Aster Greenbrier, Cheat & Elk Shay — 1/32 Scale Live Steam Kit

Pre-Owned • Unbuilt • Extremely Limited Edition 1 of 80 produced

A very rare opportunity to acquire an Aster Greenbrier, Cheat & Elk Shay in 1/32 scale / Gauge 1 (45 mm), offered here as an unbuilt original kit.

This model was originally produced by Aster of Japan in 1990 and was one of Aster's particularly limited American logging locomotive releases. The Greenbrier, Cheat & Elk version was based on Aster's highly successful three-truck Western Maryland Shay design, but with the distinctive Greenbrier, Cheat & Elk Railroad lettering and detailing.

According to historical Aster production records, only 80 examples of the Greenbrier, Cheat & Elk Shay were produced worldwide, compared with approximately 500 examples of the earlier Western Maryland version. This makes the GC&E version one of the more difficult Aster Shays to encounter today.

Condition

This is an original, unbuilt kit, remaining in the possession of its original purchaser until now. The model has never been assembled or operated. The kit looks generally untouched and complete. The motor was removed from the packing to check and is smooth in operation. This kit was initially sold in Switzerland then moved to the US by the original owner.

A particularly appealing example for the serious Aster collector, this kit offers the opportunity to build one of Aster's rarest American logging locomotives while retaining the provenance of an original-owner example.

Please refer to the photographs for the exact condition and contents of the kit. We recommend that prospective purchasers carefully review all photographs before purchase.

Model Specifications

• Manufacturer: Aster, Japan

• Prototype: Greenbrier, Cheat & Elk Railroad Shay

• Production year: 1990

• Production: Approximately 80 examples worldwide

• Scale: 1:32

• Gauge: Gauge 1 / 45 mm

• Type: Three-truck Shay

• Power: Live steam

• Fuel: Gas fired

• Cylinders: Three vertical cylinders

• Cylinder bore: 10 mm

• Cylinder stroke: 12 mm

• Boiler capacity: Approximately 340 ml

• Tender water capacity: Approximately 280 ml

• Model length: Approximately 640 mm

• Model width: Approximately 108 mm

• Model height: Approximately 148 mm

• Approximate weight: 6.4 kg

• Drive: Cardan-shaft drive to the geared trucks

• Main gear ratio: Approximately 2:1

The Aster Shay design is particularly well suited to garden railway operation, with the articulated trucks and geared drive faithfully reproducing the characteristics that made the full-size Shay locomotive so effective on rough logging railroads.

The Prototype

The Greenbrier, Cheat & Elk Shay represented by this model was Lima Locomotive Works No. 12, constructed in 1921 for the Greenbrier, Cheat & Elk operation in West Virginia. The locomotive was originally a 150-ton Shay and was later rebuilt with an enlarged tender and an additional driving truck, increasing its weight substantially.

The prototype was an impressive example of the large geared Shays used in West Virginia's logging industry.

Aster Collectibility

Aster produced a number of American live-steam locomotives during the company's classic period, but the 1990 Greenbrier, Cheat & Elk Shay stands apart for its exceptionally small production run. With only 80 examples reportedly produced, surviving examples are considerably less common than the 1984 Western Maryland Shay.

An unbuilt original kit from the original purchaser is an especially unusual opportunity for an Aster collector or live-steam enthusiast.

A rare Aster model with an exceptionally limited production history — offered in unbuilt condition.