Ya the Shay is the best all around engine you could buy. My engine is an Accucraft C-16 and if you would like to see a movie of the bangham whistle in action then go to my web site www.livesteamer.com and download the movie on the front page. It sounds like you have done allot with the engine and it runs good but you still have a few issues that need to be resolved. First you need to conserve the money you spend on the butane! You can buy cheap can of it at Oriental markets or at Target. The stuff at Target is in a green can and says butane on it in black letters. You can find it in the camping section in the back of the store. Once you get this you need to build an adapter for the can. This is easily done by using the stock butane filler you got with your Shay. You simply buy some R/C aircraft fuel line from the hobby store and a 1/2 inch piece and place it on the brass filler tube. Now you'll be able to slip the tubing on the butane can's outlet. I've used this method all year and it works great. Second you need to get some Gary Raymond wheels for the front pilot of you loco. The link is on my links page at my web site. Third you need to fix the oiler and there is a great article by Dave Hottmann that was published in Steam in the Garden magazine. I have a copy that Dave sent to me if you would like to e-mail me direct [EMAIL PROTECTED] and I will respond with a copy. Chad
-----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Bert & Edmunda Sent: Thursday, October 09, 2003 10:47 AM To: Multiple recipients of sslivesteam Subject: Re[2]: Fw: Question for the Live Steam Group Chad - Ref your problems with a C-16. I assume The Accucraft model. First I havent got all of the story and secondly, I dont know if I can be of a lot of help, most of you people writing on these pages seem to have more knowledge of G1 engines than I do, but maybe if I just ramble on who knows:- I also have a C-16 and have had various problems with the fuel system, the tank of which is originally in the tender. I found that when the loco gas tank was warmer than the gas that I was trying to refuel, the gas would not go into the tank. Solution, I let a couple of drops of gas fall on the Ronson valve to cool it. (Make sure no open flame is near) It worked. The tender had to be filled with warm water to get the burner to burn long enough to boil the water in the boiler! Getting the heavy brass sand dome off in order to re-tank the boiler needed asbestos fingers or a long, long, wait. There is an M5 Diam.x 0.5mm thread on the boiler backhead ( should connect to the non existant water pump) which is blind and sealed with an M5 screw. Here I fitted a ball valve (clack-valve UK) and now refill my boiler with a domestic pump bottle. No more hot fingers and have the water guage and pressure guage in sight. My new R. C. receiver is very small and I can fit it between the Johnstone ( is that right)? bar and the front right of the cab. This leaves the area on the left of the cab for a new gas tank ( home made, hard silver soldered)with a Regner filler valve (I have been informed that 50% of Ronson Vales are defect ex works!!) and the new tank has marginally less content than the the original. The loco now behaves and gives the pleasure I would have liked from the the start. I can now refuel and take on water under steam all day if I have so much free time. A steam manifold mounted on the boiler backhead allows things like a steam whistle to be fitted under the frame using micro servos. I have mounted my battery pack on the tender footplate, and can lead a wire to the headlight LED. I still have problems with uneven track (frost heave) causing the small wheel flanges to climb over curves etc and I am considering new wheels with less scale flanges. I prefer a loco that works well, to one that looks good only on perfect track. I would be pleased for any help I can receive on this subject or the vast amount of oil the dead-leg oiler uses, or better said directs to the smokebox. The small Shay runs beautifully on all track and by fitting a rear (longer) sliding drive shaft joint to the front!! will even negosiate RII curves without binding. Thank you. Bert. [EMAIL PROTECTED]