1:20.3 Scale Buffalo Shay

[finescalerr]

My friends at MoLoCo (info@moloco.biz), Allen Pollock, Rich Schiffman, and Jim Barron, often visit this forum and thought we might find their newest brass import of interest, a 1:20.3 scale model of the Buffalo Shay.

Allen writes, "This project turned out to be a bit trickier than previous locomotive projects because so little is known or documented. I talked to Doug Bronson in Kansas City because he was working on a 1:20 live steam version of the Buffalo, and with Jon Cagle in Florida about his smaller scale version of c/n 117. Both were very generous with data they had accumulated and provided photos of their models.

"The real problem is that no one has found a photograph of the fireman's side. We studied photos of other Lima Shays from the 1880s and assumed typical practices the builder would have employed. The interpretations of Bronson and Cagle influenced our design.

"We determined the overall dimensions of the locomotive and hardware by using known dimensions from the builder's photos such as the wheel diameter and the boiler boot diameter. We extrapolated those dimensions onto the builder's photograph to estimate dimensions of the rest of the locomotive and its hardware. I then created a CAD drawing to fit everything together and provide the necessary clearances for an operating model.

"We compared a blowup of the builder's photo with our CAD drawing to determine if the overall appearance and hardware placement were accurate. Then we sent the photo, drawing, and a list of appropriate parts already on the market, to our builder in China."

Russ

[Chuck Doan]

Nice looking engine!

[billmart]

I saw the pilot model of this loco at the recent National Narrow Gauge Convention in Houston, Texas.  It is BEAUTIFUL.

Bill Martinsen

[Ray Dunakin]

Beautiful! I really like the small Shays.