Precision Scale On3 Shay kit heads up

[sumpter250]

The new PS two truck shay kit, On3, brass, engineering plastic, and styrene.
I have a customer who has been building models professionally for years, who purchased one of these kits, and has found errors, missing parts, wrong parts, and totally inadequate instructions.
Another customer, also an experienced model builder, had some difficulty assembling the trucks.
The third customer noticed that the crankshaft casting was bent.
If you're thinking of getting this kit, you will probably have to spend some time on the phone with Precision Scale, and some time waiting for replacement parts, before you can complete the loco.
I'd only recommend this kit for very experienced modelers, with a good working knowledge of shay construction.
Pete

 

[philip]

not so happy GI ?

Thats not so good Pete. I always had good luck with the small PS detail parts. So is it worth the trouble and how much is it?

Philip

 

[sumpter250]

Phillip,
The reason I posted, was because of the difficulties I had heard about, and that the kit was advertised as "easy to assemble". Most of the problems with parts seem to have been resolved by PC, with the individuals. Those problems still exist over all. This is a plastic (styrene, and engineering) kit and costs around $300.00. For that amount, one would expect a little more than is provided. This IS a craftsman type kit(emphasis on craftsman), and definitely NOT a "shake and bake". There are a lot of "adjustments" that have to be made to the mechanism, if this engine is to run well.
I had a chance to see one of these, partially built, and compared it to the Bachmann On30 shay. They are virtually identical, except for the gauge (3' V 30"), and much of the detail is just as good on the Bachmann! Precision Scale has always made excellent detail parts, and kits, so I offer the comparison as a compliment to Bachmann.
Pete

 

[jon-monon]

I've noticed many of their steam and diesel detail castings I purchased are deformed. Some bent, some completely unusable. I've received diesel horns by mail order that were not identifiable as horns at all, except by the packaging. Not good for mail orderers. Now I only buy their stuff at the LHS where I can inspect it before purchase. The good parts are nice tho, especially if you need brass.

 

[shaygetz]

I'm afrain the day for this type of kit at that price passed on 25 years ago. Remember Arbour Models kits (shudder)?

 

[sumpter250]

Remember Arbour Models kits (shudder)?

Remember???! HA! I've got an Arbour Models Allegheny under construction! :cry: :cry: .............................

 

[Drmsparks]

I was expecting the kit to be slightly larger than the bachmann shay, it's supposed to be a 16 ton as opposed to bachmanns 13 ton. I had compared an older PSC 16 ton brass shay from a kit to the bachmann and that indeed was the case. Based on your description is it safe to assume this is not a plastic and diecast version of that brass kit?

Dave