Ohio inventions and firsts · Invention · 1878
Shay geared locomotives built in Lima
Lima Machine Works built its first Shay locomotive, designed by Ephraim Shay, in 1878; Shay patented his geared design in 1881. Lima built about 2,770 Shays through 1945, engines made for steep grades, heavy loads and tight turns.
At a glance
- Year
- 1878
- Company
- Lima Machine Works / Lima Locomotive Works
- Place
- Lima, Allen County ZIP 45801 · Lima · Allen County
- Patent
- Shay patent, June 14, 1881 (patent number not seen)
Why it matters
Let loggers and miners run trains on rough, steep track; Shay locomotives went to 48 states and 24 countries.
Who gets the credit is disputed
The Ohio claim. Lima Locomotive Works built Shay engines from 1878 to 1945, turning Ephraim Shay's idea into thousands of working locomotives.
The other claims. Ephraim Shay was a Michigan lumberman who designed the engine. Counts of engines built differ by source: 2,761 in one, about 2,770 in another.
Sources
Confidence. Medium: the main facts were confirmed, but some details (often an address or ZIP code) were not.