r/machinesinaction 6d ago

Steam locomotive with interesting gear drive mechanisms

1.8k Upvotes

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u/Charlie14Golf 5d ago

It's pretty cool, but it looks like a hell of a lot of maintenance!

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u/stuntman1108 1d ago

Yes, they are. But, they have incredible pulling power for their size, and work extremely well on poorly built or rough track. They were made for the logging industry in the late 1800s. Those rail lines were often made using logs as crossties, and were usually very rough, uneven, and steep. These locomotives excelled at their job. Another version is called the Climax. Yes. It is real, no, I am not joking about the name. It was for the same job, just a different design and drive train layout.