Gordon Corwin

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  Gordon Corwin's famed Fruit Growers Supply Co. # 7 SHAY... It was the CHASSIS only, operating on compressed air at the old track of GGLS in Oakland's Redwood Regional Park. The guy at left in coveralls is Gordon Corwin. To the right, is the late GGLS member Louis Lawrence. Photo circa 1951. Photo by Harry Dixon, submitted by Ken Shattock.

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  Gordon Corwin of Southern California Live Steamers at the Golden Gate Live Steamers Spring Meet, 1956, feeding steam from his locomotive to the engine of his Shay with the able assistance of Louis Lawrence. Photo by Harry Dixon. From The North American Live Steamer, Vol 1 No 5, 1956.

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  If you want to run Gordon's chassis, you double-head it with an operable engine and run a steam line to the cylinders.

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  Gordon Corwin and his Fruit Grower's Supply Co. Shay #7. From the Harry Dixon collection.

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  Gordon Corwin at GGLS, Redwood Regional Park, Oakland,CA.--June, 1964.

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  Gordon Corwin-- GGLS- Redwood Park.

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  Gordon Corwin--GGLS--Redwood Park.

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  Gordon Corwin--GGLS--Redwood Park.

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  Gordon Corwin--GGLS--Redwood Park--1953.

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  The late Harry Dixon with Gordon Corwin on Gordon's famous Shay still under construction.

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  Here's another one of Gordon Corwin at GGLS--Redwood Park.

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  Gordon Corwin's Anny, a copy of Carl Purinton's Granny loco. Gordon is seen in background aboard his 3/4 inch 4-8-4. GGLS Labor Day Meet 1953. Photo by L.M. McKenney.

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  Gordon Corwin's Shay running at LALS track, about April 1958. This is a view as from the south side looking north past the No. 30 T&T RR coach to the Oahu RR. train heading east. Chaski.org

Shay Progress 1956

Brotherhood of Live Steamers

News from the Pacific Region

Harry Dixon, Hayward, California

The North American Live Steamer, Volume 1 Number 4

Gordon Corwin of the Southern California Live Steamers club sent good news that he now has his 1-1/2 inch narrow gauge Shay operating on air.

The entire chassis with drive wheels and engine are considered 95% complete.

After a 10-hour break in test with light oil and graphite, the throttle was cracked open another notch, which brought the speed indicator up to 1725 RPM.

With a gearing ration of 2 to 1 it would take 317 RPM to make 1 mile per hour or 1268 RPM to make 4 miles per hour, which is considerable over track speed of a prototype. However, it is felt that a miniature engine of this type would have to do 4 to 5 miles per hour to be impressive.

Next on his agenda is the boiler, and then we hope to give you a later report on the progress of this very fine engineering accomplishment.

Carl Herrera Restoration

From Chaski.org

Postwarbob posted:

Carl Herrera now owns this engine . He has totally restored it to its original beauty. He spent many hours repiping and repairing worn out parts . The purple paint is still the original paint but most of the black paint is new.

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  Gordon Corwin's Shay as restored by new owner Carl Herrera, from Chaski.org

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David Rohrer posted:

The Shay really looks great, I remember it from when Francis Moseley owned it, was pleased to see you even have the cable wrapped around the sand dome.

Gordon Corwin Meets

From The Miniature Locomotive, July/August 1953

By C. S. Chovil, Secretary, Southern California Live Steamers

The Gordon Corwin annual picnic and engine meet proved very popular with S.C.L.S.. the attendance was more than in the past years, the day was perfect and the tracks of the SUNKIST LINES in good condition. Many members brought their lunches as invited, came early and stayed until the last boiler was blown down. The roster of locomotives was as follows: Jim Keith's 1 inch scale Hudson; Barny Shrive's 3/4 inch scale N.Y.C. Niagara; Irene Lewis's 1 inch scale six-wheel switcher operated by Bob Harpur; Milton Uhler's 3/4 inch Tom Thumb; John Matthew's 3/4 inch English Shunting engine "Pug"; Burt Petersen's 3/4 inch Northern; Bill wightman's 3/4 inch 2-4-4 tank engine; Andy Wightman's 3/4 inch Mogul and J.D. Hillyard's 3/4 inch Atlantic.