Conveting a HOn3 Shay to HO

[TigerMaster]

I purchased a HOn3 Roundhouse Shay kit, is it possible to convert it to HO. I got a awesome deal on it.

[ACY]

Anything is possible.  Is it worth converting and do you have the ability,  money and time to convert it... the answer to one of those questions is probably not.
There are several shays available in HO, most people would have been better off judt buying an HO shay in the first place as the conversion does not lend itself to beginners or those who are not very experienced in this type of work yet.

[TigerMaster]

I agree. I have to ability. How much would it cost? Do you know where I can purchase what is required?
When I purchased it several years ago the train store did not have a HO scale one and it was only $79.00.

[Len]

If it's HOn3, it's already HO scale. Is what your asking how to convert it to run on standard gauge track instead of narrow gauge?

If so, the anwwer is yes and no. You should know the Roundhouse HOn3 Shay is the same as their HO Shay, just with smaller trucks installed. It's not really possible to change the wheel gauge enough on those trucks for standard gauge.

But...Roundhouse was purchased by Athearn, which has a fairly extensive parts department. So you might want to contact the parts people at Athearn/Roundhouse to see if they have the HO trucks and power pickups. In which case it should be a simple job to swap them out and have a standard gauge loco. If not, you'll have to check shows for a standard gauge version.

Len

[ACY]

Len the MDC shays usually need to be regeared with a NWSL kit as most had trouble with the original components. Also Horizon doesn't stock any parts unique to the shay as they haven't been produced in a long time, Horizon does not have any MDC parts from models that have not been produced since Horizon acquired MDC. So finding the parts needed to convert it to HO may not be an easy task. You may have to buy a whole MDC HO kit or built locomotive to get the parts you need but then you may as well have bought the HO version in the first place.

[Len]

ACY,

Okay, the Roundhouse locos I have are post Athearn acquisition. Guess that's why I was able to get parts.

So, if his HOn3 loco has a special paint scheme, TigerMaster will have to hit a show, or eBay, to find a standard gauge RH shay to swap mechanisms with.

He might actually be better off finding a Bachmann Shay. The shell on the Roundhouse is actually closer to 'S' scale than HO. In fact I know some S scalers that converted it for use as an Sn3 loco, and it looks right.

Len

[ACY]

It looks like MDC shays are eady to find on eBay,  but they seem to sell for $100-150, however occasionally they sell a model in need of repair and those sell for only $40-50 and that might be your best solution depending on what is wrong with the particular locomotive.

Len, I came across some kits on eBay for converting the MDC shay to Sn3 or Sn2 like you mentioned previously. Apparently the shay is roughly1:72nd scale about halfway between 1:87th (HO) and 1:64th (S), maybe MDC intended to sell them as Sn3 or Sn2 kits as well but never got around to it for whatever reason.

[Richg]

Consider joining an active MDC roundhouse Group with Shay users there and at least one member has quite a few parts for Shay's or use to. There are files, Photos and links to look through.
I belong to maybe twenty different train forums. Bachmann forums are ok but there is a huge model railroad community with the Internet that many are not aware. Many times solutions come quicker with more sources.

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/mdcroundhouse/info

Rich

[TigerMaster]

If it's HOn3, it's already HO scale. Is what your asking how to convert it to run on standard gauge track instead of narrow gauge?

If so, the anwwer is yes and no. You should know the Roundhouse HOn3 Shay is the same as their HO Shay, just with smaller trucks installed. It's not really possible to change the wheel gauge enough on those trucks for standard gauge.

But...Roundhouse was purchased by Athearn, which has a fairly extensive parts department. So you might want to contact the parts people at Athearn/Roundhouse to see if they have the HO trucks and power pickups. In which case it should be a simple job to swap them out and have a standard gauge loco. If not, you'll have to check shows for a standard gauge version.

Len

Yes I want my shay to run on standard HO instead of narrow gauge. So I will contact Athearn and see if they have HO trucks.
I should have just bought a HO, but as they only had a HOn3.
Hopefully I will be able to get the HO trucks if not I could always put some HOn3 track on my layout.

Tigermaster

[Richg]

Athearn doe not carry the parts. Never did.
Ebay probably your best bet. again, join the Yahoo MDC Group.

I have owned and bought MDC Roundhouse locos well before Athearn bought them out.
The only parts Athearn ever sold were for the 4-4-0, 2--6-0 and 2-8-0. I bought some of those parts.

Rich

[jarable]

Hi - oddly enough I've been working on exactly the same thing this month.  Re-gauging the wheels was the easiest part... it's just 3/32  (0.09375) diameter brass rod . I cut lengths to 0.80 inch, rounded the ends with a file and replaced the old axles. I'm a little concerned the gears are going to slip with the removal and replacement - we'll see.
I've got access to a 3D printer (ABS) and I've been experimenting with inserts to widen the frame. Because the frames are Delrin, gluing really wasn't an option so mine snap over the whole frame. My third attempt is pretty promising, but it's binding on the couplings, there is a lot of wheel slipping and the contacts are shorting out on the frame - still, so far so good.

Pictures here
http://lynxmountain.blogspot.ca/2015/05/3d-printer-parts-for-hon3-shay-regauge.html

[electrical whiz kid]

I bought one (or should I say got sucked into buying one by my buddy).  I am no amateur by any means, and I think I can say that at-least-the original production models were real bow-wows!!  Unless you really want to invest the time and cash (as well as shatter your own peace of mind) into doing this conversion (and Len is correct:  The bodies are no different from one another), to me, it is pretty much not worth the effort to go down this road.
In my opinion, for the price range, the Bachmann shay is a sweet effortless ride into total satisfaction.  They (in my opinion) run very well, look really sharp, and are very well made.
In the last fifty or sixty years, a fair amount of shay models have been produced, mostly in brass, and were finicky as hell; but  once you got the bugs out and a decent paint job on it, they were a real killer of a model!!!  I personally do not own any brass shays-but I do own that Bachmann and (unfortunately) ONE MDC   model...
Rich C.
SGT C.

[Geared Steam]

Tiger
All you need are the HO scale trucks, your best chances are on EBay, set up a search so it will notify you of all MDC/Roundhouse kits./ assembled locos. I picked up a 3 truck for $30.00 recently, already assembled but didn't have any of the "fixes" installed (NWSL parts)
I needed some parts as well, stay patient and keep your eyes open.

[Woody Elmore]

I bought an MDC boxcab when it first came out (many moons ago.) It sounded like a blender crushing ice when it ran. I remember selling it at the Timonium show years ago. I believe that the shay shared mechanical components but never having owned an MDC shay I can't say for sure. Leave the MDC engine for the collectors and tinkerers. For operation go with the Bachmann shay.