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yankeedog — Climax
Published: 2008-09-05 20:17:16 +0000 UTC; Views: 3886; Favourites: 57; Downloads: 145
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Description
The lumber industry in Pennsylvania was big business. People like T.D. Collins were nearly the equal of Carnegie, but his fortune was made in wood. To move the lumber, a special type of locomotive was needed, a geared locomotive. These locomotives could scale steep grades on twisty ribbons of steal that covered the mountains of northwest Pennsylvania. The most famous geared locomotive was the Shay locomotive, but in the town of Corry Pennsylvania, Climax Locomotives ruled the woods. If the steam locomotive was the "Iron Horse", the geared locomotive was an Iron Mountain Goat.Adobe Illustrator 8 & CS2, Apple G4 & G5 Power Mac, OS 9.2 & OSX Tiger.
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Comments: 56
Thanks! Cool! I know they have a real one at Cass in WVA.
-YD
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May be one of my most favorites of yours. Then again, there are so many...
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Thanks, I appreciate it!
-YD
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This is so beautiful! - one of your pieces that touched my heart!
A good fellow named James Buchanan became friend of my eldest brother Najeeb Nayyer, he sent us with a compact disc containing all his efforts related to rebuilding Climax locomotives, I have it saved over my PC, it has all the Climax history, the pictures of rusting, neglected Climax locomotives, CAD drawings, Climax logos and all the reverse engineering stuff! we were so impressed when we saw it all, the revival of Climax Locos!
Let me know if you need anything!
- Ahmed Nayyer
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Thanks! I always liked the Climax locomotives and the fact that they were built here in Pennsylvania was an added bonus.
-YD
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Wow. Amazing artwork. Just SO good.
And I've never even HEARD of geared steamers like this. THANKS!
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Thanks Brandon. Years ago my friend's family had a camp up in Kelletville in the Allegheny National Forest. Every once in a while we would see some remnants of the lumber industry in the woods when we would go 4 wheeling. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania published a series of books on the Lumber Industry in PA, they are great books with lots of photos and information.
The Cass Scenic Mountain Railroad has working exampes of most of the geared locomotives: [link] Some Youtube footage: [link]
-YD
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Hey, the Georgetown Loop Railroad has one of these! Odd looking things, but very cool nonetheless. Good stuff Don!
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There are still a few of them around, except in the place where they were built.
-YD
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Yeah, unfortunately the GLRR's unit is all but dead now. They still have a few regular units under steam, and a friend of mine actually works as a fireman/conductor for them during the tourist seasons.
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That's too bad. Long may they steam. That would be a fun job!
-YD
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Reminds me of the kind of style they used for Travel posters in the 1920's. Great job!
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Thanks, it does have that feel.
-YD
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Great illustration Don. Nice to see one of the other geared locomotives besides the ever popular Shay. Now all you need is a Heisler.
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Thanks Mark! Years ago, when I first began to study the lumber industry in Forest County and the empire of Teddy Collins, I was always impressed by the geared locomotives, especially the Climax. I don't know that much about the Heisler, but, I've been trying to find an image of a Henderson style Shay that was built under license in Cadillac, Michigan.
-YD
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Love it, again looks like it would make an awesome poster or something.
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Thanks Jeff. Yeah, it would make a cool poster.
-YD
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Awesome work! 
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Thanks! Yeah, they are cool, I'm trying to arrange a trip sown to Cass, WVA to see their collection of geared locomotives. They have one of the world's largest Shays, Western Maryland's No. 6.
-YD
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I read that the Largest Shay in the World was a 4-truck Beast, with a Straight Smokestack 'cause it Burned Coal...
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I think the WM Shay at Cass is the second largest also a monster.
-YD
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Faving this one cause I know I'm going to steal those colors.
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Thanks David! The irony is that the colors are roughly based on a poster I saw at a restaurant last weekend.
-YD
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GEARED LOCOMOTIVES! w00t! I love geared locos! Beautiful Hiesler.
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Thanks! She's a Climax! I'll have to do an illustration of a Heisler sometime.
-YD
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Well, heisler is the first thing I attributed to it, with the tilted gearing you know? But then "Climax" really wasn't a definite class of locomotives, there were thousands of designs. But either way she's a BEAUTY!
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They were two different companies and patents. The big difference is that the Heisler has opposing pistons in a "V" like on a Moto Guzzi motorcycle. The Climax had forward facing piston like a traditional steam locomotive, but they were angled down. Both types were built in Pennsylvania. Heisler in Erie, PA and Climax in Corry, PA.
-YD
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I absolutely did not know that. My three favorite locomotives have to be #1. Shay, #2. Heisler, #3. Camelback
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Camelbacks are cool, I liked the Erie RR ones!
-YD
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I don't believe I've ever seen The Erie road's Camelbacks.
Gotta piture?
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They are the coolest! [link]
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You. Will. Buy me one!!! xD
Gimmie Gimmie! That thing is the most kickass locomotive I've ever seen. Must've been extremely unnerving to be above a place where there were no wheels actually "supporting" you under your feet. It's a pretty locomotive.
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They were great looking machines. I did a pen & ink of one years ago.
-YD
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This looks like it could be a book cover. Great work.
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Thanks! It would make a nice cover.
-YD
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Very nice. We have a Climax in pieces nearby at Roaring Camp, but I doubt they have the money to put it back together. But you piece is a good way to remember them.
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