Hello,
I am doing a paper for school on the development of geared locomotives in the U.S. and am having trouble finding any information on generic geared locos. Does anyone know of a book that would be of help? Or will I need to put info from many different sources together?
Thanks for any help.
Mark
Mark,
Ther is no such thing as "generic" geared locos. Except for something knocked together in the back woods, they were all patented designs. Shay was the oldest and was built by Lima under liscense. Heisler and Climax came along later. In the 1920's, after the Shay patents expired, Willamette built a couple of dozen shay derivitaves under the Willamette name.
The best Shay book I know of is Titans of the Timber by Koch, and my former room mate Steve Hauff did a book on Climax. If you can find these on Amazon, I suspect you will need to bring big bucks.
Mac McCulloch
There is always Wiki for a start.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geared_steam_locomotive
That also leads to a listing of types, which has more information.
Virtually all locomotives in use in the USA today are geared....traction motor is geared to the driving wheel.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
B&M482I am doing a paper for school on the development of geared locomotives in the U.S. and am having trouble finding any information on generic geared locos. Does anyone know of a book that would be of help? Or will I need to put info from many different sources together?
Why would you need anything beyond www.gearedsteam.com?
Thanks everyone for your suggestions. This is actually for a college paper and we are not able to cite websites as references. I have a couple of books that pertain to logging and mountain railroads that used STEAM geared locos and manufaturer books for the big three, I just didn't know if there was a book about the history and use of geared locos. I also have a couple of magazine articles that pertain to geared locos.
B&M482This is actually for a college paper and we are not able to cite websites as references.
But can you use websites that provide you lists of books?
http://www.gearedsteam.com/books/locomotives-geared-steam1.htm
(Note that there are also pages 2 and 3.)
Don't forget about Jack-shift diesels where one axle has a traction motor then the shift transfers the torque to the next axle. Low cost solution for industrial locomotives. Add, there is the Pennsy DD1electric which used rods to transfer motor torque to two drive wheels. Think of the DD1 like two 4-4-0 + 0-4-4.
With ideas here and web research, should locate the books you need. Also, check your reference area for copies of Railway Age. I went to Rutgers Neward and the libary had 1945 to 1960 issues available. If you need books in a hurry, eBay and Amazon.
Too bad can't use net references, there are photos of a Shay converted to diesel keeping the gear train on either here or on Classic Trains.
Good luck with your paper!
"Jack-shift" threw me for a moment; I had always seen "jack-shaft."
Johnny
Deggesty"Jack-shift" threw me for a moment; I had always seen "jack-shaft."
It's a Jersey thing -- ask Firelock or Lady Firestorm. If you're not from Neward, you don't know jack-shift .
LOL! You are correct, born and raised on the DLW electrics in North Jersey. Yes, it is jack-shaft.
Actually, the natives of Newark pronouce it "Nork," Lady Firestorm and I are from Paramus, and WE pronounce it "New-irk," the way you're suposed to.
And that's no shift!
A bit of history. Newark was founded in the 17th Century by Puritan bail-outs from Massachusetts. Apparantly the bail-outs didn't think the Massachusetts Puritans weren't hard-core enough, and they named the settlement "New Ark."
PS: Lady Firestorm's tickled to death she's famous on the Forum!
Quoting Firelock: 'Actually, the natives of Newark pronouce it "Nork," Lady Firestorm and I are from Paramus, and WE pronounce it "New-irk," the way you're suposed to.'
And that's no shift! "
Right! that's not a shift-it's an elision!
Important to visit the "Visit the High Line NOW" thread on the Transit forum for a most unusual application and modification of Shay geared locomotives.
Google Books are a good source for out of print books, particularly those that have been out of print for 75+ years.
I've found a number of Poors Manuals, various RR Chatechisms, Car Builders Cyclopedias, and etc. there. It's probably one of the best kept secret resources on the net.
The book Allegheny Valley Logging Railroads has two sections devoted to the three main types of geared locomotives. As well as some dicussion of other types. One section describes the devlopment of the engines and the other has drawings, specifations, and pictures. It is book No. 11 in the series Logging Railroad Era of Lumbering in Pennsylvannia, Written by Walter C. Casier. The series was printed in 1977, I have seen them for sale at tourist railroad book shoppes, they seem to be avalable. The whole series is great reading if you are interested in logging and railroading that supported it. Hope this helps
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