There's a scale model of the Diamond & Caldor No. 4 Shay on auction over at eBay. It's brass, looks nice and has a steep price tag attached to it (opening bid is $700).We're always happy to see model railroaders represent the D&C on their layouts as the line holds a special place in our hearts.
But I have two issues with the model: It's a wood burner with an Sunbeam headlight!
There's some debate as to whether the No. 4 ever burned wood or not. We do know that all D&C geared locomotives were burning oil by the teens. That's a debate for another day. (There is language in a 1913 California Railroad Commission report that supports my supposition.)
But my biggest issue is with the authenticity of the model. The D&C gave up burning wood long before it installed Sunbeam generators and headlights on its Shays. Pictures of D&C Shays with electric headlights don't surface until the late 1930.
Anyway -- if you enjoy modeling logging roads of the past and believe the price if fair (that's an area that I cannot pass judgment on ...), go for it.
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