# Accucraft Shays and Climax



## GUNCAPTAIN2463 (Jun 22, 2011)

HELLO TO ONE AND ALL: First I would like to thank everyone who help me with my railroad name and logo. Stan the man Cedarleaf hooked me up and I ordered some decals
The name of my railroad: *"BOG N' BAY RAILWAY". *I'll post the logo as soon as I can figure out how to do that.
My question: Does anyone have experience with the Accucraft Shays or Climax? What are the pros and cons of these units and what are the favorites and why?

all the best :
Kevin


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## Dwight Ennis (Jan 2, 2008)

I own one of the original run of the two-cylinder Shay - Mich Cal #2 - and the three-cylinder Shay - Mich Cal #5. Both ran great right out of the box, and still run great (though it's been a while since I ran either). My favorite of the two is Mich Cal #2. While earlier and less detailed than #5, it gives a good long run. #5 is a water hog and needs water every 5 minutes or so (if memory serves). Even with a Goodall valve, it still needs to be stopped and the water replenished too often for my taste. 

I seem to remember it being said that #2 now uses different gearing than it did when I bought mine. Not sure if this is true, and if it is, how it affects performance and running speeds. 

I have no experience with the Climax.


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## gearedsoft (Jun 20, 2009)

I own and run the both shay's and the climax. Both shay's are of the first run. 

They all run great. And can be run at a slow pace.

The shay's 

The only drawback is the spit and . Once every few minutes oil is burned in the smokebox with a loud spit.

Both run a long time without refeuling or adding water. They can pull a very heavy load. 

When testing them I have run them with more 14 disconnects, 14 marklin freight and 5 marklin passenger coaches and every thing else I could add.

The Climax is the best runner of the three. It make's a good bark, no spit and you can't hear the burner.

http://youtu.be/j2fv-kkgZtk 

and

http://youtu.be/KBI6fBy73TI


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## weaverc (Jan 2, 2008)

I have a first run Mich Cal Shay that is my best and most reliable runner. I got rid of the spitting by installing one of Bruce Gathman's Spitinators, which has worked as advertised. The Mich Cal lends itself easily to modifications, which I have done by replacing the cab with a wooden one, adding reversable working headlights, removing the oil tank and adding a wood bunker, replacing the original smoke stack with a diamond, woodburning stack and finally adding a Regner whistle. The shay is a good puller at realisticly slow speeds on hilly or uneven tracks, just like the real ones. Finally, with the fuel tank in the cab, it stays warm making the shay a good runner in cold weather. I recommend a two-cylinder shay. Here it is before I converted it to a wood burner:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvqXHeJjXw0 
The photo below shows most of the conversions.


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## Charles M (Jan 2, 2008)

I have the 2 cylinder Shay and it is a great little model. I have just seen the new version of the same model. They have nade some great improvements to it . Water Glass, adjustable lubricator , new round gas tank , air colllar adjustment on the burner. The cab roof hinges over the left side of the cab. Smaller smokebox opening door with insulation on it, and the smokebox appears to have a liner in it. No more burnt paint. The owner said it doesn't pop or spit when running , so they seem to have fixed that too. 

I have had the pleasure of working on and running 2 of the Accucraft 3 cylinder Shays. They both are fine models, but as Dwight says , they are water hogs. Both had rather short run times before running out of gas 18-20 minutes. 

I also had to do repairs to a new Cliimax too. Basically frozen up from the factory . Nothing would turn. After 10 hours of work I had it freed up and running. An OK model , but didn't seem to have alot of power compared to the Shay models. The crossbox underneath uses a lot of the available power up , not very effective in getting power to the wheels. There are threads about this model posted here . 

