THE INDUSTRIAL RAILWAY RECORD

No. 20 - p288-289

© AUGUST 1968

STATESIDE  SWITCHERS

(4)   THE 'HEISLER' GEARED LOCOMOTIVE

    In the 1890's, during the heyday of the American timber industry, some five builders were turning out geared locomotives. The first locomotive to Heisler's design (built by the Stearns Manufacturing Company) was delivered to Mexico in 1894. One axle of each bogie was driven by gears through a central longitudinal transmission shaft, and the wheels of each bogie were connected by coupling rods.

    The Heisler was the simplest of the five American geared designs since it used only two sets of gears, but was second in popularity to the Shay (built by the Lima Locomotive Works) probably because the Shay's running gear is mounted on one side and is therefore readily accessible for repairs. The other three geared designs (Climax; Baldwin; Dunkirk) used a drive shaft similar to the Heisler but transmitted power from longitudinal cylinders by means of a lateral jackshaft. This feature plus direct drive on all four axles called for three additional sets of gears and consequently a higher maintenance expense.   (Further information would be welcomed. - Hon. Eds.)

The drawings reproduced here (not of the 1894 locomotive), copyright 1949, are reproduced by special permission of MODEL RAILROADER magazine, Milwaukee.