As we all know, the truck assemblies on the 80 ton 3 truck Shay left something to be desired. NWSL solved the gear problem by offering metal ones, but the problem with cracked bolsters and broken bearing block remain. I have found some 3D printed replacement parts for sale, but they are quite expensive for what you get. In my opinion anyway.

So I am looking for some of these to experiment on. I want to either find an economical way to do a good, lasting repair, or maybe even design a 3D printed replacement that I can share with fellow 3D printing nerds. If you have any that you would not mind getting rid of, please let know.

Or better yet, if you already have a repair or 3D print file you would like to share, please do so.

Thanks all.

Those Shays are beautiful and worth the money to buy the parts to get them running right, in my opinion. 

I doubt Bachmann ever brings them out again.  In recent years, they have leaned very heavily back towards the Toy Train Market, which is a lot more lucrative than the serious Model Railroad market, which is where the Shays live.  Shays were really intended primarily for logging and mining operations, which are not nearly as interesting to a child or a beginner as some mainline train that Goes Fast, when Shays really couldn't do more than about 15 miles an hour at best and that would be breakneck speed for them.

If the Bachmann Shay is ever reborn, I'm good for one, but I'm not going to get a used one and go through all the twitching it takes to get it running right.

Quote from: trainman203 on March 25, 2024, 04:08:58 PMIf the Bachmann Shay is ever reborn, I'm good for one, but I'm not going to get a used one and go through all the twitching it takes to get it running right.

Unfortunately I don't see Bachmann ever bringing back the Shay. Or any of their Spectrum steam loco's for that matter. It is a shame because they were beautiful locomotives and ran great. I have two of the Shays running now, with sound, and hope to get a few more.

They Will not bring the Shay or the climax back because there just isn't a train set it would work well with.

I have 2 of the Shay's - I also built a steel jig to get the new gears from NWSL on with, but just haven't bitten into that nightmare project.

I also have a 2 trk & a 3 trk Climax, while beautiful units, I should have bought brass instead. Neither plastic Climax has moved any farther then 10inches under their own power before the gears crapped out. I have some gearing for them, but even with replacing the main gear box with the bachmann replacements, those cracked as well, so I have 2 very expensive paperweights now. Probably going to place them in my 'for sale - parts units" shelf in my store over here. I'm considerably unhappy with my purchase of the plastic geared logging locomotives.

Rob