The message in the link below was posted to the STEAMERS Steam Engine & Traction Engine Bulletin Board. It includes a historic picture of a Pearless traction engine that has been modified to serve as motive power on a logging railroad. Notice also the wooden rails.

The gentleman posting this message is seeking help in building a model of it; if anyone can help him, I'm sure he will appreciate it.

There is another example in a museum outside of Sonora, California. It is an Owens, Lane & Dyer traction engine that was built in the 1870s, and so modified for use on a mining railway. It is pictured on my "Surviving World Steam Vehicle" CD-ROM. It looks more like a conventional traction engine, with the wheels replaced by flanged wheels.

Some Aveling & Porter traction engines were also so modified in Australia, and have been preserved. Aveling & Porter also built new some industrial locomotives based on their traction engines. Several of these are preserved in the UK, and pictured on my "Surviving World Steam Locomotive" CD-ROM.

-James Hefner
Hebrews 10:20a

Peerless Traction Engine on Rails
james@survivingworldsteam.com

> The message in the link below was posted to
> the STEAMERS Steam Engine & Traction
> Engine Bulletin Board. It includes a
> historic picture of a Pearless traction
> engine that has been modified to serve as
> motive power on a logging railroad. Notice
> also the wooden rails.

> The gentleman posting this message is
> seeking help in building a model of it; if
> anyone can help him, I'm sure he will
> appreciate it.

> There is another example in a museum outside
> of Sonora, California. It is an Owens, Lane
> & Dyer traction engine that was built in
> the 1870s, and so modified for use on a
> mining railway. It is pictured on my
> "Surviving World Steam Vehicle"
> CD-ROM. It looks more like a conventional
> traction engine, with the wheels replaced by
> flanged wheels.

> Some Aveling & Porter traction engines
> were also so modified in Australia, and have
> been preserved. Aveling & Porter also
> built new some industrial locomotives based
> on their traction engines. Several of these
> are preserved in the UK, and pictured on my
> "Surviving World Steam Locomotive"
> CD-ROM.

> -James Hefner
> Hebrews 10:20a

I seem to recall that Godfrey(?) Humann, out in California, had a 16 hp Advance traction engine that had flanges so as to run on rails for a lumber road. He also has a little German steamer.

Looks like an OSHA compliant logging locomotives to me from days gone by, just watch out for the chains, that's all. The crew capacity for these engines was strictly held to 25, so they are well under the legal limit in this picture......

"Railroad" Mag years ago (1950s?) has stories about logging locos with concave grooved driver tires to run on "pole" roads, which looked like the photo except for round rails.

104577.651@compuserve.com

The county museum in Brainerd Minnesota has a picture of a Lombard or Climax log hauler converted to a locomotive. It's quite interesting, a Lombard Shay?
M. Nix

2rivers@upstel.net