Steam & Excursion > With Her Days Of Fame Behind Her This Locomotive Goes To Work!

While many Shays toiled in near obscurity for all their life, a few were seen by the public regularly because of the railroad that operated them.  Here we see one such locomotive.

While she may not look pretty in this 1938 photo taken at Delleker, California, this locomotive once pulled nothing but sold-out passenger trains filled with paying excursionists.  Built by Lima in 1907 this 45-ton narrow gauge Shay was ordered as the #5 by the famed Argentine Central Ry that ran up out of Silver Plume, Colorado up the flanks of Argentine Peak.  She was big for a 2-truck narrow gauge Shay but with the grades she faced on the Argentine Central, she was perfectly suited for that job.  When built she was a coal burner.

Unfortunately, like other tourist-only railroads, the novelty of the line eventually wore off and the ACRy went bankrupt in 1912.  #1 was sold in 1913 to the Feather River Lumber Co. of Delleker, California along with sister Shay #4 from the ACRy.  Former ACRy #4 became the #2 on the FRL operation, while ACRy #5 became their #1 as we see here.  Both Shays were converted to burn oil at the FRL operation.

By the early 1940's the Feather River Lumber Co. had run out of timber to harvest.  Both #1 and #2 had experienced their share of wrecks while in logging service and the spit and polish shine that they wore on the ACRy was long gone.  Finally, they were both sold to Hyman-Michaels who tried in vain to find a buyer for them.  When that did not work they were both scrapped.

Shay #1 had certainly experienced more  "highs and lows" than most Shays ever saw.

Martin



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 10/17/20 05:13 by LoggerHogger.

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On 6/28/74 my wife and I hiked the Argentine Central RoW.  Gerry

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That is a great photo and I enjoy just vivifying that Shay working up this mountain side.  What a wonderful place to post your photo and I hope you can post some more about the Argentine Central trackage.  Thank you.

Mount McClellan is what is above silver plume, and the  rr ran up from waldorf, argentine pass is west of Waldorf, drive up either of them today from Waldorf

LoggerHogger Wrote:
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> While many Shays toiled in near obscurity for all
> their life, a few were seen by the public
> regularly because of the railroad that operated
> them.  Here we see one such locomotive.
>
> While she may not look pretty in this 1938 photo
> taken at Delleker, California, this locomotive
> once pulled nothing but sold-out passenger trains
> filled with paying excursionists.  Built by Lima
> in 1907 this 45-ton narrow gauge Shay was ordered
> as the #5 by the famed Argentine Central Ry that
> ran up out of Silver Plume, Colorado up the flanks
> of Argentine Peak.  She was big for a 2-truck
> narrow gauge Shay but with the grades she faced on
> the Argentine Central, she was perfectly suited
> for that job.  When built she was a coal burner.
>
> Unfortunately, like other tourist-only railroads,
> the novelty of the line eventually wore off and
> the ACRy went bankrupt in 1912.  #1 was sold in
> 1913 to the Feather River Lumber Co. of Delleker,
> California along with sister Shay #4 from the
> ACRy.  Former ACRy #4 became the #2 on the FRL
> operation, while ACRy #5 became their #1 as we see
> here.  Both Shays were converted to burn oil at
> the FRL operation.
>
> By the early 1940's the Feather River Lumber Co.
> had run out of timber to harvest.  Both #1 and #2
> had experienced their share of wrecks while in
> logging service and the spit and polish shine that
> they wore on the ACRy was long gone.  Finally,
> they were both sold to Hyman-Michaels who tried in
> vain to find a buyer for them.  When that did not
> work they were both scrapped.
>
> Shay #1 had certainly experienced more  "highs
> and lows" than most Shays ever saw.
>
> Martin

Those two rerail frogs hanging above the front truck have probably been used a time or two.