Steam & Excursion > Any Early Product Of The Original Holder Of This Steam Patent!

While most of us are very familiar with the Heisler Locomotive Works and the Heisler gear engine that they turned out for the logging industry, many forget that they were not the first builders of this locomotive.

When Charles Heisler perfected his patented system for geared locomotive, he turned his invention over to the Stearns Manufacturing Company for them to build the first examples of his wonderful invention.  We see one of those early Stearns-built locomotives here in the form of Michigan-California #1 at Pino Grande, California in 1922.

Built in 1898 for Mich-Calif's predecessor, The American Land & Lumber Co, #1 was only the 14th Heisler turned out by the Stearns Manufacturing Company under the patent held by Charles Heisler. We can see the distinctive builder's plate on #1's smokebox in the photo.  A similar plate from West Side Lumber Heisler #3 is also shown so one can see the style of plate used by Stearns on these early Heislers.

After building fewer than 100 Heislers, Stearns turned over the patents to the Heisler Locomotive Works who continured to turn out these geared locomotives until the early 1940's. 

Martin



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 02/14/19 05:34 by LoggerHogger.

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> After building fewer than 100 Heislers, Stearns
> turned over the patents to the Heisler Locomotive
> Works

Wasn't that just a corporate name change?

Lighter Wrote:
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> Wasn't that just a corporate name change?

From things I have read, I think it was a bit more than that.  Reportedly Stearns deliberately stopped making Heisler patent locomotives in 1904.  In 1907, the company underwent a major reorganization and what emerged was the Heisler Locomotive Works.  There were changes in management and corporate structure.

Also, interesting note: the very first Heisler type locomotive was built by Dunkirk Engineering as Charles Heisler was the personal assistant to the company's president.

Z

Charles Heisler was a resident of Wapakoneta, Ohio, for an unknown period of time.  Wapakoneta was about 18 miles south of the Lima Locomotive Works so as a 30 year resident of Wapak, I always wondered if he worked there and developed his brain-storms from Lima's Shays.  I never could find out any more than that residency fact.  Hmmm.