Building the 2.5" Scale Shay

Where users can chronicle their builds. Start one thread and continue to add on to it.

Moderator: Harold_V

Soot n' Cinders
Posts: 983
Joined: Wed Jun 27, 2012 5:24 pm
Location: Marietta, Georgia

Re: Building the 2.5" Scale Shay

Post by Soot n' Cinders »

They probably won't. And I'm sure the line between the turret throttle and backhead throttle is blurred as well so there may have been a 20 tonner with a backhead throttle. Lima wasn't always too consistent with the shays and who knows what all was done to them once they got into the hands of the backwoods logging shops.
And that mug is out of scale haha. It and the cylinders shouldn't be on the tank deck anways.
-Tristan

Projects
-2.5" scale Class A 20 Ton Shay

Steam Siphon: https://www.shapeways.com/shops/leavitt ... tive-works
jcbrock
Posts: 511
Joined: Tue May 22, 2012 7:50 pm
Location: Oregon

Re: Building the 2.5" Scale Shay

Post by jcbrock »

I did a backhead throttle too, so at least if we are wrong we are consistent...except for Brian!
John Brock
Soot n' Cinders
Posts: 983
Joined: Wed Jun 27, 2012 5:24 pm
Location: Marietta, Georgia

Re: Building the 2.5" Scale Shay

Post by Soot n' Cinders »

This is true haha. But like I said, there's no telling if the turret throttle was the case for all of the 20 tonners. There's enough variance in what rolled out of Lima to give freelancers a lot of room to play
-Tristan

Projects
-2.5" scale Class A 20 Ton Shay

Steam Siphon: https://www.shapeways.com/shops/leavitt ... tive-works
User avatar
Fender
Posts: 3084
Joined: Wed May 02, 2007 8:33 pm
Location: Chattanooga TN

Re: Building the 2.5" Scale Shay

Post by Fender »

Soot n' Cinders wrote:Its done! Front flue sheet is in and flues are rolled! Ready for a hydro test now, and Im sure my flues will weep a little as I didnt roll them very tight to start
Tristan, did you drill or ream the holes for the tubes? Did you make them on-size, or oversize?
Dan Watson
Chattanooga, TN
Soot n' Cinders
Posts: 983
Joined: Wed Jun 27, 2012 5:24 pm
Location: Marietta, Georgia

Re: Building the 2.5" Scale Shay

Post by Soot n' Cinders »

Fender wrote:
Soot n' Cinders wrote:Its done! Front flue sheet is in and flues are rolled! Ready for a hydro test now, and Im sure my flues will weep a little as I didnt roll them very tight to start
Tristan, did you drill or ream the holes for the tubes? Did you make them on-size, or oversize?
The flue holes were water jet cut under size by about 0.01" and then reamed out for a snug slip fit against the flues, so they came out probably 0.005" oversized for clearance and the copper pipe I got was about 2 thou oversized
-Tristan

Projects
-2.5" scale Class A 20 Ton Shay

Steam Siphon: https://www.shapeways.com/shops/leavitt ... tive-works
Pontiacguy1
Posts: 1566
Joined: Thu Apr 26, 2012 10:15 am
Location: Tennessee, USA

Re: Building the 2.5" Scale Shay

Post by Pontiacguy1 »

I always re-ream my front tube sheets after welding if possible. You'll end up getting distortion and some splatter in the tube holes in both front and rear. I also use a small flap-wheel or a piece of stock with a slit in it and some emory cloth wrapped around it to sand the holes out and make them nice and smooth. It also helps to make them a few thou oversize, which you want. You don't want to get a tube about half-way in place and then have it get stuck! I always anneal the ends of each tube. I've heard several say that you don't have to do that if you are rolling them, but I think it makes them roll easier and seat better. I also lightly sand the OD of the tube to remove any scale. I then roll them, and your tube roller should be able to take care of any size differences that you might have. It's especially important that the front tube sheet be slightly larger so that you can get the tubes physically in position.
jlakes85
Posts: 228
Joined: Thu Feb 23, 2012 6:07 am

Re: Building the 2.5" Scale Shay

Post by jlakes85 »

Hi Tristan,

Did you have to do any mechanical running-in on the lathe of the completed engine before it was broken in enough to run successfully on air?

Regards,

John
Soot n' Cinders
Posts: 983
Joined: Wed Jun 27, 2012 5:24 pm
Location: Marietta, Georgia

Re: Building the 2.5" Scale Shay

Post by Soot n' Cinders »

jlakes85 wrote:Hi Tristan,

Did you have to do any mechanical running-in on the lathe of the completed engine before it was broken in enough to run successfully on air?

Regards,

John
John, I did not run it in on the lathe. Since I had the trucks and driveshafts done before the cylinders, I ran things in by dragging the chassis around the railroad. I used kerosene to clean and lube the bearings during the process, and every couple hundred feet of running I would stop and disassemble the bearings to clean them. When I was happy with how they'd broke in, I cleaned them thoroughly and put some 85W-140 gear oil in them.

Tristan
-Tristan

Projects
-2.5" scale Class A 20 Ton Shay

Steam Siphon: https://www.shapeways.com/shops/leavitt ... tive-works
Soot n' Cinders
Posts: 983
Joined: Wed Jun 27, 2012 5:24 pm
Location: Marietta, Georgia

Re: Building the 2.5" Scale Shay

Post by Soot n' Cinders »

Got the throttle lever made up and working on the quadrant now. Following Jack Bodenman's instructions on making it all but using more of a saw tooth profile on the quadrant so the throttle can be pushed closed without having to release the catch.
IMG_0270.JPG
-Tristan

Projects
-2.5" scale Class A 20 Ton Shay

Steam Siphon: https://www.shapeways.com/shops/leavitt ... tive-works
Soot n' Cinders
Posts: 983
Joined: Wed Jun 27, 2012 5:24 pm
Location: Marietta, Georgia

Re: Building the 2.5" Scale Shay

Post by Soot n' Cinders »

Got most of the work on the quadrant done today. Just need to drill and tap the hole for the throttle rod and finish the profiling on the other side of the arch.
IMG_0271.JPG
IMG_0272.JPG
-Tristan

Projects
-2.5" scale Class A 20 Ton Shay

Steam Siphon: https://www.shapeways.com/shops/leavitt ... tive-works
Soot n' Cinders
Posts: 983
Joined: Wed Jun 27, 2012 5:24 pm
Location: Marietta, Georgia

Re: Building the 2.5" Scale Shay

Post by Soot n' Cinders »

Got the quadrant finished and mounted to the throttle rod. Still need the anchor point and the latch to complete the lever. So far it seems to have a nice smooth motion, but the globe valve does leak a little so I guess it needs lapping. Or just not worry about a little leak, not like thats an uncommon problem!
IMG_0273.JPG
-Tristan

Projects
-2.5" scale Class A 20 Ton Shay

Steam Siphon: https://www.shapeways.com/shops/leavitt ... tive-works
05hwy28
Posts: 20
Joined: Sat May 31, 2014 12:59 am
Location: NW Oregon

Re: Building the 2.5" Scale Shay

Post by 05hwy28 »

Hi Tristan,

We are going with a backhead throttle as well! 8)

Where did you get your pipe for the steam dome and what size / schedule? I am having a hard time finding XXH that is on the prints for a flange; short of spending a day and calling all over town. We are planning on using some 1/2" 516-70 plate for a flat dome cover like you did and just go with a solid piece of pipe also like you did, so I am not sure if we need to go with XXH since that was needed for the flange.

-Mike
Post Reply