One of the best On3 scale model train dioramas with Shay, Climax and Heisler steam locomotives

Published on July 6, 2025

There is a special type of steam locomotive, the so-called geared steam locomotive. The steam locomotive, as commonly employed, has its pistons directly attached to cranks on the driving wheels; thus, there is no gearing. A geared steam locomotive which uses gearing, usually reduction gearing, in the drivetrain, as opposed to the common directly driven design. This gearing is part of the machinery within the locomotive and should not be confused with the pinion that propels a rack locomotive along the rack between the rails.

Well-known geared steam locomotives are the Shay locomotive, the Climax locomotive and the Heisler locomotive. The Shay locomotive features an offset boiler with a multiple-cylinder engine affixed to it on the opposite side, driving a longitudinal shaft geared to the axles via bevel gears. The Climax locomotive has two inclined cylinders driving a transverse crankshaft, geared to a longitudinal driveshaft placed centrally on the locomotive and driving the powered trucks via internal gearing. The Heisler locomotive has one cylinder each side of the boiler, affixed to a centrally located longitudinal driveshaft, again geared to the wheels.

René Paul, a railway enthusiast and model builder from the Netherlands, was so fascinated by these special steam locomotives that he constructed a wonderful model train diorama. The model railroad layout depicts a typical American railroad junction in a small town. The miniature world was constructed in On3 scale (1/48 scale) as a shunting layout for sorting and shunting goods wagons with the help of these impressive geared steam locomotives. The model railway layout is 2.85 meters long and 0.60 meters wide. All rail and turnouts are hand built. There are no kits. There are no prefabricated buildings. The attention to detail is sensational, for example, four nails are placed in each sleeper.

In the foreground is the continuous track from which a turnout branches off. This serves two warehouses with sidings on the left-hand side of the model train layout. Opposite, i.e. on the right-hand side of the model railroad layout layout, is an engine shed for the narrow-gauge locomotives with a workshop and with the necessary facilities for for maintaining the rolling stock. The model train diorama was filmed at a large model railroad exhibition in Luxembourg. Because there were too many noises from visitors, Pilentum dubbed the video with authentic sounds.

YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXtHLn8J5FA

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