The geared locomotive a Haring logger invented
Ephraim Shay, a logger from Haring just north of Cadillac, patented a geared steam locomotive in 1881 that could haul logs up steep grades and around tight curves where ordinary engines failed.
A logger named Ephraim Shay had a practical problem: ordinary locomotives were a poor fit for the light, temporary rails used in the woods. Shay lived in Haring, north of Cadillac, and wanted a cheaper, lighter engine that could move over rough logging track.
His answer looked unlike a standard steam locomotive. The cylinders sat on one side and turned a lengthwise shaft. Bevel gears carried that power to the wheels, while universal and sliding joints let the drive line adjust as the trucks moved. Shay’s own patent says the goal was a cheaper, lighter locomotive for tramways and light rails with less wear on the track. U.S. Patent 242,992 was issued on June 14, 1881.
Lima Locomotive Works in Ohio built the design commercially. The Smithsonian says the Shay became popular with logging companies around the world. A 2013 City of Cadillac proclamation puts the total at 2,768 locomotives.
One survivor brings the story back home. Cadillac’s proclamation says the Shay displayed in City Park was built in 1898. Stand beside it and the odd layout makes sense: it is an engine shaped around the job it needed to do, not around the conventions of a main-line railroad.
Where to see it
Cadillac displays an 1898 Shay locomotive outdoors in City Park.
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Sources
Last reviewed against the listed sources: July 20, 2026.