Charles M SA#74


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## GUNCAPTAIN2463 (Jun 22, 2011)

THANK YOU!! Everyones insight into the world of shays and climax has helped alot. At the moment Accucraft only has the 2 cylinder 13 ton open cab shay available. 
The Mich #2 are sold out. I guess that will give me more time to think about one. Has anyone converted one to R/C? What do you think about the open cab version? I may wait anyway because I would like to see what other new models from accucraft and roundhouse come out this year. Accucraft UK has some interesting units and Roundhouse won't announce till April. Plus, I have a Regner Konrad, and have been looking at some of their engines (these are very hard to get, as Train Dept. no longer answers the phone or emails. And Reynauld's has had some trouble getting Regner stuff, with long lead times) 

All the best: 

Kevin


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## Dwight Ennis (Jan 2, 2008)

Yeah, I converted my Mich Cal #2 to R/C many years ago. Reversing servo mounts in the oil bunker with the control rod to the Johnson bar through the hole in the front of the bunker that Accucraft thoughtfully supplied for that purpose. I mounted the throttle servo under the cab floor between the frame members and drilled a hole through the floor for the control rod to connect to the throttle. Battery pack and Rx in the water bunker. Pretty simple really.


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## maxi-model (Jan 17, 2011)

Hello, I have been lurking around here for a while. This is my first post. 

I got a Mich Cal #5 Shay this summer. It's the only loco I can run on my inclined railroad without R/C, that's why I got it. It's my lazy days loco.A little video of it running on my line -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jSBFYaCcGM 

Agree mostly with the above. However, I think longer runs without refilling should be achievable with growing experience and the latest production mod's. 

IMPORTANT NOTES ON MOD'S - The latest #5 Mich Cal Shay has it's gas tank in the oil bunker not cab. But they have not altered the manual to show this and the other mod's I note here ! The gas tank can now be immersed in warm water, in the bunker, like the bigger Accucraft tender loco's. A UK service agent fitted a bleed syphon off the boiler to warm this water and keep the gas pressure constant. 

There is now a hand pump in the bunker that allows you to refill mid-run from here. No need for Goodall valves anymore. If you have the syphon mod' noted above it takes a shorter time to get back up to full pressure when you refill with warm water. 

Also, check the grade of steam oil you use, the really thick stuff that is sometimes sold by some specilist retailers can gunk up the works on these locos and result in a trip to the ultasonics bath for some vital compnents to clear the system (don't ask my why I know). There is also a steam oil flow control valve, that can be mistaken for a blow-down valve, that is not noted on the manual - don't forget to open it. I asked the vital question - "what's this little wheel for" - before running first time, it could have been expensive.

If you are running on flexi-tack, with a radius set anywhere near 4ft min', check that it's a nice even curve that is not reducing further at point(s). I noted (see the 26 sec mark on the video) that the wheels on the power trucks can bind up on the rails if things are marginal. Liffting the rails and a quick run thorugh my GRS rail bender fixed the problem. And yes, I did check that the back to backs on the wheels were ok first.

Having said all that I love this loco to bits. You will have to prise it out of my cold dead hands to get me to part with it.

Max.


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## Dan Pantages (Jan 2, 2008)

Art Knapp's has closed cab shays in stock.


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## Kovacjr (Jan 2, 2008)

I have a Aster Climax available. PM me and look at the photos on Ebay item 330687233968


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## Dan Pantages (Jan 2, 2008)

I received this from a friend in the UK. 

David Bailey makes a double-capacity gas tank that really helps with the short run times that many users get. It is - 
a. Right up agin the boiler and therefor gets warm quickly and stays that way - resulting in runs of over 40 minutes. 
b. An adjustable feed lubricator with a fine control valve - 1/2 to 3/4 turn and you're good to go. 
c. Fitting a Goodall valve is a must. 
d. Some models, like mine, do not have the air control collar - I'm working on it, but what it really needs is a re-design of the old poker burner - there are MUCH better items out there, I'm sure, just not for the Shays.


