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t looked like the end of the line for Hesston's narrow gauge Shay #7 when
it was caught in a major roundhouse fire on May 26, 1985. What started that
fateful fire (perhaps hot embers from the firebox) was never officially
determined. What was easily ascertained was the extent of the destruction.
Several narrow gauge locomotives and cars were badly damaged or completely
destroyed. The Shay, a geared locomotive used in logging and mining,
relied on hardwood for many of its structural members. The fired destroyed
her wooden sections including the front and rear pilots and most of the cab and
some of the tender's frame. The fire also stripped the paint leaving a
layer of rust, melted rubber hoses and gaskets, and burned away the lubricants
from every surface.
The Fire
The morning before the fire, like most weekends, the Shay had
been plying the rails of the Hesston Steam Museum in Northern Indiana. Its
firebox and fancy balloon stack easily consumed cords of wood while it chuffed
up the hefty grades at the museum. The locomotive could pull every 3'
gauge coach and caboose at the museum with power to spare. It had been put
away in the roundhouse that evening as usual. Some time overnight, the
fire started.
The narrow gauge class C Shay started its life as New Mexico
Lumber Co #7 seen here at Hesston in 1975.
At some point, #7 had been re-configured with a "Ruston" stack. photo: Ed Rryz.
Shay Power
A Shay is a very
specialized steam engine. Every wheel on every truck is powered, including
the wheels under the tender. All wheel drive gives a Shay locomotive
tremendous traction and power. To pull well on mountainous track, all
Shays are geared way down. They were ideally suited for steep, curvy, uneven
track and could out-perform a diesel locomotive on that type of track any day of
the week. They could be found at logging and mining operations all over
North America and, being uniquely suited for those operations, the Shays stayed
in service long after other steam locomotives were retired. Many Shays
never fully retired. Approximately 20 Shays have steamed their way into
this millennium and can be found pulling rail fans in museums and tourist
railroads all over the US, Canada, and far flung countries. There
are probably as many Shays operating today as any other steam locomotive type.
#7 is a class C (three cylinders, three trucks), 3' gauge 115,000
pounds. The 3 cylinders and drive shaft made the Shay unique among steam
locomotives. Builder's photo (shown equipped with its original Radley &
Hunter stack).
Photo: PE Percy
Shays were
constructed at the Lima Locomotive Works of Lima, Ohio. Our Shay, #7, was a
"narrow gauge" engine built for 36 inch gauge (56.5 inch is standard gauge)
track. This was one of the last Shays built and the very last narrow gauge
Shay. It was completed on November 20, 1929, just in time for the stock
market crash and Great Depression. Built for the New Mexico Lumber Company
in Dolores, Colorado it was purchased for $23,025. It ran for several
years between the towns of Dolores and McPhee until the New Mexico Lumber Co.
defaulted on its note and the engine was sold to the Oregon Lumber Company
in 1937. It ran for 10 years at a logging operation in Oregon before
falling idle. While many locomotive of that era used coal or
oil as fuel, #7 was a wood burning locomotive. Wood was the obvious fuel
of choice since this locomotive was used to bringing timbers down to the saw
mill and it could run on the "scraps".
An early photo of #7 with an ember trapping "Ruston" stack.
Working around sawdust and lumber, it was important to minimize
the risk of hot embers starting a fire.
Hesston Volunteers
Website photo. [click image to enlarge]
In
1961 publication printer and railroad enthusiast Elliott Donnelley purchased the
locomotive from the Hines Lumber Company, who had taken over the Oregon Lumber
Company assets. The engine was sent to the Black Hills Central tourist line at
Hill City, South Dakota. The engine operated on a dual gage (36"/standard) line
for a short time, then was stored derelict until it was moved to The LaPorte
County Historical Society's facility at Hesston Indiana, arriving on July 8,
1970. After a 5 year restoration, it was rededicated in honor of Mr.
Donnelley on August 30, 1975 and was placed in passenger service for the next 9
seasons until the 1985 fire.
Restoration
Restoration had
to wait. A new roundhouse was needed to replace the burned one.
Other locomotives for revenue service were acquired and restored. Volunteers at
Hesston would work on the Shay as time permitted. They always dreamed of
the day the Shay would run again. Was it to be?
The old wooden
parts, charred and burned, had to be removed. The accessories like the air
pump, bell and headlamp were removed for later restoration. The rusty
metal had to be wire brushed or sanded and primed. The boiler jacketing
was removed, boiler wire brushed, primed and painted, boiler re-insulated, and
new boiler jacket installed. Cab side repairs (warped by fire) were done.
Brake equipment was removed, repaired and tested. Cab interior wood work was
restored. Pilot beams and truck bolsters were replaced.
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The restoration continues (fall,
2003). The burned wooden parts have been removed and the metal has been,
for the most part, wire brushed or sanded and primed.
Photo by Jim O'Connor [click image to enlarge] |
Volunteers working on Shay #7's air
pump and cylinders. The Shay has been fitted with new pilot beams cut from
donated oak timber (winter 2005/2006). Originally hardwood had been
selected for its resiliency and ability to hold together while taking abuse from
rough mining and logging operations. The refurbished headlamp/number plate will
be one of the last items to be reinstalled.
Hesston Volunteers Website
photo by Mike Lagness . [click image to enlarge] |
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The newly rebuilt cab of the Shay
(winter 2005/2006). Hesston
Volunteers Website
photo by Mike Lagness . [click image to enlarge] |
Spring 2006, boiler insulation is
installed prior to the installation of the new jacket.
Hesston Volunteers Website
photo by Mike Lagness . [click image to
enlarge] |
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Greg is installing the boiler
jacket.
Photo by Jim O'Connor [click image to enlarge] |
The boiler jacket is on, May 7,
2006. The steam dome cover will be installed after the dents are removed
by a local "body and fender" man.
Photo by Jim O'Connor [click image to enlarge] |
Labor Day Weekend Unveiling.
This Shay would
never have steamed again if it weren't for the hard work of the Hesston
volunteers and the kind generosity of several benefactors. As of the date
of this writing, the restoration goes on as scheduled with a "Re-dedication" and
public "unveiling" to be held on the 2006 Labor Day weekend. As the big
day draws near, restoration work accelerates in preparation. The Shay is
expected to pull coaches up the steep "5.5% plus" Hesston grades. The funny "off
center" boiler must steam well, the brakes must be in tip-top shape. Those
critical items have already been addressed. The real question is "will she
be able to move under her own steam?" And what about those dozens of
finishing touches that will make the Shay as pretty as the day she posed for her
first photo in 1929?
Written by
Jim O'Connor and Ted Rita
Watch for part II: "The Shay Steams Again" |
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