Cruise Commander install SHAY

The Lionel three truck shays from around 2000 had modular TMCC. I tried to fit a Cruise M in it but no luck. They are only about 1/16" longer than a DCDR but its packed pretty tight in there.

I have a K-Line 2 truck shay that came with K-Line factory cruise. You might want to try and find one of those. The part number will end in CC if it has cruise.

Pete

I tried to put CCM in a K Line B6 and found the same size issue. Gunrunner said he did it by modifying the heat sink. As you remember, is that feasible in the Shay?

Also in the B6 the CCM didn't leave much room for a wiring bundle in the area that the original motor driver did since the CCM has a diode bridge in the way on the front of the board. I was thinking also that I could remove the bridge and remote it a from the back side of the board.

For the B6 it is not so much a mod to the heatsink as tilting the driver fwd.  There is plenty of room low for wires, the original had the wires high and between MB and Motor Driver.

But it is tight. I have not done a shay.  For the MTH you might get it all in the tender and use the 10 pin to have controls for coupler, light, smoke and motors.  G

The three truck shay is much tighter than the B6. No place to tilt the Cruise M. 

Pete

Have you tried to put a CC-M into the Three-Truck Shay Pete?  The reason I ask is that I happen to have one that I'm going to attempt it.

John, it was a CCM I tried to put in that shay. I spent a few hours trying to find a solution but no go. It was going to be for a friend and I didn't want to mess it up so stopped. I may have gotten more radical if it was mine.

That said it is geared so low that its a smooth runner without cruise.

My friend ran his 3 truck and I ran my K-Line 2 truck on the club layout at Syracuse yesterday. Both sweet engines. Cruise would be icing the cake but they are good without it.

Pete

Pete, I have the TMCC one, so I'm planning on the Cruise Commander M to replace the DCDR.  Other than it's about 1/8" longer, it's the same size, but the connectors in slightly different positions.  I am going to try to cram a Super-Chuffer in as well, it has continuous smoke now.  That may be a challenge, we'll see...

John, I hope you suceed and then post pics on how you did it.

Pete

I hope so too.

Regarding the Super Chuffer, continuous smoke is actually prototypical. Check out the youtube videos if you haven't been to Cass. The 3 truck shay is based on the Western Mayland shay at Cass (no. 6) which is the main workhorse for most of the rides up the mountain. 

You may see a few distinct puffs as it starts to move but above a few mph its a steady stream. The Lionel model does respond to the usual mods though, removing the woven sleeve and rearrange the batting.

The Lionel 3 truck model does not give a true representation of the chuff sounds. Its the equivalent of a one chuff rod engine. The K-Line shay is much closer to prototype in this regard. Never heard the Legacy version so can't compare. 

Taken on our visit last spring.

Pete

I have the Legacy 2-Truck Shay, couldn't resist it at $300, less than I paid for the TMCC 3-Truck Shay!  I could change the chuff switch for the TMCC model to make it busier...

Gentlemen,

   Guns is right on the money, the Legacy 2T Shay is a fantastic deal, I payed a lot more than $300.00 for mine unfortunately!   Can't complain I love the Legacy Shay and put together my Great Grandfathers WAG logging Train for my Christmas layouts, the K-Line Skeleton Log Cars and the WAG Box Cars, with the Yellow WAG Burro Crane Car & Logging Mini Caboose (made in Galeton, Pa of course), makes for a serious train set, especially with the Legacy controls and FasTrack wireless Command Control Switches operated by the Legacy Cab2 remote control.  Very hard to take the Legacy Shay Train Set off the tracks.

PCRR/Dave 

I spotted mine on eBay, and he said it had a smoke unit issue.  I could never replicate that, it works great for me.  The only issue was the headlight chip LED was not secured, once I fixed that it was 100%.  I was kinda' floored that I got it so cheap, I believe I was the only bidder!  It's even new enough to have the LCS IR transmitter, a nice bonus.

Great deal John, for sure. I have seen them for $450 which I thought was great. I gave 360 for my K-Line Shay with cruise which I was happy with. I Picked up the Lionel 3 truck at York for 400 but that also included 3 of the Lionel log cars. Helps to be in the right place at the right time.

Pete

Yep, I paid more for the TMCC one, and it doesn't have cruise!

In addition to the great deal on price, it has an excellent road name as well.

I thought it was a cool road name.

Guns,

   Got to agree a way cool road name for a Legacy Shay engine!

PCRR/Dave