Forks in Clallam County, Washington — The American West (Northwest)
The Shay Locomotive
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 21, 2015
1. The Shay Locomotive Marker
The Shay locomotive is named for inventor Ephraim Shay of Cadillac, Michigan. The vertical cylinder conveyed power to all the wheels by universal joints and expansion couplings forming a flexible shaft which was rigid in revolution but flexible in every other direction. Through a series of gears, power from the boiler was carried to all of the wheels of the locomotive including those under the tender.
Not only could Shay's locomotive run on crude wooden rails, but it had tremendous power and traction to pull heavy loads up hills. It could also negotiate sharp curves and uneven terrain. Shay was one of the first in the United States to use locomotives to haul logs.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Railroads & Streetcars.
Location. 47° 57.26′ N, 124° 23.114′ W. Marker is in Forks, Washington, in Clallam County. Marker is on North Forks Avenue (U.S. 101) south of Tillicum Lane, on the right when traveling north. Marker is located in front of a large, covered, railroad locomotive exhibit on
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 1 other marker is within walking distance of this marker. Timber Transportation (here, next to this marker).
More about this marker. Marker is a long, rectangular, painted metal sign, mounted horizontally, at waist-level, on the fence protecting the railroad locomotive exhibit.
Also see . . .
1. Shay Locomotive. The Shay locomotive was the most well-known and widely used of the geared designs to operate in the country, with nearly 3,000 constructed from 1880 through nearly the mid-20 century. The geared locomotive proved to be an invaluable tool in the logging industry through the first half of the 20th century as it could operate on almost any type of track. The Shay locomotive had its beginnings dating back to the late 1870s when Mr. Ephraim Shay realized that he might have a new design that could greatly benefit the timber industry. As early as 1872 he began development of a new locomotive that used gears rather than standard rods to propel the device forward. Because geared locomotives have all of their trucks powered, they provided excellent adhesion enabling them to climb grades well over 5% (something all but unthinkable on main line railroads), although this high adhesion factor limited its speed to under 20 mph. Additionally, this design allowed each truck to negotiate the track independently of the other, thus keeping the locomotive on the rails
2. Marker detail: Shay Locomotive Statistics
The statistics shown here appeared in a sales brochure targeted to potential buyers.
2. Shay locomotive. Shay locomotives had regular fire-tube boilers offset to the left to provide space for, and counterbalance the weight of, a two or three cylinder "motor," mounted vertically on the right with longitudinal drive shafts extending fore and aft from the crankshaft at wheel axle height. These shafts had universal joints and square sliding prismatic joints to accommodate the swiveling trucks. Each axle was driven by a separate bevel gear, with no side rods. (Submitted on February 5, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 21, 2015
3. The Shay Locomotive Marker (wide view; related marker left; Shay Locomotive exhibit behind)
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 21, 2015
4. Shay Locomotive Cab
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 21, 2015
5. Shay Locomotive (side view; showing drive gears)
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, July 21, 2015
6. Shay Locomotive
Credits. This page was last revised on February 5, 2019. It was originally submitted on February 4, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 281 times since then and 52 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on February 4, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 4, 5, 6. submitted on February 5, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
