The Magic of Running an N Scale Shay Loco

In the event that you've ever watched an n scale shay loco get up a steep, precarious grade with a string associated with skeleton log vehicles in tow, you know exactly the reason why these geared motors are incredibly addictive. There's something almost hypnotic about the way these people move. Unlike a traditional rod-driven vapor engine where the pistons move backwards and forwards horizontally, the Shay's top to bottom cylinders pump apart on the aspect, driving a long rotating shaft that will turns each and every wheel under the engine and tender. In the world of N scale, seeing all that mechanical motion packed in to such a tiny impact is nothing brief of a miracle. ...

March 17, 2026 · 7 min · Hickman Mullen