80 ton 3 truck Shay

[irab]

      I just purchased the Locomotive and received it this past Friday.  It surges when it runs.  It surges bad enough that the few cars it was pulling was running together and then loosening up, if you follow what I am saying.  This surging is in time with a noise coming from the loco.  I have ran this loco backwards forwards changed directions and it doesn't seem to be getting any better.......It should run silky smooth!!!!!

     I sent an email to the customer service this morning, but wanted to see what you all thought...

[kevin2083]

First of all, it may need lubrication. If you don't lube the connecting rods, they have a tendency to come off the crankshaft. Also, check to make sure that the little bevel gears aren't spinning on the drive shaft. If they are, you can fix this with a drop of CA. Depending on which one is off, you may have to disassemble the truck.

[irab]

     Ok.  I'll give that a try tomorrow.  I just figured that it would come lubed.  I have some grease and some oil and some toothpicks and maybe we can make it all better.
      I probably ran it for a total of 4 hours today trying to break it in thinking that was what was wrong.

     I do not want to dis-assemble it.  My fingers are large and my skin dry and things are inclined to escape into 'delrin heaven.'  Or where ever those plastic pieces go.  So I'll do some P.M. on it first!!!

     Thanks for the reply and suggestions.....

[kevin2083]

It did get lubed at the factory, but it may have been sitting for a while on a shelf somewhere before getting to you, which is why it's a good idea to lube a loco when you get it. I just fixed one of those bevel gears, and it's not really that hard. Something you might want to try is to do dissassembly over a shallow box (like the lid of the spectrum box). I prefer to do any work on the shay on the thin foam pad from the box.

hope you get it fixed!

Kevin

[irab]

     Thanks for the reply.  I put some gear lube on the gears this morning and also some oil on the rods.  All with the small end of a toothpick.  I noticed an improvement very soon.  Before very long it was doing pretty good.   It would run pretty smooth over a 12 inch measurement in about 40 seconds.  So I don't think I am going to try to improve on that.  I may double check the gears tomorrow and make sure they are secure. 

     I must have put the tender in a strain cause when I went to set it back on the track today, I noticed the drive shaft to the tender was not in its proper place and I thought I had broken it.  It slipped back in and all was well....

     Thanks again,

Barney

[NickB]

I'm having issues with the main driveshaft of my shay spinning but the little gears on it seemed to have moved away from the gears on the wheels so now the shay won't move at all.  Is this something I can fix or is it something I need to send in?

[kevin2083]

You should be able to slide it back in place with a small flat headed screwdriver, but put a small drop of glue on first.