Geared Climax #3 Pulls Its Weight!

How can the Appalachian Mountain scenery be any more spectacular?

Climax locomotive #3 belongs to the Durbin & Greenbrier Valley Railroad which runs through the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia.

Originally built for use in the logging industry, the Climax #3 is a geared locomotive similar to the Shay locomotives of the Cass Scenic Railroad, also in West Virginia.

Some quick facts on Climax #3

1. Builder: Climax Manufacturing Company, Corry, Pennsylvania
2. number built – 1000 – 1100 locomotives
3. years built – 1888-1928
4. locomoitive weight – 55 tons

Climax locomotives have two main cylinders that are angled upwards at about 30 degrees from horizontal and attached to a transmission underneath the center of the boiler.

This in turn transmits power directly to the front and rear trucks through a driveshafts on each side of the locomotive.

Let us know if you have ever had the opportunity to travel on the Durbin & Greenbrier Valley Railroad! We would love to hear about your experience!