chris king Wrote:
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> Another interesting thing about#14 is that she has
> one of two gear ratios offered on narrow gauge
> shays .This being said it was the higher of these
> two wich allowed higher track speeds and as a
> result less revolutions per minute on the
> machinery which means less wear and tear on the
> valves,pistons,line shafts,horn bearings,etc.it
> also greatly reduced the amount of water used in
> the boiler due to less feet per minute that the
> pistons have to travel.
Good point to bring up Chris...while the great majority of orders
were with standard gearing, there were a few machines that got the
optional ratio. One is the 70-3 now up near Arnold that was former
Yosemite Lbr. Co. 4 (c/n 3092). The lower gearing bumped her t.e.
up from the usual 30,350 lbs. to 34,000 lbs. Another variable, one
seldom used in this country, was boiler pressure. One of the 90-3
class 3T Shays that went to Vancouver Island had either 210 or 220
lb. pressure instead of the usual 200 lbs. This bumped the t.e.
up around 44,000 lbs. vs. the stock 40,400 lbs. Your points about
the reduced wear on the 14 are well taken.