Shay locomotives were geared Steam locomotives that were designed and built by the Lima Locomotive Works in Lima, Ohio. They were a popular type of geared locomotive used primarily for logging and industrial applications during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Class D Shay locomotives were an improved version of the earlier Class C Shay locomotives, featuring several design enhancements.

Class D Shays had three cylinders and four trucks, and weight of 100 and 150 short tons. They were no more powerful than Class C, but had greater fuel and water capacity, resulting in improved adhesion.

The distinguishing feature of the Shay locomotives was their unique geared drivetrain, which allowed them to deliver high tractive effort and excellent pulling power on rough and steep terrain. This geared drive mechanism used a series of gears and drive shafts to transfer power from the steam engine to the wheels. The gears increased the torque available to the wheels, making them well-suited for hauling heavy loads and navigating challenging terrain. These locomotives were particularly popular in the logging industry, where their ability to negotiate tight curves and steep gradients made them ideal for hauling heavy timber out of rugged and remote areas. The Shay locomotives also found use in various other industries, such as mining, construction, and sugar plantations, where their reliability and power were valued.

Today, a number of Class D Shay locomotives have been preserved and can be found in museums, tourist railways, and private collections around the world. They stand as a testament to the ingenuity and versatility of these remarkable steam locomotives that played a significant role in the industrial and transportation history of the United States.

In our first production run, we are offering several variations of the 150-ton Class D Shay locomotives. We offer locomotives in multiple road names and paint schemes. Each of our models will be available with our newest Paragon4 Sound/DC/DCC sound system with smoke and integral GoPack capacitors. Our models have die cast locomotive and tender bodies for maximum weight and tractive effort. See below for additional model features including the full list of individually controllable lights.

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Broadway Limited Imports is proud to introduce Paragon4: The new benchmark for premium HO sound-equipped locomotives. These DC and DCC-Sound equipped locomotives feature the ALL-NEW Paragon4 sound and control system. Each Paragon4 locomotive comes with BLI's own integral DCC Decoder factory installed. Paragon4 locomotives offer Dual Mode DC and DCC operation with superb back EMF motor control, improved DC motor control, built-in capacitor pack for more reliable electrical pick-up, industry best on-board sound with Rolling Thunder functionality, Pro Lighting Mode for prototypical light control, Switcher model for precise low speed control, recordable DCC operation for automated playback, and the same excellent detail level as Broadway Limited's Paragon3 Series models.

Paragon4 Sound & Control System Features:

• Operates in DC & DCC with improved DC speed control (use DCMaster for DC Sound)

• Built-In capacitor pack to navigate imperfect track

• Capacitor Pack automatically disabled on program track for full compatibility with JMRI Decoder Pro

• Pro Lighting Mode offers individual control of all lights on model

• Switcher Mode for precise low speed control.

• Record & Play Operation - Records and plays back sounds and movements once or repeatedly for automatic operation

• High Resolution Audio

• Quillable Whistle for various whistle lengths and patterns

• Choice of 3 selectable Horns

• Alternate Whistle / Horn where applicable for locomotive with air horn and steam whistle - both the main whistle and alternate can be easily played

• Adjustable bell ringing interval for faster or slower bell

• Numerous user-mappable functions with available keys

• Johnson Bar Sound at Direction Change

• Multiple realistic passenger and crew sounds play on command

• Grade Crossing Automatic Signal

• Automatic Forward / Reverse Signal - When activated, stopping triggers and stop whistle toot. When moving forward from a stopped position, toots twice. When moving in reverse. toots three times.

• Chuff sound intensity varies with load

• Individually adjustable sound volumes for each effect

• EZ Reset Button for quick return to factory default settings
  
  

**Specifications on this page subject to change.