Rayonier Willamette #2. The early morning fog keeps a relentless hold on the yard at the Mineral Shops as Rayonier Willamette #2 backs onto the main for a day of logging operations in the deep woods of Washington State.
Although she looks for all the world like a typical Shay Locomotive, Rayonier #2 is, in fact, a Willamette. In 1921, several of the patents associated with Ephraim Shay's legendary geared locomotives expired. That left the door open for other manufacturers to step in and compete for new locomotive business. One such manufacturer was the Willamette Iron and Steel Works of Portland, Oregon. That company recognized a demand for a locally-produced locomotive, to serve the needs of lumbering operations in the Pacific Northwest. The Willamette folks made some improvements to Shay's design, notably adding superheaters. The resulting engine was more efficient than the Shay or Heisler, and it didn't need to travel all the way across the US to be delivered. Although Willamette only built 33 of these machines, the competition they provided lit a fire under both the Lima and Heisler Companies, both of which were more or less forced to come out with improved designs to keep pace. The result was the Lima Pacific Coast Shay and the Heisler West Coast Special. Unfortunately, only 6 of the Willamettes survive today. The only operable example is the one you see here, which now pulls tourist trains on the Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad.
