Legacy Shay - To me the Ultimate in a Legacy Steam Engine

 My roster is mostly Boston & Albany. I own both K- Line Berkshires and still ordered the Lionel Legacy version. My first Legacy engine. Not the most stylish or attractive engine. It just has that work a day look with all the plumbing on the boiler and that big square sand dome.  Just a great runner. Pleased enough that I recently purchased one lettered for the MCRR that has a correct B&A rd. no.  already applied to the headlight and tender rear. Just needs to be relettered. The only negative. They did have them late in life. For cost reasons both K-Line and Lionel built them with already tooled up Hudson tenders. Would have preferred the smaller as delivered tender from Lionel at the price point they were selling at.

  I'm sure Lionel will re run this engine at some point with a green boiler like the K-Line. I know on the secondary market the green one was hard to find. You don't see either manufactures Berks up for sale often. So they must have some fans out there. Would like to see a tender from the L2a Mohawk behind it.  Just to give it a different look. Then I'll be adding another to my roster.

I have the 2-truck Legacy Shay, and it's indeed a very cool locomotive.  I'm working on a set of twenty log cars to go with it, it'll make a nice looking log train.

Guns,

   I have about 5 K-Line real nice Skeleton Log Cars, 4 Lionel Steel Log Cars, and 3 Lionel wood Chip Cars, and one real nice long Lionel Log Dump Car with Yellow WAG Burro Logging Crane Car, along with the 4 WAG Box Cars they use to load chunk wood in, specifically for the Galeton Pa area around the Pa Grand Canyon, all to pull behind the Legacy #1 River Meadow Shay.  I really love these Legacy Shay Engines, added the woodside Cabin Caboose this last Christmas.  Your Bunyan Shay is out of sight, I did not know Lionel produced a Bunyan Shay, way cool engine.  Might have to look around for one to run a double header Legacy Shay!  The Bunyan Shay with WAG Ident lettering would be seriously cool for my Shay Logging Train.

PCRR/Dave

I have a bunch of the IDM log cars, and I have a ton of real wood logs that I made to replace the plastic logs.  I just haven't gotten to actually doing the conversion.  I did find the appropriate chain to hold them down, do it's just a matter of actually doing the work.

Don't forget the ox to go with that log train.

I don't have any steamers, but I have been eying an MTH 3 truck shay at my LHS (but they keep taking all my money for other things). Don't recall the road name, but I don't think I will be needing an ox to go with it? If I ever do get any steam, I think it will be something like that. I really do like watching the running gear on the shays, lots of excitement at slow speeds.

I also like the Lion Chief camelback, but I am not yet completely sold on Lion Chief (or LC+) and their separate remotes, still clinging to something that will work with my DCS or Legacy remotes. I may be persuaded someday, I am continually warming to the LC(+) stuff?

Guns,

   I was going to replace the logs that came with the Skeleton Cars then I found a way to make them look real cool, with a colored felt tip, came out pretty darn nice

PCRR/Dave

RJR,

   Man I would get the Big Blue OX and everything if I purchase the Bunyan Shay, and I am still looking for a P2 or legacy Camel Back to add to the logging Trains also, I want a Lionel  Legacy or MTH P2/P3 Camel back big time.  I can understand your waiting, I am doing the exact same thing!  The Legacy Shay however, you definitely want to add as your 1st Steamer, nothing comes close to watching all those incredible Gears moving down the tracks.  As you know I am big time into Tin Plate Trains, but this Legacy Shay fits right in with the Tin, it's that great of a Legacy Engine.

PCRR/Dave

Guns & RJR,

   Ofcourse then we also have something nobody else quite has, at the front of our Legacy Shay logging train.  The American Flyer Mini Logging Crane - A one of a kind Mini Crane, made back in the 50's by one of our local Masonic O Gauge hobbyists, who now runs his Trains on the Supreme Architects Ultimate Layout. Proud to say I purchased it from David, the owner of Bill & Walt's Hobby Shop, when the Gentlemen's wife wanted it to go to a good home, where it would be use every year.   I am honored sir to run your treasured Mini Crane on my Christmas layout each year.  Sometimes as the Front work Car on our Masonic Train also.

PCRR/Dave

Dave,

The 2 truck Legacy Shay is also one of my favorites. The little crane makes an excellent addition to your neat-looking logging train.

Jim

I run a slightly longer reach crane.

