Shop Number 3311 Shay - Lake Cowichan, BC - Locomotives on Waymarking.com

This is a 1927 Class B 50-2. It was built June 29th 1927 and bought for $19,258 from the Houfius Steel and Equipment Company in Seattle Washington. They were a dealer for Shay and Climax Locomotives. Original purchasers, Merrill & Ring Lumber Co. Ltd., numbered it 2 and used it for their Squamish BC operations until 1942. It was then sold to Comox Logging & Railway Co. Ltd where it was renumbered to 12 and used at their Courtenay operations here on Vancouver Island until the mid 1950's. It was brought to and used around Ladysmith until 1959 when it was removed from service. In 1962, it was donated to the Town of Ladysmith. In 1992 it was then loaned to the Kaatza Historical Society of Lake Cowichan where it was put on display beside the Museum.

Shays are unique in several ways, they sit on Trucks that could number from 2, 3, or 4 and every one was powered through beveled gears by an engine that sat vertically on the right side of the locomotive, because of the engine location, the boiler sat off center to the left which makes the locomotive look 'lopsided' when viewed from the front. These powered trucks were well suited to the rough trackage and tight corners that were typically found on logging railways which is why a large percentage of the 3354 Shays built by the Lima Locomotive Works where used in logging operations. Of all of those built, less than 120 are still around. Most are on display but there are a few that remain operational.

Information for this waypoint came from the Kaatza Historical Society of Lake Cowichan and www.shaylocomotives.com (HnGB4)

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