Union Pacific 3985, also known as the "Challenger", is a four-cylinder simple
articulated
An articulated vehicle is a vehicle which has a permanent or semi-permanent pivot joint in its construction, allowing it to turn more sharply. There are many kinds, from heavy equipment to buses, trams and trains. Steam locomotives were someti ...
4-6-6-4
In Whyte notation, a 4-6-6-4 is a railroad steam locomotive that has four leading wheels followed by six coupled driving wheels, a second set of six driving wheels and four trailing wheels. 4-6-6-4's are commonly known as Challengers.
Other equi ...
"
Challenger
Challenger, Challengers, or The Challengers may refer to:
Entertainment
Comics and manga
* Challenger (character), comic book character
* ''Challengers'' (manga), manga by Hinako Takanaga
Film and TV
* ''The Challengers'' (TV series), a 1979 ...
"-type
steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a locomotive that provides the force to move itself and other vehicles by means of the expansion of steam. It is fuelled by burning combustible material (usually coal, oil or, rarely, wood) to heat water in the locomot ...
built in July 1943 by the
American Locomotive Company
The American Locomotive Company (often shortened to ALCO, ALCo or Alco) was an American manufacturer of locomotives, diesel generators, steel, and tanks that operated from 1901 to 1969. The company was formed by the merger of seven smaller locomo ...
(ALCO) of
Schenectady, New York
Schenectady () is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2020 census, the city's population of 67,047 made it the state's ninth-largest city by population. The city is in eastern New Y ...
, for the
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , legally Union Pacific Railroad Company and often called simply Union Pacific, is a freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Paci ...
. No. 3985 is one of only two Challengers still in existence and the only one to have operated in
excursion service
A heritage railway or heritage railroad (US usage) is a railway operated as living history to re-create or preserve railway scenes of the past. Heritage railways are often old railway lines preserved in a state depicting a period (or periods) i ...
.
No. 3985 operated in revenue service until 1957. It was then stored in the
roundhouse in
Cheyenne, Wyoming
Cheyenne ( or ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Wyoming, as well as the county seat of Laramie County, with 65,132 residents, per the 2020 US Census. It is the principal city of the Cheyenne metropolitan statistical ...
, until 1975, when it was placed outdoors beside the
Cheyenne depot. In March 1981, after a group of Union Pacific employees restored the locomotive to operating condition, it was placed into
excursion service
A heritage railway or heritage railroad (US usage) is a railway operated as living history to re-create or preserve railway scenes of the past. Heritage railways are often old railway lines preserved in a state depicting a period (or periods) i ...
as part of the Union Pacific's
heritage fleet
Amtrak's Heritage Fleet consisted of the rolling stock provided to it when it assumed passenger service on commercial railroads. The name was applied to a program begun in 1977 to convert the older, mainly streamlined, cars from steam heating to ...
and became the world's largest operational steam locomotive. Mechanical problems took it offline in 2010, after which it was stored at the Union Pacific's Steam Shops in Cheyenne.
On May 1, 2019, the title of largest operational steam locomotive was passed to the newly restored
4-8-8-4 Union Pacific Big Boy No. 4014. Because of its poor mechanical condition, No. 3985 was officially retired from excursion service in 2020. In April 2022, UP officials announced that the company would donate the locomotive to the Railroading Heritage of Midwest America (RRHMA), which plans to restore it to operating condition.
History
Design
Designed by UP chief mechanical engineer Otto Jabelmann in 1941, UP 3985 was part of the second order of this second version of the
Challenger
Challenger, Challengers, or The Challengers may refer to:
Entertainment
Comics and manga
* Challenger (character), comic book character
* ''Challengers'' (manga), manga by Hinako Takanaga
Film and TV
* ''The Challengers'' (TV series), a 1979 ...
. The design drew on recent experience with the enormous
4-8-8-4 Big Boy locomotives, and resulted in a locomotive in that in working order weighed some accompanied by a tender that weighed when two-thirds loaded. Calculated tractive effort is . The Challenger class was intended to speed freight operations on the 0.82
% grades
Grade most commonly refers to:
* Grade (education), a measurement of a student's performance
* Grade, the number of the year a student has reached in a given educational stage
* Grade (slope), the steepness of a slope
Grade or grading may also r ...
across Wyoming, while the 1.14%
Wasatch Range
The Wasatch Range ( ) or Wasatch Mountains is a mountain range in the western United States that runs about from the Utah-Idaho border south to central Utah. It is the western edge of the greater Rocky Mountains, and the eastern edge of the G ...
climb east from
Ogden was to be conquered by the
Big Boys without helpers. The Challengers and Big Boys arrived on the scene just as traffic was surging in preparation for American participation in
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
.
Revenue service and retirement (1943–1957)
UP 3985 was part of the 4664-4 group of
Challenger
Challenger, Challengers, or The Challengers may refer to:
Entertainment
Comics and manga
* Challenger (character), comic book character
* ''Challengers'' (manga), manga by Hinako Takanaga
Film and TV
* ''The Challengers'' (TV series), a 1979 ...
s built in 1943. Although this group consisted of 31 locomotives, only 25 went to the
Union Pacific
The Union Pacific Railroad , legally Union Pacific Railroad Company and often called simply Union Pacific, is a freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Paci ...
