The Shay Locomotive
Posted by: 
brwhiz
N 47° 57.264 W 124° 23.117
10T E 396574 N 5312160
This Historical Marker is located next to the Rayonier Shay Locomotive on the east side of Tillicum Lane at Tillicum Park in Forks, Washington.
Waymark Code: WMGDB5
Location: Washington, United States
Date Posted: 02/17/2013
Views: 4
The Shay Locomotive
Rayonier #10
The Shay locomotive is named for inventor Ephraim Shay of Cadillac, Michigan. The vertical cylinder conveyed power to all the wheels by universal joints and expansion couplings forming a flexible shaft which was rigid in revolution but flexible in every other direction. Through a series of gears, power from the boiler was carried to all of the wheels of the locomotive including those under the tender.
Not only could Shay's locomotive run on crude wooden rails, but it had tremendous power and traction to pull heavy loads up hills. It could also negotiate sharp curves and uneven terrain. Shay was one of the first in the United States to use locomotives to haul logs.