During this time frame the UP (Union Pacific Railroad) also built one hundred and five "Challenger" locomotives. They were able to draw on their "Big Boy" experience to develop the fast and efficient Challengers. No. 3985 is an oil burning, four cylinder, articulated, simple (vs. compound) Mallet type of steam locomotive. It has a top speed of 70 mph.
quote from hereBuilt between 1936 and 1943, the Challengers were nearly 122 feet long and weighed more than one million pounds. Articulated like their big brother, the Union Pacific Big Boy, the Challengers had a 4-6-6-4 wheel arrangement. They operated over most of the Union Pacific system, primarily in freight service, but a few were assigned to passenger trains operating through mountain territory to California and Oregon. The 105 locomotives were built specifically by ALCO for Union Pacific having drawn on much of the Big Boy's experience.
In 2008, the last surviving operating Challenger toured the Union Pacific rail system providing a spectacle for the public. Railfans streamed in from all over the US and abroad, eagerly following the 3985 as she stormed through the country. We were lucky that our part of the UP was chosen to be on the route. 3985 blew through my town about 200 yards from my house. We joined the caravan of cars following her and this being our backyard, we knew the choice spots to stop at.
quote from hereUP 3985 operated in its last "regular" train service in 1957.[1] The locomotive was retired about 1962 and after many years of storage in a roundhouse at Cheyenne, Wyoming, UP 3985 was placed on an outdoor display beside the Cheyenne depot in 1975. Beginning in 1979 a group of Union Pacific employee-volunteers started work on restoring the locomotive, and it was returned to operational condition in 1981.[1] Originally a coal-burner, to prevent lineside grass fires it was successfully converted to oil firing in 1990. Stationed at Cheyenne with other equipment in the UP's heritage collection, it is currently used for excursion trains and occasionally mainline freight on ferry moves. It was in the maintenance shop at Cheyenne in 2007 and underwent necessary repairs for service in 2008. It is now back up and running. It is one of only two of the original 105 Union Pacific "Challenger" types in existence, the other being UP 3977 on static display in North Platte, Nebraska.
It was a beautiful sunny day as we set out. Once again, my understanding boss, who has put up with all my hobbies over the years had given me the afternoon off. My buddy, Chuck, who had also wangled some time off was the pilot and I ran the cameras (movie and still) as we chased the train through the countryside.
The loco and train coasts past the Rock Street grade crossing in Mankato, MN. The plant I work at (hidden by the train) is just behind the crossing.
Children of all ages gather around the massive locomotive at the Depot in Mankato
in a scene reminiscent of days gone by, once again a steam locomotive powered passenger train stops at the Mankato Depot (station).
Just outside Mankato, the train enters a cut.
3985 thunders through a cut alongside Minneopa State Park. You can clearly see the close-set dual stacks. The lack of smoke shows the efficiency of the locomotive as there is almost complete combustion of all the fuel. The plume of steam closer to the cab is the exhaust coming off the steam powered electrical generators.
Catching her steaming past Grogan, MN, we have been able to beat the hordes of railfans as there isn't another soul in the photo.
With the massive weight of her drivers shaking the ground, 3985 glides through Grogan. The short train being pulled is not much of a challenge and we can hear no chuffing, just a soft mechanical clank-clank as the train goes by.
Entering St James, MN, 3985 pauses just outside the St James Depot for clearance. Most of the 4-6-6-4 wheel arrangement can be seen here along with the two cylinders on each side.
Now stopped at the St James Depot, the Challenger's broad shouldered stance is displayed for all to see.
"Huge" is an understatement. It seems strange to use the words graceful and beautiful when talking about a machine so powerful but there is definitely something alluring about the mechanical perfection of the Challenger. As I took this photo, someone tapped me on the shoulder from behind. It was the owner of the company I work for. He had been invited to ride the train on its journey from Mankato to St James.
This vintage trainset shows the UP's typical Armour Yellow and Harbor Mist Gray color scheme.
The huge scale of the driving wheels and side-rods can be seen here as this rail worker uses a pneumatic greaser to lube parts of the locomotive.
3985 Fact sheet (.pdf)
Once again, being restricted to the Forum's 640X480 image size, one ca't get the full effect of the photos. Larger images can be seen here.
