Jay Pat Loc: Round Rock, Texas, USA

This train's original purpose was for logging. Now, a historical passenger operation.

The have a fleet of 5 Shay Engines, one Heisler engine and one Climax. 4 Shays are running, the Heisler runs (not in use at this time) and the jClimax is under a major overhaul/rebuild.

Shay engines are unique in that there are three vertical cylinders on the right side of the engine that operate an outboard driveline that drives all axles under the engine and tender. This is done with ring & pinion gears at each axle. Also, the boilers are offset to the left side of the engine.
Due to having 6 drive axles, weight distribution must be taken advantage of. The tender appears to be a large water tank. I don’t know if that much water was really needed as much as the weight was. Also, there were probably no water tanks on the mountain.
The coal was needed right at the boiler. Probably, not as much coal was needed for a run as the trains would “coast” downhill.
One of the guys on the yard said they used to load the coal using shovel and wheelbarrow. Now they have a small conveyor belt to load the coal.

The steepest grade on the current tracks is 13%.

The engine is at the rear of the cars. The trains travel forwards and backwards to go up the mountain and return. I have a map at the end of the post to explain.

I have 38 images with commentary to post. Will take some time.

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Jay Pat Loc: Round Rock, Texas, USA

Riding the Train!

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11 Brakeman working the brakes as we travel downhill.


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Jay Pat Loc: Round Rock, Texas, USA

Chasing the Train!

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Dianakkb Loc: Norwalk, Ohio

Nice to see these. It's a pretty area. I was there when I was 16 (a year or two ago). lol.

Jay Pat Loc: Round Rock, Texas, USA

Cass Yard.

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jethro779 Loc: Tucson, AZ

I believe the brakeman is in reality a woman. Are all the smokestacks equipped with the cinder guards?

Jay Pat Loc: Round Rock, Texas, USA

Engine #5 is parked at the moment for maintenance. This includes a complete flush of the water system and cleaning out the smoke stack.

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19 Cleaned out material with shovel standing.

Jay Pat Loc: Round Rock, Texas, USA

There is no ash pit. The fireboxes are cleaned out on the tracks, watered down to extinguish hot coals and then shoveled out of the tracks for a loader to pick.

20 The non exsisting "ash pit"


21 Coal pile and conveyor

Heirloom Tomato Loc: Oregon

Wonderful series!

Jay Pat Loc: Round Rock, Texas, USA

There are two different trips to choose from. Bald Knob and Whittaker station. We chose Whittaker to view the equipment. I don’t think Bald Knob stopped at Whittaker. Whittaker is a display of items that would have been at a camp. This includes kitchen/diner, saw sharpener, Log skidder, diesel log loader and a few other buildings. Also had a picnic area and concession stand.

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24 Diesel Log Loader and Log Car


25 Kitchen/Dining Car

Blues Loc: Duluth, Mn

Great shots Jay. I love old steam engines.

rlaugh Loc: Michigan & Florida

Great set!

WAL

Thanks for the photos. Steam engines are approaching a life form Nothing like them. Do you have web site with more or one that will save these? I have converted my mind from film to digital, not from steam to diesel.

Jay Pat Loc: Round Rock, Texas, USA

This is the log Skidder. Supposedly, one of only two still in existence. It is used to bring log to the rail head as far away as 3,ooo feet.

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27 Top of Tower


28 Bottom of tower

Jay Pat Loc: Round Rock, Texas, USA

The bottom of the tower fits on the piece that is right in the center of the next image. This part is currently turned 90 degrees. You can see how heavily framed this area is.

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30 Boiler and skidding engine


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33 Pulley and misc parts


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