Guns,

   John that is a cool looking large boom Burro Crane also, might be a little hard to get her up the mountains thru the trees however!  Got to find the Woodside Cabin Caboose that goes with the WAG/Meadow River Legacy Logging Train, it was not with the rest of the WAG Train cars, when I got them out.  

Jim P you know of course you were the Mad Man who started me building the WAG Logging Train just after I saw your incredible logging Train here long ago, right on the OGR.  I credit you with my addiction and spending all this Legacy money, my wife has threatened to put a bounty on your head.   Once I saw your Shay, which I did not even know they made at the time, and your great Skeleton log cars, I was hooked for good.  One of the other members took pity on me and sold me some real nice K-Line Skeleton Cars then I added my original Lionel Burro Crane Car from the early 50's, the older lady was looking for a home for her husband's  special made mini AF Crane Car, and I am still investing in logging rail cars even today, the Weaver WAG Box Cars are this years addition, however the incredible Atlas Premier Steam Era WAG Box Cars have them beat badly, their detail and paint/lettering is just amazing.   Every time I see that picture of your Shay coming thru the Hells Gate Bridge, I want to run out and purchase one just like it.  You did notice we have the exact same Legacy Shay!   Thanks for a great addiction buddy!

Jim P, IMO if a guy has no Steam Engines, this is the one to definitely invest in, I put it on Par with my Tin Plate 263E, the best stuff there is.

PCRR/Dave 

Dave,

Sorry for being such a "bad" influence!!!

When putting together a logging train with those skeleton cars, the more the better, which, I guess, our spouses just can't understand. I've tried making comparisons with things she has in multiple, but not too successfully.

Unfortunately, my addiction has since been re-directed toward ore cars. They are really short so I need even more for the proper effect.

Jim

Not knowing anything about shays (other than I like watching the linkage move), is the 2 truck shay the preferred type to have? Looks like most of these are 2 truck? If so why do you prefer that over a 3 or 4 truck? Or is it maximum curve diameter? 

I am pretty sure the one at my LHS that I have been admiring is a 3 truck, I know it's MTH Premier anyway and it's $$$. Guess I will have to examine it a little closer next week. Is the 3 truck a bad choice?

I also have a three-truck Shay, it's the TMCC version.  There is no "preferred version", I just happened onto these at a good price.  I got the Legacy one at a steal at $300, I couldn't pass it up.

Guns,

   John I think you sent me into shock one time before by telling this story about the $300.00 Shay.   Please find me a Paul Bunyan Shay, for $300.00 will ya.

PCRR/Dave

Believe it or not, it was on eBay.  It came without the box, but I didn't really care for that price!   The listing mentioned a problem with the smoke unit, but when I got it, the smoke unit worked just fine, and has continued to do so.  The only issue I had was the chip LED in the headlight was loose and pointing in the wrong direction.  A quick trip to the bench and that was all fixed.  I'm quite pleased with that find.

Find two of them, at that price I would take one as well. Go ahead with PCRR's, but please wait a year or so before finding mine, my train budget is on life support, I still have a few pre-orders coming, I just ordered an MTH wifi unit and...  

GRJ,

Does your Weyerhaeuser 3 truck shay have the round logo on both sides of the coal bunker?

Mine came with the logo only on one side of the bunker, Henry at Eugene Toy and Hobby(an Excellent service tech) told me that some came with one logo and some had them on both sides, but had no idea why.

Doug

They managed to put it on both sides.

Guns,

   John I would actually like to own the 3 truck WH Shay also, a very cool TMCC Engine, run under Legacy it would probably be a super great engine.

PCRR/Dave

I'm going to add Cruise and the Super-Chuffer to it, that will make it right.

Guns,

   John that sounds like a fantastic upgrade, it will be absolutely right then!

PCRR/Dave

     PCRR\Dave I have a Lionel 3 pack of Western Maryland log cars that I bought to go with my Shay but I was told by a forum member that the 6-26713 were packaged wrong. I do not remember what name he said is on the cars may be West Side Lumber I don't know? I paid $200.00 + shipping if you are interested I would like to get $200.00 for them and I will deliver them to you. Choo Choo Kenny 

CC Kenny,

   I have absolutely no Western MD rolling stock, they would not go with my WAG Logging Train, looking for another set of the Black or Red K-Line Skeleton Log Cars, holding multi logs chained down with no ident on them, so I can affix the WAG ident on the Skeleton Cars.  Thanks for the offer however, I appreciate it.

PCRR/Dave

The K-Line Skeleton Log Car set I am looking to acquire.