Glenwood, South Park and Pacific live steam Class-A Shay pulls the Ballast Train on the Hillcrest & Wahtoke's new Wahtoke Division and through James "Homer" Holmes tunnel. www.hillcrestreedley.com/node/12
Something about live steam doing real work like a real train. It's really neat. It's one thing to have it go around in loops, or carry people, but actually doing work is beyond that. I don't know why. I guess it just brings an extra level of realism. And that Shay is gorgeous.
I must say awesome railroad awesome number 7 little Shay and any tool that gives a thumbs down to this video is must be a moron or millennial don't know what real work is or craftsmanship is well done
I want it known that this class A Shay was built by Ken Kukuk, Ken Petersen and me, Johnny Hoffman with stack provided by James Holmes. It was built in the 1970's at the residence of Ken Kukuk. It was a tribute to our friends the Holmes brothers and their GSP&P railway located near Glenwood in the Santa Cruz mountains. Ken Kukuk, John Mueller and I are still living. The steam driven air compressor was built by John Mueller from the McDermott castings. Number 7 is on loan to Hillcrest.
Shays certainly are the ideal engine for this type of work. Lightweight, yet powerful. Does the #7 have a specific basis? It looks like an A class Shay to me (A types being 2-truck, 2-cylinder Shays).
It is a model of a Collins and Garrison class A Shay which was in a photo on the cover of a reprint of a Lima catalog. This is posted by Johnny Hoffman, one of the builders of this 15" gage model.
Do you pull the long track supports after the ballast is tamped? What weight rail are you using and where did you get it? Surprising how even a small train can transport substantial multi ton loads.
