# Is this a shay?



## studeclunker (Mar 15, 2009)

George and I took a short holiday this week and one of our stops was Scotia Ca. Scotia is a company town owned by the Pacific Lumber Company. The operations were quite a bit larger but ecological measures here in California some years ago all but killed our mills off, including this one. Still, there’s quite a bit left and this Shay was outside their museum. I’m guessing in saying it’s a Shay, can anyone tell me more about this type of equipment?


















This wasn’t the only piece on the property (which is quite extensive, covering literally tens of thousands of acres), however, I limited my picture taking to the area around the Museum and the mill (which probably covers close to a hundred acres all by itself). Further down CA 101 I could see a consist of passenger cars and many freight cars on sidings behind some trees. They were inaccessible from the highway. This caboose was across the street from the Museum

















At one time, Santa Fe served this area all the way up the California coast. There was a landslide or something, isolating the coastal route and Santa Fe abandoned it. They also abandoned any rolling stock left up there. It seems to have been quite a lot as there are box cars and other rolling stock tucked around here and there. Some are so covered by the local flora (mainly blackberry brambles and trees) as to be almost invisible. Wish I would win the Lottery and then I could use the money to resurrect this part as a short-line. It really travels through some beautiful[/i] territory.

















The bridge crossing the Eel river is spectacular. I regret to say that I neglected to get any pictures of it. Sadly, it, like the rest of the right-of-way is badly neglected and disintegrating. One of the cross-members has a date of 1910 on it.


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## Dougald (Jan 2, 2008)

That is a Heisler ... the third most popular geared logging loco. B'mann makes a model Heisler in Fn3 (1:20.3 scale)

Regards ... Doug


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## astrayelmgod (Jan 2, 2008)

Pretty unlikely to be Santa Fe, as I don't see any evidence of it getting north of the Bay Area. Northwestern Pacific, maybe, but a Heisler wouldn't have run on either of those, as you can see by the tender.


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## SlateCreek (Jan 2, 2008)

The quick and dirty spotters guide to geared engines: 

1.) If the cylinders are all on one side, have vertical action, and turn a driveline that runs the length of the same side, via large gears on the side of the trucks, and the boiler as viewed from the front is off center (usually to the right) it's most likely a Shay. There are a couple of exceptions, but for the most part, that's it. 

(See: www.shaylocomotives.com and http://www.gearedsteam.com/shay/shay.htm) 

2.) If the cylinders are on either side, and are slanted downward from front to back, with the action being in line with the boiler (and the rail) , and turning two large flywheels that drive a central gearbox, with a driveline extending fore and aft to the trucks along the centerline of the underside of the locomotive, it's most likely a Climax. See: http://www.gearedsteam.com/climax/climax.htm 

3.) If there are two cylinders that form a "V" shape with the action being 90 degrees to the boiler (and the rail) turning a central driveshaft along the center of the underside of the locomotive, with connecting rods on the outside of the double axles on each truck, it's most likely a Heisler. See: http://www.gearedsteam.com/heisler/heisler.htm 

4.) There are other geared locomotives. While Shays, Climaxes, and Heislers are rare indeed, particularly in operational condition, the others are rarer still, but a few can be found. You can see photos of many of the different types at http://www.gearedsteam.com/ But you can generally differentiate what you're seeing by the above unless something doesn't look ... quite right. 

It's still a lot easier than trying to tell some diesels apart! 

Matthew (OV)


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## SlateCreek (Jan 2, 2008)

That one in the photo looks a lot like the Bachmann model ... albeit standard gauge. Anyone know if it's the one they measured? 

Matthew (OV)


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## studeclunker (Mar 15, 2009)

Pretty unlikely to be Santa Fe, as I don't see any evidence of it getting north of the Bay Area. Northwestern Pacific, maybe, but a Heisler wouldn't have run on either of those, as you can see by the tender.


I’m trying to remember what these things are called and the old grey cells are asleep. Okay… the large flat plate that the rail rests on and the spikes are driven through… Fish Plate??? Anyway, these have Santa Fe embossed on them. It’s on the Eel River


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## Paul Burch (Jan 2, 2008)

If anyone wants to pusue it,here is a link with some info. I think this loco was originally owned by the Shaw Bertram Lumber co.
http://www.gearedsteam.com/heisler/images_Pa-Pf.htm


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## astrayelmgod (Jan 2, 2008)

The metal plate that the rail rests on and spikes are driven through are tie plates. Fish plates are on the sides of the rails between two pieces of rail, like the scales on a fish. 

According to this web site: http://www.wx4.org/to/foam/shortlines/pacificlumber/tpl_roster.html, #9 was originally Mt. Tamalpais & Muir Woods #9, then Siskiyou Lumber #1, then Dolbeer & Carson #5 before becoming Paciific Lumber #9 

Well, you're right about the Santa Fe, at least partly. The Santa Fe was the parent company of one (or more) of the NWP's many, many predessors. The NWP was eventually a joint venture between the Santa Fe, and Southern Pacific. It's confusing; even the history page of the NWP Historical Society just glosses over the ownership questions: http://www.nwprrhs.org/


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