38 Ton Shay Gear Replacement

[trailsideGguy]

I've seen several posts about Bachmann's plastic gears in their large scale engines and how bad they are. My experience with my 38 ton shay has been no different. I was given several replacement trucks in good shape except the plastic gears are starting to crack. As a last ditch effort to save them I've thought about using epoxy to seal the cracks on the gears and keep them in place on the axle. I'm not sure that will work and might mess up the axle.

Before I give up and retire my shay to a place on the mantle, I wanted to ask if anyone had been successful in replacing the gears with metal ones from a place like NWSL. If so, which ones did you use and what did you use as a bearing puller to remove the bearing on the axle to install the gear?

 

[stevedenver]

I had the same with the first run shay. Gear Broke after an hour running light!
i bought the metal replacement trucks, some twenty years ago. This was after my extensive rebuild…gears, overly tight ballbearing back of wheel contacts, awful plastic cover plates. Seems five-6 hours on the rebuild…ok results.

while i havent run it a lot, its still good. Smooth and powerful With the replacement trucks.

i also had a gear crack on an lgb 2051 v50 dr diesel.
i dabbed a drop of super glue on it, keeping clear of the teeth. It held up for about 20 years, and finally broke again last year. It broke, fwiw, under the load of a heavy train. This time i used an lgb replacement axle/gear.

1 if you can, find a replacement gear, pull it, and you should be ok. i dont know the nwsl model number.
the ballbearing electrical pick ups are very fiddly.
2 if not, try the super glue. Epoxy would be better, provided you can keep it confined. I liked super glue because the medium viscosity penetrates and fills and sets. Not perfect but pretty good. This assumes the teeth are still properly spaced.

taking the trucks apart, which i did way long ago, is a pita, as i recall, and, the plastic is brittle and prone to problems when it come to the screws…

if you are successful at gluing, id suggest light consists.

if you screw up…..

3 while the metal replacement trucks are expensive, i think they are worth every penny. You will get a great product and avoid brain damage and frustration. Hopefully still available on fleabay.

Smooth, solid operation, runs as smoothly as can be. Yes they are a sticker shock,but, its like a new loco. Very good indeed. Imho, better than shelving an otherwise amazing, unique loco. In fact, where i had written off bachmann as junk, these new trucks made me like bachmann again.

the ‘geologically improbable railroad site , girr.com???has a number of loco tips..this may have the nwsl gear model

greg elmassion (sp??) elmassion.com ? site may also have tips on the loco.

good luck

 

[Fred2179G]

I believe Jerry Yeramian, known on Facebook as the Gear Guy, makes Delrin gears that fit the 38T Shay. His email is girotek@rcn.com.

 

[trailsideGguy]

I see that at least one seller on eBay has the diecast metal trucks but are the gears metal also? I've tried contacting the seller but they haven't responded.

 

[stevedenver]

I dont know if the replacement trucks have metal or plastic gears, but, the problem was fixed.
the old original plastic gears shrank. The new ones, if plastic, don’t.

as i mentioned, i rebuilt my trucks when i got replacement axels gratis from bmann , under warranty. (I didnt want to ship).

It took me all day to fiddle with and correct the trucks, especially the grossly over pressured ball bearing back of wheel power pick ups, and they still had the “self-destructing” brittle plastic. Futile in the long run, imho. You may do better.

i have a 3 truck shay as well, third generation of bmann’s shay production, which came with the new design metal trucks, no issues.

The replacement trucks are a significantly different and greatly improved design and quality.

I cannot recommend them more strongly. And, they wont be available for ever.

Also, complete and thorough lubrication, trucks, drive shafts, cylinders, etc. is really important for these locos, and keeping them clean and free of debris, grit, etc.

i really am in awe of my 10 total bmann spectrum locos, the detailing, the sheer size, the paint (on some) but, little stuff falls of or is easily damaged, inexplicably. Engineering and design is complex, sometimes a bit fiddly, which i particularly hate. Plastic seems to be styrene…not suitable for long wear, imho.
As a result, i run them far less than my lgb. But, they are a sight.

i always double check the ROW before running mine;no twigs, leaves, etc.
Long ago, i broke a pilot step by it grazing a slightly too high lgb track power clamp. These locos are beautiful, run well, but are neither robust nor weather tolerant.

again, the girr.com site is informative.

best of luck.

 

[Paul M]

I dont know if the replacement trucks have metal or plastic gears, but, the problem was fixed.
the old original plastic gears shrank. The new ones, if plastic, don’t.

as i mentioned, i rebuilt my trucks when i got replacement axels gratis from bmann , under warranty. (I didnt want to ship).

It took me all day to fiddle with and correct the trucks, especially the grossly over pressured ball bearing back of wheel power pick ups, and they still had the “self-destructing” brittle plastic. Futile in the long run, imho. You may do better.

i have a 3 truck shay as well, third generation of bmann’s shay production, which came with the new design metal trucks, no issues.

The replacement trucks are a significantly different and greatly improved design and quality.

I cannot recommend them more strongly. And, they wont be available for ever.

Also, complete and thorough lubrication, trucks, drive shafts, cylinders, etc. is really important for these locos, and keeping them clean and free of debris, grit, etc.

i really am in awe of my 10 total bmann spectrum locos, the detailing, the sheer size, the paint (on some) but, little stuff falls of or is easily damaged, inexplicably. Engineering and design is complex, sometimes a bit fiddly, which i particularly hate. Plastic seems to be styrene…not suitable for long wear, imho.
As a result, i run them far less than my lgb. But, they are a sight.

i always double check the ROW before running mine;no twigs, leaves, etc.
Long ago, i broke a pilot step by it grazing a slightly too high lgb track power clamp. These locos are beautiful, run well, but are neither robust nor weather tolerant.

again, the girr.com site is informative.

best of luck.

That's the problem with garden railways, you have to make a choice between rugged and hard wearing but scant on some detail, or highly detailed, but rather delicate. Getting the median where everyone is happy, must be the hardest part of the design teams' job.

 

[stevedenver]

Late….reply…..

yes, for me, everything is a compromise in most r-t-r g scale.
AND
the stuff i build with great detail is delicate…

i got over it. I run dsp with drgw, mixed german ng models from varous line, i run a pink box car with a lime green tank car, never existed livery on some box car or reefer, red caboose, etc., and a yellow loco, and, im ok with it….its fun, it looks great outside among the plants and ground cover. It runs in rain, snow, hot sun, etc.

i am an lgb guy…..by and far….i am a numpty….love finescale, live with toy trains….
i have enough to manage….
i hate broken toys.
i hate finnicky…, had my fill with this when n scale was first introduced….
while i can repair almost anything, often it is very time consuming and trial and error.
my tolerance for a day of troubleshooting is gone.

lgb…runs..put it away take it out next day or 3 years later, its perfect.
should it derail, its ok. Everything still attached and likely undamaged.

the bachmann stuff is incredible to see, but it takes a great deal of attention…ive had details fall off just carrying it out, eg, journal box lids, classification light, brake hoses, box car door cleats….and then the frantic search and recovery. Pita. The fancy boards in some tenders can overheat in bright sun…..fairly frequent lubrication is also required….

in any event treat yourself to a set of trucks…it was a good thing imho….i run my shay problem free, very smooth. Just make certain the ROW is debris free.