| The Cass Collection |
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| Shay #2 Shay #4 Shay #5 Shay #6 Shay #7 Climax 9 Heisler 6 Feather River Shay 3 |
Shay #11 - Feather River #3
In The Old Days... Shay #3, built in 1923, went originally to Hutchinson Lumber Company, Feather Falls, Calif., this Shay is best known as the Feather River #3.
Past to Present...
In 1967 #3 went to the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum San Diego, Calif. In March of 1997, Cass Scenic Railroad sent a team to Campo, California, to inspect #3. The purpose of this trip was to determine the means by which the big Shay could be transported back to Cass, and to get an idea of the type of repairs that would be necessary to bring the engine back to life.
Feather River Shay becomes the Cass #11.......
Another Shay has been added to the Cass collection. What was once the Feather River #3 is now the Cass #11.
At 90 tons, this Shay is the second largest of the surviving Shay types. This Shay was operated occasionally as late as 1991, but is now in need of heavy repairs.
The Cass #11 was built in 1923. It operated both as a logger and a common carrier. Until 1965 it served the Hutchinson Lumber Company, and then the common carrier Feather River Railway as #3. Weighing 103 tons (204,704 pounds), the wheels are 36" and the cylinders measure 14 1/2 X 15. With a boiler pressure of 200 pounds. Big 6 is the only larger Shay at Cass.
Four men from Cass and six from MSR&LHA went to Campo, California, to bring the Shay to Cass. Herbert Jones, INC. of Dunbar, West Virginia, was contracted to pick the Cass #11 up in Campo and see to its arrival in Cass. It took three days to load the massive Shay and have it sent on its way.
Cass #11 repaired at Cass shop
In a little less than five weeks this massive Shay had a tremendous makeover. The crew at the Cass Shop worked many hours to repair Shay #11. This engine is now fully repaired and operational. The engine now serves as the lead engine on the Bald Knob and Spruce runs. It is also a replacement engine if another engine were to be temporarily down.
Technically Speaking:
Builder No.: 3221
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Date in Service: July 14, 1923
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Class: C-90
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Trucks: 3
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Bore: 14 1/2 inches
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Stroke: 15 inches
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Drivers: 36 inches
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Weight: 103 Tons
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