The Heisler locomotive was built by Stearns Manufacturing Company in 1899, the Shay locomotive by Lima Locomotive Works in 1912, and the Climax locomotive by Climax Manufacturing Company in 1928. Patented in 1881, the Shay locomotive and its two variants, the Climax and the Heisler, used small high-speed steam engines geared down to axles on four-wheel trucks. They were suited to slow, heavy hauling with high tractive effort on the rough and temporary tracks of the lumber and mineral industries. From about 1890 to 1960, they hauled heavy loads through difficult terrain until automotive trucks replaced them.
