Lima builder's plate, 1918

Concept for a Lima Shay Museum in Lima, Ohio, 2005

Site for Lima Shay Museum Concept, 2005

Lima Locomotive Works was an American firm that manufactured railroad locomotives from the 1870s through the 1950s. The company took the most distinctive part of its name from its main shops location in Lima, Ohio. The shops were located between the Baltimore & Ohio's Cincinnati-Toledo main line and the Nickel Plate Road main line and shops. The company is best known for producing the Shay type of locomotive. Image File history File links Lima_builder's_plate. ... Image File history File links Lima_builder's_plate. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1600x822, 160 KB) Author: Self, Free License I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1600x822, 160 KB) Author: Self, Free License I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1600x869, 359 KB) Author: Self, Free License I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1600x869, 359 KB) Author: Self, Free License I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... This is the top-level page of WikiProject trains Rail tracks Rail transport refers to the land transport of passengers and goods along railways or railroads. ... A locomotive (from Latin loco motivus) is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train, and has no payload capacity of its own; its sole purpose is to move the train along the tracks. ... // The invention of the telephone (1876) by Alexander Graham Bell. ... // Recovering from World War II and its aftermath, the economic miracle emerged in West Germany and Italy. ... Lima Trust Building. ... 1876 map The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) is one of the oldest railroads in the United States, with an original line from the port of Baltimore, Maryland, west to the Ohio River at Wheeling and Parkersburg, West Virginia. ... The New York, Chicago and St. ... The Shay locomotive was the most popular and best-known type of geared steam locomotive. ...

History

In 1878 James Alley contracted the Lima Machine Works to build a new steam locomotive that Ephraim Shay had designed. In April of 1880, Lima rebuilt Ephraim Shay’s original design, using vertically side-mounted pistons mounted on the right, connected to a drive line on the outside of the trucks. The Shay was geared to provide more pulling ability for use in the lumber industry. The first Shay locomotive was built in 1880 and was such a success that many people in the lumber industry wanted one. To accommodate the new demand for the locomotive Shay licensed the right to build his locomotive to the Lima Machine Works, which expanded and began to ship Shay locomotives to lumbermen across the frontier. Two years later, locomotives were the main product being produced by the Lima Machine Works, which would produce over 300 locomotives during the next ten years. Ephraim Shay, 1861 Ephraim Shay, 1880 Ephraim Shay in this later years. ...

After a serious fire, a new shop was opened in 1902 and Shay production continued. However, as railroads began to recognize that speed was as important as efficiency in freight service, the Shay was rendered obsolete. With no option, Lima began constructing conventional steam locomotives.

Success returned to Lima with the new concept of "superpower" developed by Lima's mechanical engineer William E. Woodard. By making significant changes to the boiler system by increasing the boiler's capacity to generate steam, he was able to make the locomotives more powerful. He did this by adding another axle to the trailing truck to support a 100 square foot (9 m²) grate, creating the 2-8-4 wheel arrangement, which came to be known as the "Berkshire" on most railroads. He summed up superpower by defining it as "horsepower at speed." It was named the A-1 locomotive and after a highly successful series of tests it was sent around the country to make the idea of superpower known. A boiler is a closed vessel in which water or other fluid is heated under pressure. ... The trailing wheels (boxed) on a 4-6-2 locomotive. ... In the Whyte notation, a 2-8-4 is a railroad steam locomotive that has one unpowered leading axle followed by four powered driving axles and two unpowered trailing axles. ...

The A-1 was a pioneering locomotive in what became known as the Super Power movement, which revolutionized steam locomotive design. The other two builders ultimately embraced many of Lima's principles; four-wheel trailing truck became standard for large locomotives. Although there were many successful Super Power designs, perhaps the most famous were Lima's 2-8-4s for Nickel Plate, streamlined 4-8-4s for Southern Pacific and mammoth 2-6-6-6 Alleghenies for the Chesapeake & Ohio and the Virginian. The Norfolk & Western Railways Class J locomotive #611, a 1950 product of the railroads own Roanoke, Virginia shops. ... The Southern Pacific Railroad (AAR reporting mark SP) was an American railroad. ... The 2-6-6-6 (in Whyte notation) locomotive type has 2 leading wheels and three sets of six driving wheels. ... The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (C&O) was a Class I railroad formed in 1869 in Virginia from many smaller railroads begun in the 19th century. ... The Virginian Railway (AAR reporting mark VGN) was a Class I railroad located in Virginia and West Virginia in the United States. ...

