CFP Shay 50 ton class B #98 and Odd looking locomotives

daylight4449 · **Posted:** Sun Oct 25, 2020 10:23 am

John T wrote:

As to the Skagit locomotive I did not suggest that it was built by them but stated it. It is the prototype of their ZM line.

ZM-10 ZM-10A1 07-15-51 Waukesha* 30 tons B-B
West Tacoma News Print Co. Steilcoom, WA
Skagit Steel & Iron Works Sedro Woolley, WA plant switcher (here 11-53)
Skagit Division of Bendix-LTV “ 1969
Skagit Corp. Sedro Woolley, WA
Delta Corp. “
Sedro Woolley Museum
* Ford V-8 installed later still stored at abandoned plant site 2018
http://www.northeast.railfan.net/images/bendix0.jpg
http://www.northeast.railfan.net/images/sksxZM12.jpg
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/archiv ... x?id=57821
ZM-15 ZM-15A1 06-25-56 25 tons B-B 42” gauge Caterpillar
Geveke & Co. (for cement plant near Jakarta Indonesia) (here 1985)
PT Semen Gresik (here 2008) (The cement plant was closed at that time.)
https://www.flickr.com/photos/sugarcane ... 561889290/
ZM-18 ZM-18A1 to ZM-18A30 11-19-54 25 tons B-B 30” gauge
Waukesha WAK8 272 HP Alcohol fuel
Taiwan Sugar Corp. Kao-Shiung Taiwan
ZM-16 ZM-16A1 to ZM-16A4 02-03-60 0-6-0 30” gauge Waukesha 145GZ3
Re-powered with 200 HP Allis-Chalmers diesel engines in 1979
Taiwan Sugar Corp. #951-954 Kao-Shiung Taiwan
via Golden Gate Enterprises (D)
(As of 10-05-05 #951, 952 & 954 at Wu-Shu-Lin and #953 at Nan-Jing)
(#954 was put into tourist train service in 2010.)
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Categ ... co-952.JPG
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Categ ... co-951.JPG

If there is anything else you want to know I am glad to help.

So with this ZM line, what was the point of articulating the whole body? Seems quite unusual, especially on something so... Well, small. At the same time were many of these even built? Up until my colleague sent me the pictures of the one in the Northwest I had no idea these even existed.

John T · **Joined:** Sun Sep 14, 2014 5:05 pm **Posts:** 1270

Dylan, As you can see from the complete list above not many of the ZMs were built. As to why articulated I can only speculate. The first one was designed and built to replace an 0-4-0T and an 8-ton Plymouth at a paper mill. My guess is that they wanted a ridged wheelbase no longer than their existing locomotive. It looks like the Skagit was not a seccess because it was replaced in just 2 yrars by a 20-ton Whitcomb.

PaulWWoodring · **Posted:** Sun Oct 25, 2020 10:57 am

Critters like these provide the inspiration for smaller live steam size locomotives for those looking for a starter unit that can fit in the back of their SUV or small pickup.

daylight4449 · **Posted:** Sun Oct 25, 2020 4:12 pm

John T wrote:

Dylan, As you can see from the complete list above not many of the ZMs were built. As to why articulated I can only speculate. The first one was designed and built to replace an 0-4-0T and an 8-ton Plymouth at a paper mill. My guess is that they wanted a ridged wheelbase no longer than their existing locomotive. It looks like the Skagit was not a seccess because it was replaced in just 2 yrars by a 20-ton Whitcomb.

Well I feel rather stupid... That's not a large roster for certain. So the articulation was meant to get around the rigid wheelbase issue? Alright... But why not just make similar wheelbase trucks and have those swivel? As odd as the Skagit engine is, to my mind that just screams adding complexity.

John T · **Joined:** Sun Sep 14, 2014 5:05 pm **Posts:** 1270

What Skagit built was two four-wheel locomotives, a cow & calf if you will. One unit had the motor, transmission, torque converter and controls with a chain drive to the wheels. The second unit just had a drive line to it and weight for traction. Starting in the 1920s Skagit built a large number of speeders and rail cars. They also built Fordson conversion locomotives, a converted Heisler and three diesel electrics. The ZMs were the end of the line.

Here is the Heisler today: https://www.facebook.com/43235674015384 ... =3&theater