.
UP 3985 operated in its last revenue train service in 1957,
and the locomotive was officially retired in 1962. The following year, No. 3985 was repainted and put on display in
Cheyenne, Wyoming
Cheyenne ( or ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Wyoming, as well as the county seat of Laramie County, with 65,132 residents, per the 2020 US Census. It is the principal city of the Cheyenne metropolitan statistical ...
, for the 1963
National Railway Historical Society
The National Railway Historical Society (NRHS) is a non-profit organization established in 1935 in the United States to promote interest in, and appreciation for the historical development of railroads. It is headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsyl ...
(NRHS) Convention alongside
Big Boy No. 4023 and
4-8-4
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles, eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles and four trailing wheels on two axles. The type w ...
"Northern"
No. 844, which had been in
excursion service
A heritage railway or heritage railroad (US usage) is a railway operated as living history to re-create or preserve railway scenes of the past. Heritage railways are often old railway lines preserved in a state depicting a period (or periods) i ...
since 1960. After the convention, No. 3985 was stored inside the UP's Cheyenne roundhouse along with No. 4023.
In 1975, it was placed on outdoor display beside the
Cheyenne depot.
Restoration and excursion career with UP (1981–2010)
![3985 Golconda July 1992 - Flickr - drewj1946](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4f/3985_Golconda_July_1992_-_Flickr_-_drewj1946.jpg)
Beginning in 1979, a group of
Union Pacific
The Union Pacific Railroad , legally Union Pacific Railroad Company and often called simply Union Pacific, is a freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Paci ...
employee-volunteers started work on restoring the locomotive and it was returned to operating condition in March 1981.
The locomotive made its first run in May during Railfair 1981, where it attended the opening of the
California State Railroad Museum
The California State Railroad Museum is a museum in the state park system of California, United States, interpreting the role of the "iron horse" in connecting California to the rest of the nation. It is located in Old Sacramento State Historic ...
in
Sacramento
)
, image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg
, mapsize = 250x200px
, map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...
, along with No. 844.
Built to burn
coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen.
Coal is formed when dea ...
, it was converted to burn
No. 5 fuel oil in 1990 to reduce
maintenance stops during excursion trips.
In 1991, No. 3985 went to Railfair 1991 along with
844
__NOTOC__
Year 844 ( DCCCXLIV) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
Byzantine Empire
* Spring – Battle of Mauropotamos: A Byzantine expedition under ...
and
DDA40X No. 6936. The excursion also included
UP 4-6-0 No. 1243 on a flatbed. The next year, the 3985 went to the National Railroad Historical Society's convention in
San Jose, California
San Jose, officially San José (; ; ), is a major city in the U.S. state of California that is the cultural, financial, and political center of Silicon Valley and largest city in Northern California by both population and area. With a 2020 popul ...
. It participated in activities with
Southern Pacific 4-8-4 No. 4449 and
SP 4-6-2 No. 2472.
In 1992, No. 3985 travelled to
Topeka, Kansas
Topeka ( ; Kansa language, Kansa: ; iow, Dópikˀe, script=Latn or ) is the Capital (political), capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the County seat, seat of Shawnee County, Kansas, Shawnee County. It is along the Kansas River in the ...
, to take part in Topeka Railroad Days alongside the recently restored
Santa Fe 4-8-4
No. 3751. In May 1994, No. 3985 pulled an excursion on California's
Cajon Pass
Cajon Pass (; Spanish: ''Puerto del Cajón'' or ''Paso del Cajón'') is a mountain pass between the San Bernardino Mountains to the east and the San Gabriel Mountains to the west in Southern California. Created by the movements of the San Andreas ...
with the Union Pacific's A-B-A set of E9 units during its 1994 tour. In 1999, the 3985 double-headed with
No. 844 on the way to Railfair 1999. After the event, the 3985 was forced to pull the return trip with the 844 dead in tow after the
FEF-3 suffered a tube failure on June 24 while on display.
The locomotive has pulled excursion trains in three alternate identities during its career. In November 1992, No. 3985 was chosen to pull the ''Clinchfield Santa Train'' as
Clinchfield Railroad
The Clinchfield Railroad was an operating and holding company for the Carolina, Clinchfield and Ohio Railway . The line ran from the coalfields of Virginia and Elkhorn City, Kentucky, to the textile mills of South Carolina. The 35-mile segment ...
No. 676, the number chosen as a continuation of the CRR's E-3 locomotives, which were numbered 670–675, on
CSX
CSX Transportation , known colloquially as simply CSX, is a Class I freight railroad operating in the Eastern United States and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. The railroad operates approximately 21,000 route miles () of track. ...
trackage. In May 1993, the locomotive masqueraded as sister engine No. 3967 as part of the 40th anniversary of the Rocky Mountain Railroad Club excursion, in which the original 3967, which was scrapped in 1960, pulled the same excursion on May 17, 1953. During the same time period, the engine was renumbered again to 3718, the number being a continuation of the few 4664-4 locomotives that were converted to run on oil in 1945, which were numbered 3708–3717.
