McMahon began his railway career on the Ffestiniog Railway, joining the permanent staff there as a S&T (signals and telegraphs) technician in 1984 when Girdlestone was Works Manager, this being the start of a working relationship between the two men which continues to this day. He moved from the FR to the Vale of Rheidol Railway in 1989, becoming heavily involved in boiler water treatment schemes on various UK preserved lines. At this time he formed "Day McMahon Steam Technical Services" with Nigel Day. A number of successful locomotive redraughtings were carried out by the partnership.

In 1994 he became Assistant Mechanical Engineer to Girdlestone on the Alfred County Railway in South Africa. He continued on the ACR until 1999 when he moved to Argentina as Technical Projects Manager for the Argentine railway development company Tranex Turismo S.A. at the Ferrocarril Austral Fueguino on Tierra del Fuego.

This small railway began its operation with a commitment to an innovative program of steam locomotive development especially aimed at tourist train operations, under the guidance of Ing.Porta with McMahon charged with getting Porta's ideas translated into hardware.

The photos shown below show two of Shaun's "demonstrator" locomotives which show what can be achieved with minimum investment to improve the performance of poorly designed locomotives. Further modifications are planned for both locomotives when funds become available.

See also Shaun McMahon's page on http://www.martynbane.co.uk/.

FACF Garratt No 2 "Ing L.D. Porta"
Click here for further information about modifications to this loco.