Author Topic: Shay. Scratch built 11/2 inch scale from Bill Harris plans.  (Read 1562 times)

Offline big o

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Shay. Scratch built 11/2 inch scale from Bill Harris plans.
« on: August 23, 2021, 11:32:54 PM »
Started to build parts for this number "2 "50 ton shay. Most are scratch built, of aluminum, steel and brass. I am an amateur at machining and posting. Making parts from small brass castings and figuring how to hold them when drilling and tapping them, took some time, making the fixtures? was the easy part. These parts are for the plumbing of the steam lines.

Online crueby

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Re: Shay. Scratch built 11/2 inch scale from Bill Harris plans.
« Reply #1 on: August 23, 2021, 11:51:23 PM »
Nice setup on the fixtures, those are tough parts to hold securely.  What scale is the model to?
 :popcorn:

Offline big o

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Re: Shay. Scratch built 11/2 inch scale from Bill Harris plans.
« Reply #2 on: August 24, 2021, 12:13:00 AM »
     crueby. The plans are 1 and a 1/2 inch to the foot, some of the parts vary in size, based on measurements of the original.

Offline RReid

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Re: Shay. Scratch built 11/2 inch scale from Bill Harris plans.
« Reply #3 on: August 24, 2021, 12:48:35 AM »
Welcome to the Forum! It looks like you are off to a good start on the Shay :ThumbsUp:
I've always liked the "little" two cylinder Shays.
Regards,
Ron

Offline Kim

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Re: Shay. Scratch built 11/2 inch scale from Bill Harris plans.
« Reply #4 on: August 24, 2021, 02:33:18 AM »
Welcome to MEM!
Looks like you've got a build thread started for your Shay too!  Very nice!

So when you say 1 1/2" scale, what gauge will it be running on?  The Shay's were mainly narrow gauge weren't they?

Kim

Offline big o

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Re: Shay. Scratch built 11/2 inch scale from Bill Harris plans.
« Reply #5 on: August 24, 2021, 08:57:31 PM »
   kim.   Track gauge is 4 3/4".

Offline RReid

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Re: Shay. Scratch built 11/2 inch scale from Bill Harris plans.
« Reply #6 on: August 25, 2021, 12:03:37 AM »
Quote
The Shay's were mainly narrow gauge weren't they?
Not really. I don't know what the relative proportions would be, but a great many of the Shays built were were standard gauge. I would venture possibly more than were narrow gauge.
Regards,
Ron

Online crueby

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Re: Shay. Scratch built 11/2 inch scale from Bill Harris plans.
« Reply #7 on: August 25, 2021, 12:36:29 AM »

on the shay loco page,

https://www.shaylocomotives.com/data/searchdataframe.htm
 if you click on the search by gauge option in the upper left, then click on a class (A, B, C) in the list that comes up below, you can see that they made them in a whole range of gauges, custom for the users desire. It looks from their tables that the standard gauge is the most common across all the gauges, then 36" the next most common. Given they were used on temporary track in a lot of the logging operations, the guage varied by what the customer wanted.



Offline Kim

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Re: Shay. Scratch built 11/2 inch scale from Bill Harris plans.
« Reply #8 on: August 25, 2021, 05:35:17 AM »
Yet another thing I learned from you smart people!  My exposure to the Shay engines is in use in logging operations, as Chris mentioned. And most of those (all of those?) were some form of narrow gauge.

So, Big O, if you're doing a 1.5" scale engine, that would be 8:1, right?  and at 4.25" gauge, that would then scale the track to 34" (or so).  So you're doing a narrow-gauge shay?

Great build, by the way!

Kim

PS Sorry you were having difficulty editing your post.  I think you should be able to edit pictures, but I'm not very familiar with the 'attached' picture method since I host my pictures somewhere else and include links to them.  But others will be more familiar with how that might work.

Offline Dan Rowe

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Re: Shay. Scratch built 11/2 inch scale from Bill Harris plans.
« Reply #9 on: August 25, 2021, 01:55:31 PM »
Most of the BIG logging operations were standard gauge, smaller and short line operations were the bulk of narrow gauge. My favorite Shays are the 2' gauge Shays.

Cass is a standard gauge line.

Cheers Dan
ShaylocoDan

Offline big o

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Re: Shay. Scratch built 11/2 inch scale from Bill Harris plans.
« Reply #10 on: August 26, 2021, 08:47:59 PM »
Boiler parts made,(some time ago), now have to do a trial fit of the main tubes and check for clearance. Main tubes needed a little coaxing to clear the cab wall, side of tube  clears the engine manifold, will probably have to come in from under the frame when fully assembled. Next step, make an expanding tool for the copper tubes (haven't found them) yet, and find a certified welder ($$$) to put it all together. 



 

Offline Kim

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Re: Shay. Scratch built 11/2 inch scale from Bill Harris plans.
« Reply #11 on: August 26, 2021, 11:32:08 PM »
Very cool-looking boiler parts.  Is it made from DOM tube?

How do all the pieces fit together? Looking at your 4th picture, the tube labeled B3 seems to be the boiler, and the two plates below it with all the holes will hold the tubes in the boiler, with the B10 rod being the longitudinal stay.

But then where does the piece labeled B2 go (in picture 3).  The shorter tube with the chunk taken out?  Is this the firebox?  If so, how does it fit into/around the boiler?

And would you weld the copper tube in?  I'm not much of a welder but seems hard to do, like it'd be easy to melt holes in the copper.

Kim


Offline big o

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Re: Shay. Scratch built 11/2 inch scale from Bill Harris plans.
« Reply #12 on: August 27, 2021, 08:55:04 PM »
 Kim.   Here are a few pictures that I hope will clarify the order placement of the boiler assembly. Copper tube ends are expanded. Boiler is DOM.
« Last Edit: August 27, 2021, 09:00:21 PM by big o »

Offline Kim

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Re: Shay. Scratch built 11/2 inch scale from Bill Harris plans.
« Reply #13 on: August 27, 2021, 11:33:15 PM »
Thanks Ron!
Yes, the drawing and those pics really help.  I see how it all fits together now.  That inside part is the fire box. And the fire box is surrounded by water on all sides.  That's pretty neat.

Thanks for the additional explanation.
Kim

 

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