It's Steamy Sunday here on the Blog! Today's image is another from the archives. This is the Union Pacific's Challenger locomotive when it was traveling through western Kansas some years back and I drove to see it. 3985 is an articulated (hinged to allow it to go through curves) locomotive with a wheel arrangement of 4-6-6-4. The 2 sets of 6 driving wheels have their own steam cylinders. It was built in 1943 and retired in 1962. It was restored in 1981 and ran excursion duties until 2020 and was the largest operating steam locomotive until the Big Boy. UP donated the locomotive to the Railroading Heritage of Midwest America who plan to restore it back to operating condition and it was moved there last year.
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Nice to have the person next it to give scale. Interesting that it was hinged.
ReplyDeleteYes, a big and interesting locomotive.
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