Legacy Shay gear problems

I was literally sitting down to order one of these via the internet when I saw this posting.  I would appreciate hearing from anyone on how you like it and if it is too delicate, etc., for daily running. 

And good luck swise, hope it is repairable easily.

Does this happen when the shay is traveling with the gear box on the outside of a curve section?  Lionel shays like big arc track.

I have not had any issue with mine on 048 Fastrack (gearbox on the outside).  Great sounds and great smoke!

I don't think so.  I haven't figured out what triggers it yet. My smallest radius is O72.

Actually, its the rear gear in this assembly that is coming loose and disengaging.

So the whole vertical arm that moves when the engine is running, starts tilting because the bottom of it is coming out of the gear box.  Once it disenagages, the rear shaft stops turning.

I've emailed Lionel too.  I think I'm gonna have to send this in for service.  It is a brand new unit purchased in 12/2011.  I've run it maybe 3 or 4 times and this started happening..

Circled the point where it is separating:

Lionel said this part needs to be replaced.  So I'm shipping the engine off for warranty repair.

Thanks everyone,

Steve.

I have the West Side Lumber one & ran it in & out of 54" switches & around )-54" curves with no problems. Runs very nice & sounds great. Hopefully they will re-issue the 3 truck one & a Climax.

I hope everyone will keep me us to date on any problems or solutions here.  I went ahead and ordered one this morning.  I plan to run it on 0-36, which Lionel says, it should run since it is rated 0-31.

swise - I am also curious about something.   EVEN IF the shaft you are talking about comes off, the loco will still run - is that correct? - looking at the exploded view of the loco and its parts on Lionel's website, it looks like the motor seems to power the front truck's wheels directly, right/wrong?

Yes, the front truck was still getting power, but the engine would slip on curves or grades or under load.  I assume this was because the back truck was getting energy.  I think my unit was just defective.  Sounds like others are having no problems.  And I do like the unit.  It has great sound and smoke, and is perfect for my logging line...

Thanks.   Hope you get yours fixed. 

Just wanted to follow up since I originated this thread.  I sent my shay back to Lionel for warranty service.  They replaced the part that I showed in a picture earlier in this thread.  Upon return, my unit still has the exact same issue when running in my yard area which is composed of RCS curved O72/O54 switches that lead into the yard, plus RCS #5 and #4 switches for the yard tracks.  The shay seems to hit this problem when traversing the curved switch.  I contacted Lionel again.  They assured me they did replace the part with a brand new part the first time I sent it in.  Their only options this time was to send it back to replace the same part yet again, or refund my $$.  Since I think this problem is with the design of the unit when running on certain switches/curves, I decided to get my money back. 

I'm disappointed with the performance I have experienced for this new shay. I guess I'll have to find some other logging engine for my layout. 

I do want to state that Lionel has been great in supporting me with this problem.   Their service, for me, has been top notch.   Unfortunately, I just don't want to keep dealing with a recurring problem.  Life's too short, eh? Since others are having success with this engine, I'll chalk it up to my particular layout design.  Or maybe the RCS curved switches. 

Cheers!

Steve.

Steve,

I applaud the positive approach you are taking to the problem you had with your engine.  I hope you can find another logging locomotive that will work for your layout.

I bet RCS would be interested in this.

Interesting. I have the (pre-Lionel purchase of the tooling) K-line version of this loco

and have never had this happen; my curves are 072 - except in the yard some are 042.

But, the loco runs poorly anyway (cannot maintain a reliable electrical contact with

the track at low Shay-apprporiate speeds) that I gave up using it. So who knows?

They look "over-scale" really - but I keep forgetting to confirm this. 

I have the K-Line version and have never had a problem with it!  It is my best low speed runner.  The MTH Climax is second.  It will even climb a 7% grade pushing 5 die-cast cars, no problem.  My favorite engine.

Steve, I suggest you find someone with similar engines to run on your track.

Dan

Just curious, what brand track and switches do you use?

Ross.

Based on what I have seen and heard, I think the Shay mechanism, at least Lionel's iterations of it, is a delicate thing prone to "issues."

I bought a Legacy Shay about a week after this thread started.  Mine did not have a similar problem but it does have a "problem": it will not go smoothly around O-36 curves (as advertised) if the Shay cylinders and mechanism are on the inside of the curve.  The back drive shaft seems to bind -- as if the slip joint on the driveshaft cannon quite slip down to a short enough length. As a result it stalls, completely stopping and just humming loudly. 

 I cannot return it even if I wanted, because I modified it (cut down the cab height so it would go under a low overpass on my layout).  It runs okay and very smoothly on O-72, 0-60, and 0-48 Fastrack switches, including back to back switchbacks so to speak.  It just doesn't do 36".

Thanks.  I have a kline/lionel 0-4-0 switcher that i upgraded with elec-rr tmcc.  That'll work for my logging line!   The shay is classic though.

Swise,

am curious do you mean by gear disengaging do you mean that the entire assembly is getting loose and dropping down?

Or do you mean the parts are coming off of the shafts end?

does that entire assembly that you posted does it become loose as in the entire assembly if so here's the fix.

The 2 screws that hold the assembly in place on the original shay released when legacy was first introduced had same issue the cure is to put a drop of blue lock tight on each screw re install and tighten very snug let sit over night that should cure it.

That assembly has a lot of action and so the screws loosen I haven't had this happen since I did this.

Everytime I run it I think of Doyle McCormack describing a steam engine trying to self destruct when running at full speed with all the reciprocating parts

.

Hope this helps. $oo

No, the whole part (the 3 piston engine) is fixed and not loose, but the rear-most linkage pulls out of its socket or whatever and thus the rear truck no longer gets any power.  In a previous picture I posted on this thread, I circled the area where this linkage pulls out and disengages.

Well, Lionel said they replaced the whole valve block with a new part and I still had the same issue.  Anyway, its water under the bridge for me.  I've shipped it back for a full refund. 

Thanks,

I have had the Lionel three-truck Birch Valley Lumber Co. Shay (TMCC) for a couple of years now with no issues. I run it on 082 RealTrax curves with the drive shaft on the outside.

Perhaps you can acquire one of these?

Hey Steve,

My Weyerhauser 3-truck shay that I got from Bill works fine.  I know it's water under the bridge, but even though mine does not have cruise, it still runs pretty well pulling my 13 car log train.

BTW, one of these days I need to see your new layout. 

Hey Allan!  I had just emailed Lefty asking if he still had that shay.   You beat me to the punch!   I'm not sure it uses different mechanisms so it might still show the issue on my layout.  Dunno.  Maybe sometime you could bring it over and haul some logs on my layout!