My guess is that the conversion was done by the railroad (or an independent contractor) and not the original manufacturer, which would make this unusual locomotive a "Lima" only in the sense that the various gen-set switchers built on the frames and with the trucks and traction motors of retired EMD and GE units can be called "EMD" or "GE" locomotives. But, since this forum hasn't been very active of late… The Northeast Railfan website has a new image (it's on their "new" list as of 14.iii.2014, but I hope the U.R.L. is its permanent one) of a Canadian Forest Products "Shay" diesel:
http://www.northeast.railfan.net/images/cfp98.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Looks as if it has one engine, in a hood replacing the boiler. (The cab is in the centre, but I think the apparent "rear hood" is the original fuel and water bunker: I think many locomotives on logging railroads were equipped for fire-fighting, so maybe the idea of a water tank on a diesel isn't THAT odd.) The conversion seems to be neatly done (or maybe it just looks good because the photo was taken when the paint was still fresh?).
If someone knows more abut diesel conversions of Shay locomotives… I'd love to know some details!
(((Fans of EMD export locomotives will remember the GA-8: the engine/generator set of an SW-8 powering two body-mounted traction motors which then connected to the axles (which were in what looked like freight-car trucks) in some flexible manner: I think chain-drive, though there may have been cardan shafts. In principle, this is the same idea, but with the mechanical linkage to the driving wheels being through a Shay's drive-shafts and universal joints rather than a chain-drive. It's a pity Lima didn't stay in the locomotive business a bit longer: we might have seen some very interesting export types!)))
http://www.northeast.railfan.net/images/cfp98.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Looks as if it has one engine, in a hood replacing the boiler. (The cab is in the centre, but I think the apparent "rear hood" is the original fuel and water bunker: I think many locomotives on logging railroads were equipped for fire-fighting, so maybe the idea of a water tank on a diesel isn't THAT odd.) The conversion seems to be neatly done (or maybe it just looks good because the photo was taken when the paint was still fresh?).
If someone knows more abut diesel conversions of Shay locomotives… I'd love to know some details!
(((Fans of EMD export locomotives will remember the GA-8: the engine/generator set of an SW-8 powering two body-mounted traction motors which then connected to the axles (which were in what looked like freight-car trucks) in some flexible manner: I think chain-drive, though there may have been cardan shafts. In principle, this is the same idea, but with the mechanical linkage to the driving wheels being through a Shay's drive-shafts and universal joints rather than a chain-drive. It's a pity Lima didn't stay in the locomotive business a bit longer: we might have seen some very interesting export types!)))
