Steaming Out of Durbin
Heisler Number 6 is steaming out of Durbin WV.
The mountains of West Virginia once offered some of the most bountiful, virgin timberland in the United States. Beginning at the turn of the 20th century, no other invention opened this rugged country to loggers more than the geared steam locomotive.
These "off-road vehicles" of railroading could handle steep grades, temporary, un-ballasted track and even ford a stream. In the 1890s, an inventor named Charles Heisler created the locomotive that bore his name and was the last of the major types of geared steam power. The other two were the Shay and the Climax. Of the three types, the Heisler proved the fastest. 850 were built in all, serving around the world, including the hardwood stands of West Virginia. Heisler's design revolved around two pistons angled at 45 degrees. The pistons were connected to a shaft which powered all the wheels via a system of gears. The articulated trucks could negotiate sharp curves.
Heisler Number 6 was built in 1929 in Erie Pennsylvania.