In 1939, Lima made 12 AC-9 2-8-8-4 locomotives for the Southern Pacific, numbered 3800 through 3811. All other locomotives in the AC-1 through AC-12 series were cab forwards made by Baldwin. None of the Lima AC-9s survive today. Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range 2-8-8-4 Yellowstone #229 as preserved. ... Southern Pacific Railroads AC-1 class of cab forward steam locomotives consisted of locomotives rebuilt from MC-1 and MC-2 class locomotives that were originally built by Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1909. ... Southern Pacific Railroads AC-12 class of cab forward steam locomotives was the last class of steam locomotives ordered by Southern Pacific. ... This article needs to be wikified. ... Baldwin Locomotive Works builders plate, 1922 The Baldwin Locomotive Works was an American builder of railroad locomotives. ...

In 1947, the firm merged with General Machinery Corporation of Hamilton, Ohio, to form Lima-Hamilton. Hamilton is a city in Butler County, Ohio, United States. ...

Lima's last steam locomotive was Nickel Plate No. 779, a 2-8-4 "Berkshire", which left the erecting halls in 1949. That same year Lima promoted a new wheel arrangement, the 4-8-6. This would have allowed an even larger firebox than the 4-8-4. No example of the type was built, however. The New York, Chicago and St. ... Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, a 4-8-6 locomotive would have had four leading wheels, eight coupled driving wheels and six trailing wheels. ...

In 1951, Lima-Hamilton merged with Baldwin Locomotive Works to form Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton (BLH). Though Lima and Baldwin had been known for high-quality steam locomotives, their line of diesel-electric locomotives was unable to compete with the likes of EMD, Alco, and GE. BLH quietly left the locomotive business in 1956. Baldwin Locomotive Works builders plate, 1922 The Baldwin Locomotive Works was an American builder of railroad locomotives. ... A locomotive (from Latin loco motivus) is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train, and has no payload capacity of its own; its sole purpose is to move the train along the tracks. ... Electro-Motive Diesel, Inc. ... The American Locomotive Company, shortened to ALCo was a builder of railroad locomotives in the United States. ... GE Infrastructure, a subsidiary of General Electric, is headquartered in Evendale, Ohio (a Cincinnati suburb) and is comprised of GE Aviation, GE Energy, and GE Rail. ... Year 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

For a time, Clark Equipment Company manufactured Lima-brand construction cranes in the old plant. Most of the company's records and builder's drawings are now housed in the California State Railroad Museum's library in Sacramento, California. Today Lima Locomotive Works is currently represented by a new locally owned and operated restaurant in Lima, Ohio, that celebrates the rich railroad history in Lima, Ohio. The California State Railroad Museum in Old Sacramento is a tribute to the role of the iron horse in connecting California to the rest of the nation. ... Nickname: City of Trees Location of Sacramento in California County Sacramento Mayor Heather Fargo Area    - City 99. ...

Timeline

• 1877: Lima Machine Works is established to produce agricultural and sawmill equipment.
• 1878: Lima Machine Works builds the first Shay type locomotive.
• 1892: Lima Machine Works reorganizes and emerges as Lima Locomotive & Machine Company.
• 1911: Lima begins manufacturing locomotives for Class I railroads.
• 1912: Another reorganization and Lima emerges as Lima Locomotive Corporation.
• 1916: Joel Coffin purchases Lima; the company is renamed Lima Locomotive Works.
• 1947: Lima is merged with General Machinery Corporation of Hamilton, Ohio. The new company is named Lima-Hamilton.
• 1949: Lima's last steam locomotive is built. Unsuccessful promotion of the 4-8-6. Production of Cranes and other construction equipment continues at the Lima plant.
• 1951: Lima-Hamilton is merged with Baldwin Locomotive Works. The new company is named Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton.
• 1956: Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton exits the locomotive market.
• 1980: Production of cranes and construction equipment ends, Lima factory closed and sold.
• 1998: The former Lima erecting shed and heavy Shay shops are razed.

1877 (MDCCCLXXVII) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... 1878 (MDCCCLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1892 (MDCCCXCII) was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... 1911 (MCMXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar). ... A Class I railroad in the United States, or a Class I railway (also Class I rail carrier) in Canada, is one of the largest freight railroads, as classified based on operating revenue. ... 1912 (MCMXII) was a leap year starting on Monday in the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Tuesday in the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Year 1916 (MCMXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar). ... Year 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1947 calendar). ... Hamilton is a city in Butler County, Ohio, United States. ... Year 1949 (MCMXLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1949 calendar). ... 1951 (MCMLI) was a common year starting on Monday; see its calendar. ... Baldwin Locomotive Works builders plate, 1922 The Baldwin Locomotive Works was an American builder of railroad locomotives. ... Year 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday. ... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ...

References

• Steam Locomotive Builders
• Lima Locomotive Works and Super Power steam, Trains Magazine

Lima Locomotive Works

• Lima Locomotive Works

External links

• Preserved Lima locomotive list