Tollie the "Shay" Engine

Tollie is a Shay locomotive, a type of gear-drive steam engine invented in 1879 and patented in 1881. Unlike traditional rod-drive locomotives, its three cylinders power a line shaft geared to the wheels, giving it the ability to climb steep grades, navigate tight curves, and cross rough or hastily-built log spans — making it a workhorse for early logging operations in terrain other locomotives couldn't handle.

This particular engine was built in 1924 by the Lima Locomotive Works in Ohio for a logging company in Potlatch, then went directly into service with Simpson Timber Company. It worked the high woods until 1949, continued operating in the Shelton area through 1955, and finished its working life in McCleary, Washington, before retiring in 1958.

Originally named after the first superintendent of Simpson's railroad, the locomotive was renamed Tollie in honor of Mrs. Sol Simpson when it was donated to the City of Shelton in 1959 during the Mason County Forest Festival.

Tollie was first displayed in Brewer Park, then moved to its current spot on Railroad Avenue in front of the Shelton Post Office in 1983 — placed along the site of Simpson Timber Company's former mainline track as a tribute to the area's railroad and timber heritage.

Location & Contact: 230 W Railroad Ave, Shelton, WA