A Vee Twin? Not very unusual in Los Angeles, I hear you say. However, this was not a Harley. This was an 8.5 litre Vee Twin.
Read on.
I always tell people, if you have only one day in Los Angeles, make it a train day. The fun starts with brunch at Carney’s in Studio City, a hot dog stand in a converted railroad dining car. Next stop, Travel Town, an outdoor museum featuring 43 railroad engines, cars and other rolling stock from the 1880s to the 1930s. Finally, we’re off to the glitz and glamour of Hollywood for dinner at, that’s right, the Hollywood Carney’s, a hot dog stand in a different converted railroad dining car.
Sheldon Cooper - Big Bang Theory (Series 4 Episode 6)
Well, how could I resist? I didn't have time for brunch, so I went straight to Travel Town. It was a Friday, so not busy, but it also meant that the narrow-gauge steam trains were not running. A lot of very interesting locomotives and rolling stock. None of the full-size locos are live and never will be, but worth a visit.
And here's the Vee Twin - a Shay forestry locomotive:
I had never heard of it before. The cranks drive three prop shafts through reduction gears. The prop shafts are connected via bevel gears to the three trucks. The advantage is that the gearing allows the pistons to operate at a higher, more efficient RPM while the loco is moving slowly. The short wheelbase of the trucks allows operation on tight curves.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shay_locomotive
Geared Locomotives For Log Roads
I then went to the Hollywood Carney's for a late lunch:
I was served by the grandson of the original owner. He told me that they often get customers following Sheldon's advice!
