Shays
Comments on type:
Shays were a type of geared locomotive used where grades were too
steep (up to 14%), too crooked, and track too rough for normal locomotives. They and
their geared cousins the Climax and Heisler ruled the deep woods of lumber companies.
Their power came from driving all the wheels, tender included, by gears. The
wheels were on trucks like the lead trucks of a normal locomotive. This allowed the
wheels to turn with the trucks to negotiate tight curves. The speeds were low but by
having more piston strokes per revolution prevented the engine from stalling on the steep
grades. Shays could have two or three cylinders.
Locomotive Information Engine Type: 2 Truck Shay Narrow Gauge Engine No. 2 Road Name: none Owner: Douglas Meek Builder: Douglas Meek Year Built or Finished: 1995 Scratch Built or Kit: Scratch Built Designed by W.M. Harris If kit Manufacture: Specs: Track Gauge: 4 3/4" 1.5" Scale Length of Engine: 43" Length of Tender: None Weight: 150lbs. Fuel: K1 Kerosene Driver Dia. 3 1/4" Cylinder Bore and Stroke: 1" x 1" Working Pressure: 90psi. Comments: (History, time to build, previous owners, comments on original locomotive) The Shay was a special purpose locomotive designed to run on poor uneven track while pulling heavy loads. It was very popular in logging. This engine has the less common 2 vertical cylinders driving the gears, most Shays used 3 vertical cylinders. They could not run fast but could traverse curves and grades that conventional locomotive could not. This model took approximately 2500hrs to build. The original engine was built by Lima Locomotive Co. of Ohio in 1884 and retired in 1951. The owner was the Michigan-California Lumber Co. of California.
Locomotive Information Engine Type: Two truck Cli Shay Engine No. 1 Road Name: NA Owner: Steven Zuiderveen Builder: Doug Wilkinson Year Built or Finished: 1982 Scratch Built or Kit: Scratch If kit Manufacture: Design by Robert Maynard Live Steam Magazine 11/77 Specs: Track Gauge: 7-1/2" Length of Engine: 45" Length of Tender: NA Weight: 225 lbs Fuel: coal Driver Dia. 4" Cylinder Bore and Stroke: 1.25" x 1.5" Working Pressure: 90psi Comments: (History, time to build, previous owners, comments on original locomotive) Originally fired with propane. Purchased by owner 11/97. Converted to coal by current owner.
Locomotive Information Engine Type: Class A three truck Shay Engine No. 1 Road Name: Baltimore Carrol & Frederick Owner: John Frederick Builder: John Frederick Year Built or Finished: Scratch Built or Kit: Scratch If kit Manufacture: Specs: Scale: 3.75" to 1, two foot narrow gauge Track Gauge: 7-1/2" Length of Engine: Length of Tender: Weight: Fuel: 24 volt motor and 8.25 to 1 total gear reduction Driver Dia. Cylinder Bore and Stroke: Working Pressure: NA Comments: (History, time to build, previous owners, comments on original locomotive)
Built from 1/4" drawing of the Lima Shay #2812
