Steam & Excursion > Despite All The Changes To This Locomotive One Constant Remains!

Few steam locomotives lead a harder life than that of a logging lokie.  These engines were call upon to operate around the clock on steep grades with second hand track and crews at times with minimal experience.  These conditions often led to constant abuse for the engine and often a number of wrecks during her life.  This locomotive exemplifies that hard life of a logging engine.

In this fine view taken in 1940 by Seattle railfan Harold Hill, we see Mullinix Brothers Logging Shay #12 parked at Pe Ell, Washington between log runs.  She shows the modifications that came to logging lokies over their years of service in the woods.

Originally built new in 1915 for The Shevlin-Hixon Company of Bend, Oregon as their #1 this 60-ton 3-truck Shay sported a wooded cab when she left the factory, a railing around the tender, and the usual cover over the cylinders.  All of those amenities are long gone by this point in her life as a result of a hard life and a number of wrecks over the years that she was involved in.

The very first such wreck that this engine was involved in was during her early years at Shevlin-Hixon, when a flatcar loaded with rail got loose in the woods and rolled down the track out of control into camp where #1 and her crew were operating.  The loaded car slammed into #1's tender tearing it off it's moorings and crushed to death 2 crewmen in her cab.

Over the years this Shay suffered additional  injuries that left their scars including the destruction of her original smokebox front.  Despite all this abuse, this venerable Shay worked for no less than 4 different owners over her career.  All the time, she remained a wood-burner just as she had been when she left the Lima factory when she was new.

Lima built a tough locomotive that was designed to take the abuse of a long logging career.  #12 is a testament to that.

Martin



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 11/29/18 02:16 by LoggerHogger.

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