06/10/01 rev 01/16/07
Our son Randy, the one raising our four perfect granddaughters, lives
about 240 miles West, three hours via I-84. Being properly raised to
love model railroading, he put the family to work building a most
attractive garden railroad for his Dad to play on. They terraced the
back yard that sloped up away from the house. He built a lake and stream
with waterfalls while my lovely daughter-inlaw Coleen planted lots
of pretty stuff, Randy and the youngest daughter then laid track for a
logging railroad, calling it the
Sawtooth Meadows line, SML, just a SMalL railroad
Click here for 54k birdseye view
Now the SML is very successful in building and marketing skills, but they needed to look elsewhere for the some specialized engineering skills and that's how the alliance between the the SML and the Teton Short Line, TSL, was forged. Oh yes, we admit there is some nepotism involved too. Our TSL civil engineering department was able to assist in trestle construction, but the real challenge came when the SML asked us to bring the 1920's Shay into the twenty-first century to support a modern logging operation. We do this for environmental concern. No diesel, or developed roads. Just like a hundred years ago, we burn wood, a renewable fuel and take up our tracks when we leave. Careful harvesting of mature trees and using the slash for firewood reduces the risk of future fires and leaves the woods better than we found them. Research and Development started with the TSL Shay #2 that has trackage rights on the SML. When we had developed a reasonably successful prototype, the SML #5 Shay was updated. Our Shays use computer technology like the modern diesels on the prototype. If Mr Shay and Lima Locomotive were still around, they might be able to market this fine machine again.
THE CHALLENGE
The challenge presented to our TSL Engineering Dept:
- Radio Control with no antennae showing.
- Synchronized Sierra Sound
- Uninterruptible Battery Power
- Track power to float charge the battery
- Extra remote functions.
- No battery cars
- High reliability with minimal maintenance
- Nothing showing to hint at the mods
MECHANICAL PROBLEMS
We searched the Internet for ideas. Got lots of information and good hints to repair weaknesses in the Bachmann Shay from George Schreyers Large Scale Trains Page . George has a wealth of information for you to sort through. Buried in it all you'll find the tips for Shay stuff that we used for this project. First, you get the Hillside kit to improve the power contacts, then fix or replace the wheel bushings per Georges tips if necessary. All of ours had failed and you can see the extra brass washer in the pix below. They were repaired by adding the washer and serving the fractured bushing between the washer and wheel with carpet thread buried in epoxy. This totally captures the broken pieces.
I found many problems in the trucks, most related to the quality of plastic and/or excessive force in assembly. I believe the assembler used one of those air wrenches like they do at the automobile tire shop and fractured most of the connections. It took a lot of epoxy, plastic and wire ties to repair it all. Especially difficult to repair were the destroyed screw anchors atop the trucks. Most of them were split and two were ripped off. This pix, sans the brake beam assembly, gives you an idea of what I finally done. The 1/4" angle brass structure sits atop the failed plastic piece and takes 4-40 bolts instead of the "plastic splitters". The "nuts" are made from 1/4" brazing rod and soldered to the the angle stock. The white styrene block beefs up the flimsy cast-on tab on the side. It welds nicely with MEK.
Finally, in the two locos we've found two of the eight spur drive gears on the axles split and slipping on the axle. in two. A third one had split completly in two and dropped off. Easy to spot, the axle turns freely. Remove the gear, clean it, make a pair of tight coils of music wire, or cut a coil from a spring and press into the recess on both sides, then fill with epoxy. Carefully press it back on.
NO- they have not been abused, but they are "first generation" and I assume the Bachmann learned a lot in the first go-around.
06/25/01 Update- We visited the SML this weekend and found that Randy had contacted Bachmann. They sent new plastic truck parts i.e the gear case, bottom and top. They were drilled or molded with larger screw holes that would be less likely to split out. The plastic has a slightly differant appearance and did not fracture when assembled.
Here you see the Engineers (me) approach- fix it & make it better- and the Marketing Exec (son, Randy) approach- give the vendor a chance to make it right. Thank you Bachmann for your response.
With the mechanical problems laid to rest, we proceed with the original challenge, so back to the drawing board and lab.
Initial tests were made in May 2001. Improvements are continuing but
the tests were remarkably successful, running both Shays on track
covered with all the debris of Winter, leaves, bird doo doo etc. We
even went beyond the end of track into the mud with whistle tooting and
all the wonderful sound that Sierra records into their gadgets.
04/05/03 update. The mechanical problems came back, this time resulting
in complete failure because Bachmann advised us that they had no parts
to sell us or to fix the thirty locos in their shop. Spring was coming
and there is work to be done in the woods.
Click here to see what we did
UNDER THE HOOD,
or in this case the tender shell. The firewood load has been lifted off to reveal the speaker and antenna connection. Nothing except plug-in connections for the tender light, speaker and antenna is attached to the shell. That virtually eliminates the problem of wire breakage. You can see how the speaker opening is protected by a 1/4 inch high dam to reduce risk of water entry. A scrap of Saran wrap over the speaker and our only concern is flood over the running boards. On the far side and rear sideboard is the (not painted yet) antenna foil.
