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The Shay locomotive was a revolutionary steam train designed by Ephraim Shay in the late 1800s. It was a geared locomotive that could easily navigate steep grades and sharp curves, making it ideal for transporting logs. Over 3,000 Shays were built, but only around 160 remain today, with many preserved in museums.
The Shay locomotive was the prime example of steam train technology in its day. Developed by an innovative Ohio shop owner, the Shay locomotive soon became the pinnacle of steam power and one of the most widely operated train locomotives. Fewer than 200 Shay locomotives still exist today, but many are carefully preserved in museums in tribute to this remarkable and historic train.
Ephraim Shay served under General Sherman in the American Civil War, but returned home relatively unscathed to marry a longtime sweetheart and open a sawmill. After moving to Michigan, Shay began looking for better ways to transport logs to his sawmill. After developing prototypes for his factory, Shay partnered with the nearby Lima Machine Works to create consumer locomotives.
The Shay locomotive was a geared steam train, meaning the wheels created the same traction and caused less damage to the track. The system also allowed the train to maneuver steep grades and sharp curves in the track with relative ease and less risk of derailment. It was considered a major improvement on the existing trains, significantly reducing the transportation costs associated with logging. Ephraim Shay patented his locomotive in 1881, then received a second patent in 1901 after significantly improving the design. Many other inventions that helped power the locomotive were also patented by his workers and engineers.
The first version of the Shay locomotive was known as the “A” class, and had only a two-cylinder engine. After teaming up with Lima Machine, subsequent versions were three-cylinder and weighed between 10-150 tons (9-136 metric tons) depending on the series. The B-class locomotives had two coupled trucks, the C-class had three, and the powerful Shay D-class locomotive had four.
Nearly 3,000 official Shay locomotives were built, although after the patent expired similar designs continued production but could not technically be classified as Shays. Distributed mainly in America, some Shays also found their way to other countries. In the later years of major steam hauling, the Shay’s unique design became one of the most recognizable locomotives in existence.
Today, only around 160 Shay locomotives exist. One of the last and largest built wrecks in operation at the Cass Scenic Railroad State Park in West Virginia. Other working examples include a Class B locomotive named Dixiana at the Roaring Camp and Big Trees Narrow Gauge Railroad in California. Some no longer working models remain on display at various transportation museums, including the Canada Museum of Science and Technology in Ontario, the Travel City Museum of Los Angeles, and the Colorado Railway Museum.
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