Gears engine

The term locomotive with gears indicates a category of Locomotive to vapor articulated whose transmission is done not by a traditional distribution but by systems of Engrenage S.

According to the mode of transmission one distinguishes:

the type Shay where the engine is side, with vertical rolls and actuates a driveshaft running along the machine and actuating the axles by conical couples. The tree is in several sections connected by Cardan joint S, the axles being gathered in several Bogie S. the engine is dissymmetrical because, to leave the place to the engine, the cylindrical body (hearth, boiler, smoke-box) is eccentric.

the type Climax where the engine consists of two tilted cylinders on each side of the machine and actuates a cross shaft on which a conical couple actuates a driveshaft under the machine in central position.
the type Heisler where the engine is with two cylinders out of V, the remainder being similar to the Climaxes.
the type Willamette which is an evolution of the Shay type.

The mode of distribution per gears offers advantages specific to the engines which are equipped with it:

very high Couple as of low mode, thanks to the reduction brought by the conical couples.
articulated driving Bogies allowing to negotiate very tight curves and to maintain a horse-power important even on unequal or irregular ways.

These characteristics strongly pushed the use of the engines of the type Shay , Climax , Heisler and Willamette towards the forestry development, the mines and careers.

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