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Model Forum / General / Railroads / July 2005Four-truck Shay
In the late 1980s I acquired a pristine brass Westside Model Company HOn3 four-truck Shay. The model is unpainted but according to the box it's a "Hassinger Lumber Company" locomotive. I'm familiar with a number of west coast logging companies and their railroads, both standard and narrow gauge, but I have never encountered the name Hassinger Lumber. Nor in all my reading about Shay locomotives have I ever seen reference to a four-truck locomotive in three-foot gauge. Standard gauge, yes, but not narrow gauge. Realizing that what I don't know about logging railroads and Shay locomotives far outweighs what I do know, I thought I'd pose these questions to the newsgroup in the hopes someone might know the answers. Was there an actual Hassinger Lumber Company and did they operate a three-foot gauge, four-truck Shay? Or did Westside Models simplpy create a narrow gauge version of what in reality was a standard gauge locomotive? Or-- even though the model is beautifully done-- is this a "fantasy" model, a model of a locomotive that could have existed but didn't? Thanks. C. Marin Faure Seattle, Washington (to reply remove Boeing jet from address) ______________ C. Marin Faure GB36-403 "La Perouse" Bellingham, Washington Hassinger did operate a four-truck shay http://www.steaminthewoods.com/Shay_4T_Unknown_75700_copy.jpg However, according to the site http://www.shaylocomotives.com, this was a standard gauge engine. Here's another picture of the engine in question: http://www.railimages.com/gallery/jerryhammond/aaw It sounds as if they made a narrow gauge version of a standard gauge engine. Michael Thank you all for the information on the Westside 4-truck Shay. Sounds like it's not such a great model after all even though it certainly looks nice in pristine brass. Since acquiring this model some time ago my modeling interests have shifted from narrow gauge logging to The Milwaukee Road electrified Cascade Division and standard gauge logging, which makes sense since all the logging railroads in Washington State were standard gauge. So I suspect my Hassinger Lumber 4-truck Shay (and other HOn3 logging locos) will remain a very nice looking wall decoration. Thanks again. (to reply remove Boeing jet from address) ______________ C. Marin Faure GB36-403 "La Perouse" Bellingham, Washington > In the late 1980s I acquired a pristine brass Westside Model Company HOn3 > four-truck Shay. The model is unpainted but according to the box it's a > "Hassinger Lumber Company" locomotive. I'm familiar with a number of west . . . > locomotive? Or-- even though the model is beautifully done-- is this a > "fantasy" model, a model of a locomotive that could have existed but > didn't? It is a fantasy model. They took their existing three truck shay and made a two truck tender for it. Bill Dixon When the prototype full sized railroad does it, it isn't a fantasy model. Earlier in the thread there is some good info on the loco, including a photo and a reference to a Shay website. The Hassinger Shay was the first 4 truch shay made. -- Why isn't there an Ozone Hole at the NORTH Pole? >> In the late 1980s I acquired a pristine brass Westside Model Company HOn3 >> four-truck Shay. The model is unpainted but according to the box it's a [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > > Bill Dixon The Hassenger #4 Shay is NOT fantasy, but the Westside mode *IS* fantasy. The real #4 was standard gauge, and was the smallest 4-truck Shay built, at about 124 tons. It was basically a stretched 90 ton Shay of the period. The front portion of the Samhongsa "Feather River" 3-truck Shay is VERY similar. What you suggest is nearly what Westside actually did. They took a bunch of their off the shelf narrow gauge 60-70 ton Shay parts and cobbled them up into a VERY poor representation of the Hassenger #4. Thus, overall, it's too small, the boiler is way too small in diameter, the engine is too small, the trucks are too small, etc. It's a fantasy, a BAD one, and a MESS! Add the Westside infamous 'kingpin' drive that torque-locks, and derails the Shay at the least provocation, the abominable gearing arrangement, and the unbelievable soft metal bevel gears, and there's not much even to salvage. I worked LONG and hard to turn this Westside monstrosity into a decent 4-truck Shay, and make it a lot more like the real #4. I still can't call it an accurate #4, but it looks decent, and now runs well. I started with the intention of just improving a few things, and the job got progressively out of hand. I scratch built the entire drive along the lines of a PFM drive, enlarged the three-cylinder engine, made new U-joints, and used PFM trucks. The boiler was rebuilt, and all the domes and fittings moved. A new stack was fabricated. About all that's left from the Westside model is the cab and tender shell. I added DC Lambert sound while I was at it. I'd NEVER do it again, but the result is pleasing. Dan Mitchell ============ |
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