Steam & Excursion > Shay Headed for Australia

According the Wolgan Valley Wilderness Railway Facebook page published yesterday:


"The Eskbank Locomotive Depot & Museum has concluded final arrangements to purchase a Lima 70 Ton 3 truck shay similar to those that operated on the Wolgan Valley Railway at the turn of the last century.

The hunt to secure a shay locomotive begun almost 5 years ago and has finally concluded with the acquisition of a shay located in California. The locomotive built in 1910 will become the centre piece of an operational display dedicated to the Commonwealth Oil Corporation which built the massive oil shale works at Newnes and the 53 kilometre railway that connected it to the worldwide markets.

Further details will be released in coming weeks on how people can assist the company to restore what will become Australia's only standard gauge shay locomotive."

With the scant details provided I surmise that the locomotive in question could be Brimstone & New River Railroad #35 which last I knew was in Clarksburg Ca. Near Sacramento. I believe it had been listed for sale for quite sometime. Hopefully it will live again down under.

Steamlocomotive.info gives the 35's vitals as:

Wheels: Shay - 3 truck
Builder: Lima Locomotive Works
Build Date: 08/1910
Construction No.: 2366
Empty Weight: 140,000
Weight on Drivers: 140,000
Driver Diameter: 36
Tractive Effort: 30,350
Boiler Pressure: 180
Cylinders: 12x15
Fuel: Coal
Gauge: Standard


Location: Kirtlan's Silverbend Status: Dismantled

Yes, we did indeed sell this Shay to Australia. I was waiting until the group made it's announcement before we made it public.

This is indeed the Brimstone #35 a 3-truck Shay. The Australians began talking to the owner of Silverbend Farms who owned it several years ago. I was first contacted by them at that time.

When a deal could not be reached the sale was put on hold for a period of time. A year later I assisted when Chris Baldo when he purchased the entire collection at Silverbend. At that point Chris asked me to find a buyer for the Shay and I started up the negotiations with the Australians once again.

The deal has now been struck and the Shay is now owned by the folks down under. They are starting to move the engine at this time. It will first go to another spot in California before it is crated for shipping to Australia.

Here is s shot of #35 in service at Little Mountain, Tennessee in September 1951.

Martin



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 09/14/14 16:43 by LoggerHogger.

---

LoggerHogger Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The deal has now been struck and the Shay is now
> owned by the folks down under. They are starting
> to move the engine at this time. It will first go
> to another spot in California before it is crated
> for shipping to Australia.

Will it be shipped upside down?

In all seriousness - what happened in Australia that
not a single surviving example of such an engine
survived? Were there many at one time or was it a
rarity?

/Mitch

Sorry to break the news first Martin. Figured it was common knowledge once it was on FB. Glad you sold it to somebody willing to rebuild it. I think I will need to find an excuse to travel to Australia in a couple of years.

For those who're wondering, Newnes is near Lithgow.

I wonder how long it has been since a Shay has been at Sea? I know rod lokies have sailed between Hawaii and the mainland, but when was the last geared unit?

Glad to see an engine go anywhere it will be cared for and appreciated.

-Nick