Accucraft Shay

[Bad Droid]

So.....I think my plans have changed a bit as far as my return to live steam, had a couple questions for y'all.
My original plan was to replace my Ruby that I sold a few years back and build either a Billy or Lady Anne Kit, then Americanize that model.
I still want to replace the Ruby, modify from there but I'm having second thoughts about the Roundhouse build. I think I would like to go with an Accucraft 13T Shay in "kit" form for the mining district of my railroad that only exists in my head at the moment. I'd really like their older Open Cab Shay, but they don't produce that any longer and I don't really want a used one.
So my questions..
Do any of you have experience with any of the Accucraft Shays? If so, can it handle a 1% grade? Id really like to make a crossover loop on my future mining district, I have lots of space and it would be a large portion of the railroad. The Shay will/would be remote controlled as well.
My original plan of a RH Kit was to save a little cash, but after the build, mods to Americanize and materials, I think I'm within a couple bucks of the Shay kit, and I'm a huge Shay fan....
Thanks in advance, hopefully I'm in the correct section of the forum for all of this.

[GTB]

Do any of you have experience with any of the Accucraft Shays? If so, can it handle a 1% grade? Id really like to make a crossover loop on my future mining district, I have lots of space and it would be a large portion of the railroad. The Shay will/would be remote controlled as well.

I have no experience of the new Accucraft 13T Shay. Haven't even seen one, as they've only recently been delivered to Oz.......

I do have a 28T 3 cylinder example of the last batch. My experience getting it to actually run properly is in this post.

https://gardenrails.org/viewtopic.php?t=11047

I've run it with a load of six timber pairs on 1:30 grades (3% ?) with no issues, but only AFTER the rebuild. It wouldn't have pulled the skin off a rice pudding as it came out of the box.

There's no point in fitting r/c to a Shay, even if you could find the space. They only run at two speeds, as slow as a wet week, or stationary. I doubt I could fit r/c in the 28T model and there'd be even less space in the 13T model.

The Shays don't run anything like a Ruby, as the gearing ratio is very low and so they don't speed up downhill, or slow on an upgrade if it comes to that. On it's home track mine now plods along at a constant pace up hill and down dale with a load of eleven timber pairs at a scale speed of about 2.5 mph.

Regards,
Graeme

[LNR]

I second everything Graeme has said, my 3 cylinder Shay had to have work done under warranty out of the box. Atrocious Quality control, if it exists. Grades are not a problem, however I don't believe they are an engine to run too often like a Rod driven loco. the drive line is far more susceptible to dirt and grit, and far more delicate in its construction.

Shay and Logs 4.JPG (231.71 KiB) Viewed 256 times

I like Shays, just don't like the way Accucraft make them. My opinion only.
Grant.

[Keith S]

Well, I can’t speak to the other guys’ opinions because I don’t have one.

But there is no doubt it can handle a 1% grade.

[Scrat]

I also have an Accucraft two truck Shay (MichCal).
Good steamer, good runner, pulls everything you put behind her.

Only drawback (in my view) is the huge hand pump.
You can fill the boiler with just a few strokes but it is easy to tilt the loco in the process, lifting the front bogie off the track.
Easy to copy with if used to it

[Bad Droid]

Thanks everyone, very helpful!
On the two cylinder, can you do what I did w the Ruby and give it good steam at the throttle and use the reverser valve to regulate speed (and direction of course)?
That's how I ran the ruby with RC, a single servo on the valve instead of the throttle.
A bit bummed but also understand that there's no room for rc in the little shay but I can get around that, not the end of the world.

[GTB]

On the two cylinder, can you do what I did w the Ruby and give it good steam at the throttle and use the reverser valve to regulate speed (and direction of course)?

I see no reason why not. I gather the valve gear on the 13T Shay (and the other Shay models) is much the same as the Ruby design, with piston valves on the cylinders and a third piston valve doing the reversing. Driving with a single servo on the reverser is a common arrangement on other Accucraft models with that valve gear.

Graeme.

[Bad Droid]

I see no reason why not. I gather the valve gear on the 13T Shay (and the other Shay models) is much the same as the Ruby design, with piston valves on the cylinders and a third piston valve doing the reversing. Driving with a single servo on the reverser is a common arrangement on other Accucraft models with that valve gear.

Graeme.

Thanks Graeme. Right after I had asked that, I stumbled on this, he's doing exactly what I was wondering about: