Description

Shay locomotives were geared Steam locomotives that were designed and built by the Lima Locomotive Works in Lima, Ohio. They were a popular type of geared locomotive used primarily for logging and industrial applications during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Class D Shay locomotives were an improved version of the earlier Class C Shay locomotives, featuring several design enhancements.

Class D Shays had three cylinders and four trucks, and weight of 100 and 150 short tons. They were no more powerful than Class C, but had greater fuel and water capacity, resulting in improved adhesion.

The distinguishing feature of the Shay locomotives was their unique geared drivetrain, which allowed them to deliver high tractive effort and excellent pulling power on rough and steep terrain. This geared drive mechanism used a series of gears and drive shafts to transfer power from the steam engine to the wheels. The gears increased the torque available to the wheels, making them well-suited for hauling heavy loads and navigating challenging terrain. These locomotives were particularly popular in the logging industry, where their ability to negotiate tight curves and steep gradients made them ideal for hauling heavy timber out of rugged and remote areas. The Shay locomotives also found use in various other industries, such as mining, construction, and sugar plantations, where their reliability and power were valued.

They stand as a testament to the ingenuity and versatility of these remarkable steam locomotives that played a significant role in the industrial and transportation history of the United States.

In BLI’s first production run, they are offering several variations of the 150-ton Class D Shay locomotives. BLI offers locomotives in multiple road names and paint schemes. Each of the BLI models will be available with their newest Paragon4 Sound/DC/DCC sound system with smoke and integral GoPack capacitors. These models have die cast locomotive and tender bodies for maximum weight and tractive effort. See below for additional model features including the full list of individually controllable lights.

Industry-leading Model Features:

• ALL-NEW Paragon4 Sound & Control System
• Operating Smoke Unit
• Integral DCC Decoder with Back EMF for Industry Best Slow Speed Operation in DC and DCC
• Precision Drive Mechanism engineered for continuous heavy load towing and smooth slow speed operation
• 5-Pole Can Motor with Skew Wound Armature
• Heavy Die Cast Boiler, Tender Body, and Chassis for Increased Tractive Effort
• Premium Caliber Painting with Authentic Paint Schemes
• Prototypical Light Operation with Separately Controllable Headlight, Reverse Light, and Cab Light
• Factory-installed Engineer and Fireman Figures
• Many Separately Applied Details such as Handrails, Ladders, Conduit, Generators, Whistle, Horn, and Brass Bell
• Equipped with Rubber Traction Tires for Increased Pulling Power
• Recommended Minimum Radius: 22 inches
• Accurate Prototypical Sounds for a Shay Locomotive

Paragon4 Sound & Control System Features:

• Operates in DC & DCC with improved DC speed control (use DCMaster for DC Sound)
• Built-In capacitor pack to navigate imperfect track
• Capacitor Pack automatically disabled on program track for full compatibility with JMRI Decoder Pro
• Pro Lighting Mode offers individual control of all lights on model
• Switcher Mode for precise low speed control.
• Record & Play Operation – Records and plays back sounds and movements once or repeatedly for automatic operation
• High Resolution Audio
• Quillable Whistle for various whistle lengths and patterns
• Choice of 3 selectable Horns
• Alternate Whistle / Horn where applicable for locomotive with air horn and steam whistle – both the main whistle and alternate can be easily played
• Adjustable bell ringing interval for faster or slower bell
• Numerous user-mappable functions with available keys
• Johnson Bar Sound at Direction Change
• Multiple realistic passenger and crew sounds play on command
• Grade Crossing Automatic Signal
• Automatic Forward / Reverse Signal – When activated, stopping triggers and stop whistle toot. When moving forward from a stopped position, toots twice. When moving in reverse. toots three times.
• Chuff sound intensity varies with load
• Individually adjustable sound volumes for each effect
• EZ Reset Button for quick return to factory default settings

**Specifications on this page subject to change.