Jerry,
I agree with your liking the 2 cylinder MUCH better than the 3 cylinder Shay. I went to Diamondhead '04 to pick up a 3 cylinder, but when I saw it run, I opted out and got the 2 cylinder instead. I've never regretted the change. The 2 cylinder is a reliable, excellent running, good pulling locomotive and a real crowd pleaser. I've not had one problem with it other than a slight misallignment of one of the trucks that had skewed itself into a parallelogram instead of a rectangle. I made several mods to it including a Spitinator, working headlights, wooden cab, a Regner whistle, Goodall and the most important, stainless mesh around the burner. For the price, it's a gem that I've recommended to several people.