Information About the Heisler #91  
Heisler Locomotive Works - Erie, PA
Built December 1929
Construction Number (c/n): 1595

3 Truck Heisler
Cylinders 18 1/4" x 16"
Driver Diameter 40"
Weight 99-tons
Boiler Pressure - 200 lbs
Superheated
Tractive Effort  43,000 lbs

Whitney Engineering Co. - Tacoma, Washington
Kinzua Pine Mills (#102) - Kinzua, Oregon
Clyde Schurman (#102) - Woodland, Washington
 Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad (#91) - Mineral, Washington

The third major builder of geared logging locomotives was the Heisler Locomotive Works of Erie, PA. Created by Charles Heisler in 1892, the Heisler design was a geared locomotive with a faster top speed than its major competitors, the Shay and the Climax. The Heisler was available in both 2-truck and 3-truck versions. It's relatively late introduction into the logging locomotive market was the main reason that only around 900 Heislers were built.

When the Willamette locomotive was first introduced into the Northwest logging market in 1922, Heisler became the first victim of this new competitor. The Coos Bay Lumber Co. of Coos Bay, OR had ordered a new 3-truck Heisler in early 1922 but immediately cancelled that order after Willamette iron & Steel sold them their first geared logging locomotive. Heisler was furious over the "up-start" competitor Willamette. At first, neither Lima (builder of the Shay) nor Heisler took Willamette's competition seriously. However, as Willamette began stealing orders from both Lima and Heisler something had to be done. Lima created the Pacific Coast Shay while Heisler in turn created the "West Coast Special" to compete with Willamette. The West Coast Special was the largest and most advanced Heisler ever built. They were all 90-tons in size and sported all-weather cabs, superheating, piston valves and many other improvements needed by loggers in the Pacific Northwest.

Heisler #91 is one of the "West Coast Special" Heisler built. She was originally ordered in 1929 as a "stock" locomotive for the Whitney Engineering Co of Tacoma, WA. Whitney was the West Coast dealer of Heisler locomotives, and in 1930 Whitney sold the big 99-ton Heisler to the Kinzua Pine Mills of Kinzua, Oregon. She became #102 at the Kinzua operation. At Kinzua she worked along side 2-truck and 3-truck Shays. When Kinzua began using diesel locomotives the Shays were scrapped but the big Heisler #102 was saved to act as back-up to the diesel. By the early 1960's the Heisler was sold and shipped to Vernonia, Oregon and stored on the Vernonia South Park & Sunset tourist railroad. She was then sold to Clyde Schurman, a machinist, who displayed the engine at his machine shop in Woodland, WA. In the late 1970's she was sold to the Mount Rainer Scenic RR and became the 2nd engine to be restored to operation at Mineral, WA. She was renumbered to #91 at MRSR in honor of an earlier big 3-truck Heisler that worked out of Mineral, WA for the West Fork Logging Company. An operation founded by the father of Tom Murray, one of the driving forces behind the Mount Rainer Scenic RR.