If you want help, please give the product number

Marty,

Thanks for the public service announcement. Too bad you have to keep posting it.

By the way, I have a piece of string on my desk, can you tell me how long it is?

Marty, make this an automatic post, about once an hour should do it.

I am not trying to offend anyone, just be helpful.  I guess it is the old Detective in me.  I like all the available information to try to be helpful.   I guess I should back off wanting information.  The forum has some good train mechanics and I always learn from them.  Carl, it goes from the start to the end.

Marty:

I agree with you 100% and would add that it in many cases it is also important to know what transformer or control system the person asking for help is using.

Bill

I don't think you should stop asking, I type in the query all the time.  I'd rather have all the information, otherwise many times the suggestions are just a guess based on the generic type.  Sometimes that type is "locomotive", not very informative.

I'm keeping this so if anyone asks why I can sent them to this thread.

when I worked the parts dept of the IH truck dealership, sometimes we had to use a 6 foot cheater pipe to get info out of the customers. One told me one day when I asked what kind of truck he had, told me "you don't need to know that, they're all the same"

ok marty, I have a 6-38066 Lionel 3 cylinder Shay locomotive built in 2003 I believe and the 3 cylinder assembly has broken at the 2nd cylinder drive shaft just after the brass gears has sheared itself from rest of main drive assembly!

is there a fix I'm unaware of? Lionel no longer has this part available on its parts page.

is there another shay that lionel built that can be used in place of this?

thanks for any help

St Paul, I would contact Eastside Trains in Kirkland Washington.  My money would be on them.

marty, Eastside Trains they would have that part?  I was in hopes there is/was a fix so that this shay doesn't become a shelf queen!

I really would like to locate the part to repair this engine. maybe my original post wasn't clear on that if so my apologies.

I would throw the info on the wanted section with a photo.

Have you tried contact Lionel with a photo.  While the part may not be available anymore, they may have used engines in a pile it can be removed from.  G

marty, thanks for the information.

GGG I sent an email to lionel this morning from there contact site will see what happens.

if I could figure out a way to make a friction fit pin either solid plastic rod or a brass one it might work? the pin does 2 things connects the drive shaft assembly so both brass gears can rotate assembly and allows the piston arm to go up and down.

now if I were a machinist I would remake the entire drive shaft assembly out of metal and set screws allowing for easy fix when things went south.

thanks for both of your inputs on this issue.

Post a picture as I don't know where your shear occurred.  MTH shafts do use a threaded screw to go through the universal into the shaft.  So this might be repairable with some machinist work, if Lionel doesn't come through.  G

                          right above this area^

is a plastic pin that connects the cylinders to the main drive shaft if you look closely you can see space where pin should be connected look to left of the upward ^ you will see what appears to be a round pin think of a automobiles crankshaft.

used cell phone for picture .

So it still runs, just don't have the 3rd cylinder motion? G

I have run into those.  They are nasty.

Sometimes I forget, another problem is that in my head I think everybody knows what Im talking about

If you are unsure of the number of your item, I have found a quick Google search or even ebay search will usually get your item number. 

I received a reply from lionel and basically said no parts available and try repairing myself or take to a lionel service center see if they can fix it.

the area that pin broke off of must be a high stress point as its right next to the double brass gears that are in the assembly that mesh with the main drive motor gear.

Marty, I would also like to add a request to folks posting with problems to post the final resolution to the problem.  It is frustrating to follow a thread with a problem and there is never any final resolution to the problem.  It is like reading a book without ever being able to read the final chapter.

Earl

okay I disassembled the drive gear from the cylinder assembly. here is a pic showing area that needs repaired. 

I first thought all the pins connecting each cylinder to each piston rod assembly was plastic but once removed appears to be a metal rod not sure what holds it to each side of crank assembly.

it looks like its pressed into each end but shows no sign of hole going all the way through the flat part where that rod is protruding from in picture.

anyone care to share an idea or a how to possibly repair this issue?

had an idea what do you repair folks think? use a small dab of jb weld to secure metal rod that sheared off at other end of flat area like I said in another post this looks to be a high stress area due to where it broke and the brass gears that drive the assembly.

Earl, you are correct with that statement.  Thanks.

wow did this thread get derailed........