putting it in the freezer.  I may try that if I decide to try the NWSL gears again.  As difficult impossible as it was to get those gears in place without tearing it up, its hard to believe as many people have found success with this as there apparently are.  I like the idea of sticking with the company who originally designed the product, so for now replacing the entire line shaft is actually easier and cheaper than replacing just the gears.  The plastic on the replacement shaft gears does appear to be a little better quality.  I have six Shays, and four of the six have at least four gears each that are split.  I do run them on a rather steep 4%-7% grade, but pretty much every thread about the topic says the models are capable of acheiving at least *MOST of the same things that the prototype was able to do.  When they are on the aforementioned grade, I generally only have it push 3 cars, while the prototype can handle 5+ on a similar grade.

[Geared Steam]

Freezing the shafts is a great suggestion, sometimes the easiest solutions escape me. 

[richg]

Heating the metal item, gear/flywheel will expand the ID to help slip on a shaft

Freezing the item, shaft, will shrink the item.

Delicate work with model trains. Very easy to bend a shaft. A chunk of dry ice can be used.

When I worked for a company that built helicopters for the Navy, we would shrink items with liquid nitrogen. Usually shafts and bushings.
An oven to expand the item, gear box gears.

Rich

[Doneldon]

Rich-

Heating the metal item, gear/flywheel will expand the ID to help slip on a shaft

This is how the 12 inches to the foot railroads put tires on their wheels.
                                                                                                              -- D