Re: Geared Locomotive ride question

On the subject of piston valves, Willamette built their first superheated locomotive, in 1923, with slide valves. This was quickly found to be unsatisfactory and the engine was converted to piston valves. All subsequent Willamettes had piston valves. Lima, in the manner adopted by automobile manufacturers, insisted there was no problem until they came out with the PC Shay in 1927. A further inovation on KL&L #6/Rayoneer #2 was a Worthington feed water heater, possibly the only one applied to a geared locomotive. It was removed by Rayoneer for maintenance reason.

A note on locomotive weights: As most of you know, the listed weight of a locomotive was a matter of liars figuring. I do not have numbers at hand for the Shay but the Willamette in question, though listed as a 75 ton, actually had a working weight of 91 tons