Model Railroading > Broadway Limited HO scale Shay

I saw Factory Direct Trains make a post about these last night and I'm surprised I haven't heard anything from anyone else! Broadway Limited is apparently making 4 truck shays in HO scale. Road names range from C&O, N&W, Western Maryland, Southern, a couple different logging railroads and undecorated.

These engines will be offered in Paragon 4 and stealth (DCC ready).

Quite the surprise, but I'm not complaining! I'm wondering how they'll compare to the Bachmann shays in performance.

https://www.broadway-limited.com/paragon4classd4-truckshay.aspx

Anything has got to be better then the Bachmann Shay performance! Nothing like making a total dud of a drivetrain, and then not supporting it.

sixaxlecentury Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Anything has got to be better then the Bachmann
> Shay performance! Nothing like making a total dud
> of a drivetrain, and then not supporting it.

Not that the old Model Die Casting, aka Roundhouse, shay was much better.
NWSL made more then a few dollars selling replacement metal gears for both of these models.

What railroads actually had 8-truck Shays? WM is the only one I know off. But then BLI has often gone the way of "Toy Trains" in HO. 

By 8 truck Shays I assume you mean 4 truck?

Shaylocomotives.com shows Lima built 20 4-truck models, 2 100-ton models and the rest 150-ton.  A quick check of that website plus the Shay book indicates all of the models BLI lists match prototypes, though the Mower 12 was a 3-truck Shay rebuilt to a 4-truck model by a previous owner in 1933 (c/n 3156) and as such was not originally built as a 4-trucker and is not included in the 20 referenced above.  

Attached photo is the Red River Lumber #300 in Westwood, California, on 30 July 1936, photo either by or from the collection of one L. Harrison.  BLI is making this locomotive in two versions, both for Red River and then also as the Carolina & Northwestern 300. 

I would argue somewhat the point that Bachmann didn't stand behind their Shay, for a long time they did offer replacement side frames with both plastic and metal gears once the problems with the original gears became apparent. 

These should be interesting models. 

Jeff Moore
Elko, NV



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/27/23 19:54 by JDLX.

---

To more fully answer the "what railroads had 4-truck Shays" question, here is the roster information of the 21 four-truck models distilled from the Shay Locomotives website, the 20 Lima built new and the three truck rebuilt to a four truck at Cass.  I did not do any further research of studying to see if there are any other four truck models rebuilt from three truckers out there.  Those with an * next to the c/n are ones BLI is producing, some of these are getting more than one model produced of the same machine. 

100 ton:
 
c/n 673- Built 1902 as El Paso & Northeastern #105, Alamogordo, NM; El Paso & Southwestern RR #100; F. C. Mexicano (Mexican Railway) #101, Veracruz, Mexico; Mexican Central Railway #105, Veracruz, Mexico.  Scrapped 1923.
 
c/n 2700- Built 1902 as Hassinger Lumber #4, Konnarock, VA; to Bemis Lumber Company (Graham County RR) #4, Robbinsville, NC.  Wrecked 1929 and used as a stationary boiler at the mill until scrapped 1947.
 
150 ton:
 
*c/n 785- Built 1903 as Chesapeake & Ohio #7.  Retired 1923 and subsequently scrapped.
 
c/n 1586- Built 1906 as Chesapeake & Ohio #6.  To West Virginia Pulp & Paper (Greenbrier, Cheat & Elk Railroad) #13, Cass, WV; Retired 1942 and sold to Mower Lumber #13, but apparently never used by them.  Scrapped circa 1957.
 
*c/n 1609- Built 1906 as West Virginia Central & Pittsburg Railway #900; to Western Maryland #900 (named Maud); to Mexico North Western Railway, Madera, Mexico.  Scrapped. 
 
c/n 1676- Built 1906 as Chesapeake & Ohio #5.  Retired 1923 and subsequently scrapped.
 
c/n 1718- Built 1906 as Chesapeake & Ohio #4.  Retired 1923 and subsequently scrapped.
 
*c/n 1719- Built 1906 as Chesapeake & Ohio #3.  Retired 1923 and subsequently scrapped.
 
c/n 1720- Built 1906 as Chesapeake & Ohio #2.  Retired 1923 and subsequently scrapped.
 
*c/n 1840- Built 1907 as Carolina & Northwestern #300; to Virginia and Southeastern Railway; to Georgia Car & Locomotive Company; to Red River Lumber #300.  Scrapped 1937.
 
*c/n 1874- Built 1907 as Southern Railway #4000; to Chesapeake & Ohio #14.  Scrapped 1944.
 
*c/n 1875- Built 1907 as Southern Railway #4001; to Chesapeake & Ohio #15.  Scrapped 1944.
 
*c/n 1893- Built 1907 as Norfolk & Western #56, later renumbered #156; to Birmingham Rail & Locomotive; to Phelps-Dodge Corp #99, used on El Paso & Southwestern Railroad; to W. Brown Locomotive & Supply; to United Commercial Company; to Red River Lumber Company #99 1920.  Scrapped 1934.
 
c/n 1932- Built 1907 as Chesapeake & Ohio #1.  Retired 1923 and subsequently scrapped.
 
*c/n 1933- Built 1907 as Chesapeake & Ohio #8.  Retired 1923 and subsequently scrapped.
 
c/n 1934- Built 1908 as Chesapeake & Ohio #9.  Retired 1923 and subsequently scrapped.
 
c/n 2247- Built 1910 as Chesapeake & Ohio #10.  Retired 1923 and subsequently scrapped.
 
*c/n 2248- Built 1910 as Chesapeake & Ohio #11.  Sold 1923 to West Virginia Pulp & Paper (Greenbrier, Cheat & Elk Railroad) #14; to Western Maryland #5; Stored after 1950 and scrapped 1954.
 
c/n 2408- Built 1911 as Chesapeake & Ohio #12.  Retired 1923 and subsequently scrapped.
 
c/n 2409- Built 1911 as Chesapeake & Ohio #13.  Retired 1923 and subsequently scrapped.
 
3-Truck Shay rebuilt to 4-truck:
 
*c/n 3156- Built 1921 for West Virginia Pulp & Paper (Greenbrier, Cheat & Elk Railroad) #12; Converted to 4-truck in 1933 in Cass shops; to Mower Lumber #12; Wrecked 2 December 1942.  Stored at Cass and available for sale until scrapped circa 1956.

Jeff Moore
Elko, NV