Stationed at Cheyenne, with other equipment in the UP's heritage collection, it was used for excursion trains and occasionally mainline freights on ferry moves. The most notable freight run of No. 3985 took place in 1990, in which
American President Lines
APL, formerly called American President Lines Ltd., is an American container shipping company that is a subsidiary of French shipping company CMA CGM. It operates an all-container ship fleet, including 9 U.S. flagged container vessels.
In 1938, ...
had a special request for the locomotive to pull a 143-car doublestack train between Cheyenne and
North Platte, Nebraska
North Platte is a city in and the county seat of Lincoln County, Nebraska, United States. It is located in the west-central part of the state, along Interstate 80, at the confluence of the North and South Platte Rivers forming the Platte River. T ...
. It was in the maintenance shop at Cheyenne in 2007 and underwent repairs in 2008.
The locomotive made its last runs during the Missouri River Eagle Tour, which took place from September 30 to October 14, 2010.
As part of the tour, No. 3985 was selected to pull the
Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus
The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus (also known as the Ringling Bros. Circus, Ringling Bros., the Barnum & Bailey Circus, Barnum & Bailey, or simply Ringling) is an American traveling circus company billed as The Greatest Show on Ear ...
train from Cheyenne to
Denver, Colorado
Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
, where the circus held a special performance to celebrate
P.T. Barnum
Phineas Taylor Barnum (; July 5, 1810 – April 7, 1891) was an American showman, businessman, and politician, remembered for promoting celebrated hoaxes and founding the Barnum & Bailey Circus (1871–2017) with James Anthony Bailey. He was ...
's birthday.
After the tour, it was taken out of service for repairs and placed into storage.
Retirement from excursion service with UP (2010–2022)
In December 2018, Union Pacific asked the
Federal Railroad Administration
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is an agency in the United States Department of Transportation (DOT). The agency was created by the Department of Transportation Act of 1966. The purpose of the FRA is to promulgate and enforce rail saf ...
(FRA) for waivers to exempt Nos. 3985,
844
__NOTOC__
Year 844 ( DCCCXLIV) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
Byzantine Empire
* Spring – Battle of Mauropotamos: A Byzantine expedition under ...
and
4014 from federal
Positive Train Control
Positive train control (PTC) is a family of automatic train protection systems deployed in the United States. Most of the United States' national rail network mileage has a form of PTC. These systems are generally designed to check that trains a ...
(PTC) requirements;
in February 2019, the FRA officials responded that such waivers were not needed.
In January 2020, Union Pacific officially retired No. 3985 from
excursion service
A heritage railway or heritage railroad (US usage) is a railway operated as living history to re-create or preserve railway scenes of the past. Heritage railways are often old railway lines preserved in a state depicting a period (or periods) i ...
. The UP steam program manager, Ed Dickens, said the team felt that maintaining three steam locomotives was too much for them to handle. No. 3985 also needed an extensive overhaul due to its poor mechanical condition as No. 4014 officially replaced No. 3985 in excursion service.
Acquisition by RRHMA (2022-present)
On April 28, 2022, UP officials announced that the company would donate No. 3985—along with
2-10-2
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels, ten powered and coupled driving wheels, and two trailing wheels. In the United States of America and elsewhere the is ...
No. 5511,
Centennial
{{other uses, Centennial (disambiguation), Centenary (disambiguation)
A centennial, or centenary in British English, is a 100th anniversary or otherwise relates to a century, a period of 100 years.
Notable events
Notable centennial events at a ...
No. 6936, an unpowered E9 locomotive, and other rolling stock from their heritage fleet—to the Railroading Heritage of Midwest America in
Silvis, Illinois
Silvis is a city in Rock Island County, Illinois, United States. It is part of a larger metropolitan area known as the Quad Cities. The Quad Cities Metropolitan Area is situated across four counties in Illinois and Iowa. It is located four miles fr ...
.
RRHMA aims to restore the Nos. 3985 and 5511 steam locomotives to operating condition.
On May 13, 2022, RRHMA launched a
fundraiser
Fundraising or fund-raising is the process of seeking and gathering voluntary financial contributions by engaging individuals, businesses, charitable foundations, or governmental agencies. Although fundraising typically refers to efforts to gathe ...
to raise money for the work. On that same year, UP began to move 3985 and the rest of the donated equipment on November 11. The train arrived at the RRHMA shops on November 19.
Notes and References
Notes
References
Bibliography
*
*
Further reading
*
*
*
*
External links
Challenger No. 3985UP Steam
{{UP Giants
Individual locomotives of the United States
3985
ALCO locomotives
Railway locomotives introduced in 1943
Standard gauge locomotives of the United States
Preserved steam locomotives of Illinois