This is great! As my brother in law Tony posted earlier, my family and I are huge rail buffs. In fact I named my son Shay after these very locomotives. And now that my son, my brother in law and my self are all into Legos, I would absolutely love to build this. If you ever document this build, please let us know. Thank you for sharing your creation.

I am glad you like it! Up to 3 votes now!

Count my vote!! My father-in-law is a MAJOR PRR logging railroad fan who is obsessed with Shay as well as my brother in law. As I am a big AFOL, we had talked about building a layout including a logging theme. We found the plans for a much simpler model, but it doesn't have the level of realism yours has. Please consider doing the build instructions. it would make a great project for us all to work on.

I am glad you like it, and that's now 2 votes for instructions, a full 100% increase! It really goes no faster than those videos. thanks kurt

Exelent job, people just dont get how hard it is to make a shay out of lego. also you said "If you can get enough people to comment here that they want instructions, I'll get motivated enough to do them." Well i just wanted to put my 2 cents in and ask you to do them as well, it would be awsome to see more lego shays and your posting instuctions would shurly help, i know i would build one lol. Also if its not too much troubble, would you mind posting a vidio of the shay with no load at top speed? im just currious as to how the gear reduction affected the preformance. Shurly it increased the tourq but at what cost of speed? And thank you for sharing your lovely shay locomotive with all of us.

Look here: http://www.mocpages.com/image_zoom.php?mocid=166301&id=/user_images/18066/12584363207 under the http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=50947 there is a 8 tooth gear! You are the first to ask that question! Have fun MOCing your shay! kurt

WOW! nice shay, ive searched the pics like crazy, but i could not find out how the drive shaft actually moves.I am currently in the middle of a 3 truck west side lumber co. Shay #9 that is in georgetown,CO. If you could write back or post pictures of how the drive shaft works, that would be great. I love shays, and i would be very happy if you would respond. Sometime over the summer, i will put my shays moc, too. I would never get my shay done if i didnt see how you used the u joints on the drive shaft. Please respond as soon as you can.

Wow! That just looks like the real thing to me! ;-D

I am glad you think it's amazing! No, I did not. In my Shay the Power Functions M-Motor is in the "T" or "Boot" of the boiler. And the Power Functions IR Receiver is in the cab. I needed to fit a 9V power source into the little rear tender at the back of the Shay. There wasn't room see: http://www.mocpages.com/moc.php/168223 There is only one PF Medium Motor! I had it at BrickWorld and it didn't even get a train MOC nomination! (I did have two other MOCs of mine nominated though ;^) ) I think the problem is that most people don't know what a Shay is! Let alone the challenge of building one out of LEGO! If you can get enough people to comment here that they want instructions, I'll get motivated enough to do them. As I recall it's about 910.

Wow! Just amazing! I do not know what to say! Over 4 years I worked for a shay like this! I also wantet to include technic parts and motor in my shay! But it never worked fine! I had so much problems in the curves.... I ordered about 1000 parts on bricklink, again and again but nothing helped me! I also thought about glueing some parts.... After so unbelievable hard work I bought my 10194 emerald night with all functions! And I was happy! I try to build up my shay again! Now I have some new ideas seen on your shay! Maybe I have luck and this time my shay will also work fine in the curves! You really used a normal 9V Battery-box on the inside? I remember on the old 9V battery-boxes, f.e. for train on 6399..... You really combined a nex XL-Motor with a 9V battery-box? The new battery-boxes I know have 10V or isn`t it? No matter what! Just perfect! I hope you win some international prices for your fantastic work! For me, YOU ARE REALLY THE BEST! It would be the best for me, to have a shay like this in my private collection! You would be a rich man, if you sell a instruction for this wonderful shay! Do you know, how much parts you used to build up this set? In my mind I think about 800 pieces?? Many thanks! It is just wonderful to see so a wonderful sets build up in lego! Have a nice day! Michi

What a gorgeous Shay! I like the working pistons, and how you connected your Power Functions to a 9v battery. Brilliant!

Thanks Nathaniel

I too spent months building and rebuilding various sliding driveline shafts. I even considered cutting and gluing LEGO parts together!! But, then I had that "Ah-ha moment" that if the shay was short (as possible) and the trucks are small and tight, then trucks do not move through that big an angle! So by using LEGO 55423 wheels which are just bigger than the crown gears 6589, I made a tight small truck with no other gears or axles! Thanks

I am glad you find it amazing! Thanks for the praise!

I glad you find it amazing! No, I have not yet made climb an incline. It is geared down (maybe to much, it's why it's so slow) but it only has a single PF M motor it's not going to complete with Loco(s) running one or more PF XL motor(s).

It's great to see a Shay with some realistic movement. Awesome design!

Awesome. I've been trying to build a Shay for a few months now, but I was trying to do it by designing a functioning spline joint, and I never could get a spline joint to work right at that scale--- And now you have shown us that a functioning Shay can be built, and it doesn't even need a spline joint! Well done.

This is amazing. You did an wonderfull job making this Shay locomotive and with power functions as well. I enjoy seeing it in motion too. 5*

Oh my goodness... that is just amazing! Have you taken it up an incline yet and/or pulled a lot of rolling stock? I bet that thing has enough torque!

Another excellent creation here! You have some serious train building skills.

Glad you like it! Actually the Shay you are talking about is SN 2172 which is a "Class B" Shay (2-trucks 3-cylinders) http://www.shaylocomotives.com/data/lima2399/sn-2172.htm Larger and newer but a wonderful Shay as well!

Fantastic job. You built the Shay I always wanted to build. It looks just like the prototype I would like to use, which is parked at the Forrestry Center across from the zoo in Portland, Oregon.

Thomas, I am glad you like it! And "the driving system" is fully functional because the drive-line is the drive-line! The wheels turn because of that drive shaft, through the crown gears. There is an 8-tooth gear in the middle between the faux-pistons (hidden under the faux-valve rods) which turns the drive shaft! enjoy!

This is excellent, the details of the piping and driving rods are especially good. Its great how the driving system is fully functional, with moving rods and everything. ~T

Allen I am glad you like it! I almost always try to model real objects, I consider it more of a challenge. The 8-wide was driven by the "scale" of the LEGO Technic "solution".

Morten I am glad you like it!

I am glad you like it!

Great! Just great...

great moc. i'm pleased you had a photo of a real engine, you have done an amazing job with the details, I liked the bell best nice touch. I try to stick to 6 wide with my engines which sometimes limits the detail.

Wow..Is all I have to say! Honestly breathtaking.