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THE CliShay PROJECT

CHAPTER 4

Bill Fitt enjoyed the CliShay for several years. In fact, several copies of the locomotive were made by members of Cinder Sniffers and others world wide. Bob Maynard published a book about the construction of the CliShay. The second printing is still available on Amazon and many other sites. Maynard estimated 200 CliShays were built at the time of his passing in 2010. A quick internet search for CliShay shows examples in UK, New Zealand and Australia. We are constantly finding additional copies of the CliShay. There is at least one YouTube channel by a young man who is currently building a CliShay. It’s no wonder so many have been built. They are ideal for the novice builder and inexperienced operator.

Then one day in 1993, as the story goes, a member of Cinder Sniffers was reading the classified ads in a copy of MODELTEC. This was long before the days of the internet. Apparently Bill Fitt passed away and his wife and son posted an ad for the original CliShay. It was more than a coincidence that a member of Cinder Sniffers read the ad and arranged the purchase of the original CliShay within 30 minutes of reading the ad. The Original CliShay was returning home. It had traveled 700 miles of the 2400 mile total journey. The next trip will be much longer.

The CliShay was to be enjoyed by a member of Cinder Sniffers and his wife (who had her own CliShay) for several years.

A visitor to the Cinder Sniffers track introduced Darrel Brehm to the CliShay. Brehm was an avid train enthusiast from Kansas. He mentioned a desire to purchase a CliShay if one became available. Brehm had an extensive HO scale collection, a real caboose and a 7 ½” gauge track at his home in Pratt, KS.

The CliShay’s final homecoming getting close, and the CliShay Fest is getting closer as well. September 28-29 2024 is the CliShay Fest. This 2 day gathering is for CliShays, Geared and Side Rod Engines. For more information see CliShay Fest.