Roots of Motive Power
The Roots Collection
1918 Lima Locomotive Works Shay Steam Locomotive

The railroad collection of a logging history museum would never be complete without the presence of a Lima Locomotive Works Shay steam locomotive. In March 2005 the Board of Roots of Motive Power approved the purchase of the Robert Dollar Lumber Company Shay #2978, offered to the group by the Western Railroad Museum at Rio Vista CA. The Shay is a 50-ton, two-truck model, Class B 50-2, built in May, 1918 for the North Bend Mill & Lumber Company of North Bend OR. Robert Dollar Lumber Company acquired the locomotive in 1946 to serve its railroad logging operation near Glendale OR. Robert Dollar once operated two Shay locomotives at his sawmill and logging operations at Usal in northern Mendocino County, CA, circa 1900.

The gear-driven Shay will take a prized spot in the Roots collection along with the products of the two other primary manufacturers of geared locomotives, Bluestone Mining & Smelting Co.'s Heisler C/N 1351 and Holmes Eureka Co.'s Climax C/N 1621.

The Shay arrived at the Roots facility on April 30, 2005. A brief data report and historical summary of previous owners follows.