# An Elderly loco, still steaming.



## grumpfuttock (Jan 2, 2008)

I haven't posted to the forum in a while, but I thought I would just share a pic of this rare??? loco with you all. It is one of Tom Coopers Steamlines Shay belonging to a friend of mine from Germany who visited us a couple of weeks ago. The loco ran quite well, except for one time when one of the drive shafts broke. Luckily we managed to get it repaired and the loco running again. The visit made a good excuse for me to steam up my S/H Regner Lumber Jack, which arrived in the post the day before " border=0> 








Steamlines Shay.


----------



## HMeinhold (Jan 2, 2008)

Hi John, 
it is really refreshing to see a loco other than a "Kaster" on a layout with real ballast and buildings...Very nice! 
Regards


----------



## tacfoley (Jan 3, 2008)

Dear Mr Futtock - do you have a view of the interesting side of this unusual loco? 

I have NEVER seen one here in yUK, and I see a lot of models around the shows. 

Best 

tac


----------



## Taperpin (Jan 6, 2008)

Tac , 
There are a couple here in Oz,,the engine is Toms 2 cylinder oscillator in aframe hung in normal Shay location, the trucks where aproblem fold ups from etches , not robust enough..and some had aoil injection system into the smokebox to produce monster clouds of smoke[white oiltype] but owners mostly remover the oil system very quickly!the still runningones have mostly been rebuilt with other trucks .. 

Gordon.


----------



## Pauli (Jan 3, 2008)

Hello Taperpin, 

Could you tell me a little more about the oil-injection scheme?!? What kind of oil is used? Exactly how / where is the oil injected? into a small cup or a tube or??? 


I actually did one or two unsuccessful experiments myself a few years back ;-)


----------



## grumpfuttock (Jan 2, 2008)

Dear Mr Foley, Sir, 
You are in luck, I do happen to have 1 photo of the "interesting side" featuring an Osmotor. Sorry the photo is slightly blurred. It was taken just before the drive shaft broke... thus verifying Gordon's comment about the problems experienced by owners. I had never seen one "in the flesh" before Sven bought it on Ebay a few years ago. I do have an original boiler for a Steamlines Shay though, which I bought from Michael Woodward, many years ago. 

To Pauli: 
I think the smoke unit used smoke oil, which was probably something akin to the smoke oil used for discotheque smoke generators. I can remember hearing tales of copious amounts of smoke being produced. The smoke unit on Sven's loco that Gordon referred to, has been disabled and a couple of parts removed, so unfortunately we are not sure how it functioned. 

To Henner: 
Thank you for the compliment. The railway has quite a way to go before it can qualify as "landscaped" and oozing with atmosphere. It is still very much under construction. A 3 minute video trip of the line at it's present length (approx 90 yards) can be seen here, if you are interested. Unfortunately some of the buildings were still in storage when the video was recorded. 
http://s235.photobucket.com/albums/ee278/grumpfuttock/?action=view&current=Lyn-June2008_00029mb.flv 
And for Tac 
The Interesting side"


----------



## HMeinhold (Jan 2, 2008)

John, 
I watched the video clip and the layout already looks fantastic! I must admit, I prefer steam engines in their natural habitat to the somehow sterile "test tracks on stilts", which seem to be become main stream these days. 
Regards


----------



## shaysteam05 (Jul 19, 2008)

Without wanting to start another fracas as experienced among the 4-4-0 fraternity, I also enjoy seeing a steamer wending its way on tracks in roadbed and thru foliage, but now at my age(88), I can no longer bend over or squat to handle a loco at ground level, so waist high tracks are a godsend! 
Regards, Alex


----------



## grumpfuttock (Jan 2, 2008)

Well, I am now 58, with a badly damaged knee over the past 3 years, so ground level tracks are not really suitable for me anymore. Luckily I was thinking of how things might be when I got older, when I started building this layout in 2004. Luckily our garden slopes, and I am glad I took advantage of this and built Welton station at the bottom of the slope, thus bringing the height of the station area, steam raising sidings and future goods yard approx. 3ft feet above ground level. Although I must say the stone wall surrounding Welton station area on 3 sides is a job I would never want to do again. One year later after an accident, the wisdom of the raised station area was brought home to me. 

The track is really only at absolute ground level where it crosses the lawn at Welton Junction and behind the trees in that area. Puffin Bay station is also raised off the ground 1½ to 2 ft, and hopefully if all goes well, the future Tumbly Down station area will also be approx waist height. Most of the ground level work done on the railway, and weeding, since my knee was damaged is done sitting on the ground ! I am in the process of changing the ballast from granite chippings (some of which are slightly larger than the original chippings, which are no longer available) to powdered granite (I think you call it fines in the US), which I find looks very pleasing once it has been rained on a few times. As you probaly know, fines go quite hard and are nearly as good as setting track in cement, but easy to remove. Hopefully the change of ballst will prevent leaves and debris from accumulating in the track bed, as was the case with the chippings. In the parts of the layout where I have tried "fines" it seems to be very easy to maintain" border=0> 

I must admit I had never been a big fan of elevated track, until I visited a garden railway in Massachusetts, it certainly makes running live steam loco's easier, and has the advantage of giving a totally different view of the trains and easy operation of non R/C loco's. I have also seen photo's of some elevated track with buildings, vegetation and a good deal of railway atmosphere. My only fear with elevated track would be a derailment at such a height ! Ouch /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/shocked.gif" border=0> 
Wood or any other construction materials cost an absolute fortune here, so for me it is not an viable option. 

Henner:- I have seen a video on YouTube in which one of your loco's was running, it was taken at Richard and Melinda's, now that looks to be a superb railroad !! If mine got to be half as good I'd be a happy man ! 

I am glad the link to the video worked, for some strange reason, everytime I submitted the reply, the URL changed some parts just disappeared and I could not get it to work from the forum.


----------



## HMeinhold (Jan 2, 2008)

John, 
Richard & Melinda's layout is indeed absolutely superb! Richard managed to combine both worlds: The steaming area is at about waist height, the rest of the layout between this height and ground level. There are lots of interesting views from train level and from the track side. Large radii can accommodate even large locomotives. BTW, Richard & Melinda were today at my house helping me (this is an understatement - they did most of the work!) with my layout. But this is another story... 
Alex, 
you are of course exempt from running steamers at ground level /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/blush.gif" border=0> 
Have fun! 
Regards


----------

