Text and images courtesy of Martin E. Hansen
Shared with permission
For nearly 40 years a single shop in Corry, PA was busy day in and day out producing one of the most successful geared locomotives of all time, the Climax Locomotive.
The Climax was second only to Lima's Shay in production totals. In this first scene we see the plant floor covered with Climax Locomotives under construction. There are Class A types (lower right front) and 2-truck Class B types (directly in front of the A) and 3-truck Class C types (back left) under construction on this day in 1914. Can you imagine the noise that this shop produced?
The second view shows some of the skilled craftsmen that assembled these fine geared machines. You can see on the faces of these men the pride they took in building these sturdy logging locomotives.
The 3rd view shows the results of the skilled work performed in the Corry, PA shops of the Climax Locomotive Works. In this builder's portrait we see C/N 1451 built in 1917 for the Columbia & Nehalem River RR, a logging outfit in Oregon's Coast Range. Her rugged construction will enable her to pull thousands of loads of old growth logs out of the woods for decades to come.
Despite it's success in the timber industry, the failing economy of the 1920's together with the increased competition from Heisler and Willamette, caused Climax to close its doors for all time in December 1928 after turning out Elk River Coal & Lumber #3. (c/n 1692). This engine survives today in pieces at Felton, CA on the Roaring Camp & Big Trees RR.
Anyone who has been lucky enough to run one of these engines can certainly attest to their raw power and traction produced by this engine. I can also say that the ride you get running one of these engines with their 45-degree cylinders is like no other steam locomotive!
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