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## Ray Cadd (Dec 30, 2008)

Posted By weaverc on 11 Feb 2012 07:14 AM 
I have a first run Mich Cal Shay that is my best and most reliable runner. I got rid of the spitting by installing one of Bruce Gathman's Spitinators, which has worked as advertised. The Mich Cal lends itself easily to modifications, which I have done by replacing the cab with a wooden one, adding reversable working headlights, removing the oil tank and adding a wood bunker, replacing the original smoke stack with a diamond, woodburning stack and finally adding a Regner whistle. The shay is a good puller at realisticly slow speeds on hilly or uneven tracks, just like the real ones. Finally, with the fuel tank in the cab, it stays warm making the shay a good runner in cold weather. I recommend a two-cylinder shay. Here it is before I converted it to a wood burner:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvqXHeJjXw0 
The photo below shows most of the conversions. 



Who did you get your cab from, or is it your own design?


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## maxi-model (Jan 17, 2011)

From what I see here Kevin you are going to have to take carefull note when buying new/used as there appear to be significant variations, that will affect operation and possible need for mod's, between batches of these Shays. It seems a lot of the issues with earlier build models have been taken care of on the later builds. As I noted Accucraft seemed to have ommitted to update the manual, at least on the #5, though! Perhaps drop a line to the ever helpfull Cliff at Accucraft's H.O. for the full low down. As I said I would not swap my #5 for anything else. 
Max.


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## seadawg (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Ray Cadd on 14 Feb 2012 02:04 PM 
Posted By weaverc on 11 Feb 2012 07:14 AM 
I have a first run Mich Cal Shay that is my best and most reliable runner. I got rid of the spitting by installing one of Bruce Gathman's Spitinators, which has worked as advertised. The Mich Cal lends itself easily to modifications, which I have done by replacing the cab with a wooden one, adding reversable working headlights, removing the oil tank and adding a wood bunker, replacing the original smoke stack with a diamond, woodburning stack and finally adding a Regner whistle. The shay is a good puller at realisticly slow speeds on hilly or uneven tracks, just like the real ones. Finally, with the fuel tank in the cab, it stays warm making the shay a good runner in cold weather. I recommend a two-cylinder shay. Here it is before I converted it to a wood burner:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvqXHeJjXw0 
The photo below shows most of the conversions. 



Who did you get your cab from, or is it your own design? 
I figured J would have answered by now, but since he hasn't, I can pipe up a little 'cause I have one for my climax. I believe it is his design worked out with Doug(?) Bronson. They are offered for sale on his website http://www.bronson-tate.com/kits/live-steam/index.shtml They are really nice kits, well documented and go together quite nice. Be sure to check out the rolling stock section.


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## weaverc (Jan 2, 2008)

Dave and Ray,
The wooden cab on my shay was one once offered many years ago by Tory Krutzke, but he no longer makes them. It was an easy to build, well fitting kit. I modified it with a roof vent to make a bump to clear the height of the Goodall Valve quick disconnect nozzle.


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## Kovacjr (Jan 2, 2008)

I think Doug has designed a kit for the shay but I dont see on the site. Maybe shoot him an email. www.bronson-tate.com


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## GUNCAPTAIN2463 (Jun 22, 2011)

*HELLO EVERYONE: Thanks* *for all the input. Still undesided if I get the shay it will be the 2 cylinder and a newer one. Got my logos from Stan, will start putting them on soon. The wood cabs I got for the Forney and Caradoc are from Bronson Tate (very nice work, I will have to do some modificationson the cab and the caradoc, but that will be fun). The Forney is almost read for the cab install. I figure to mount the r/c servo for the shift lever and the throttle in the fuel bunker and the receiver under the floor or inside cab. Have an inclosed box for the batteries that will mount on back of the fuel bunker (its black so will blend in). For the Caradoc with original or new cab will mount the shifter servo forward of the shift lever in the cab and the throttle servos and receiver in the provided box under the cab floor (drill hole for control lever). Batteries for that will go in the Tender I expect to add (from Roundhouse).*
*Any suggestions to the proposed r/c conversions listed above will be of great value.* 
*KEVIN*


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