# Shay Oil Tank



## chrisb (Jan 3, 2008)

Coal burner 2 truck shay converted to burn oil. I'm scratch biulding fuel tank to place on top of the "tender". I would suspect that all kinds of tanks were used.
Should it extend down into the coal storage area?

Would they have had a filler and vent pipe similair to the modern fuel oil tank for a furnace?


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## up9018 (Jan 4, 2008)

The oil tank would have filled the entire coal bunker area. As far as a vent is concerned, i have seen them with, and without ones.


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## chrisb (Jan 3, 2008)

Thanks, this subject makes me wonder how they worked. Was there a burner lke in a furnace? If so what powered the burner, the generator? Seems like you would nave to start with a coal fire to get up the steam to run the generator to run the oil burner. Just curious.


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## RimfireJim (Mar 25, 2009)

The oil burner is gravity fed. You light-off with an oily rag or some wood, just enough to get things hot enough to get the oil to ignite.The problem is getting enough draft. You can use shop air or steam to run a blower. Lacking that, I'm not sure what you do.


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## weaverc (Jan 2, 2008)

I just removed the oil tank from my Accucrat MichCal, 2 truck, 2 cylinder Shay. I converted it to a wood burner by putting a log fence on top of the water tank where the oil tank used to be. I also changed the stack to a wood burning balloon type. My point is, if you want an oil tank, you can have mine. Email me if you want it.


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## David Buckingham (Jan 2, 2008)

Hi Chris 

I converted my Accucraft Mich Cal oil burner to coal by replacing the oil tank with a shortened Bachmann tender from a Shay. 

Looks good to me ( I was converting the Shay to three truck one of Don Nidays conversion kits} 

Old oil tank is now a flat car load 

Dave in the UK


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