It should be obvious that the Number 5 and Number 6 Shays were NOT "sissy sized" Shays. They were honest-to-goodness working Shays that happened to be gauged to operate on 3'-0" between the rails track. The prototypes were designed to operate on trackage that was of less than "Mainline" caliber. With all wheels powered by their three cylinder steam engines, geared at 2.2 to 1 at their wheels, they had an immense amount of tractive effort, and could negotiate sharp curves and pull steep grades besides. Our models are powered by a Faulhauber Micro-Mo Coreless Motor with an integral gearbox, driving through a 1:1 Helical gearset on the drive axle, with a sealed ball bearing to control runout on the shaft. Barely visible in this well lighted photo is the vertical helical gear and ball bearing support at its base. ( Hint: It's behind the rear truck's unversal joint, and its natural brass colored which can be easily camoflaged with a coat or two of our NEOLUBE. ) Back to the #5 Shay page. Copyright P-B-L circa 2007. All Rights Reserved.