Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Challenger steam engine whistles through Gurdon

The world's largest operating steam locomotive passed through Gurdon on Wednesday, February 4, 2004.

Several Gurdon citizens lined the tracks bearing the bitter cold and strong winds to see the engine roar through town on it's way to Arkadelphia where it made a quick stop of about 10-15 minutes.

The train was running about two hours behind it's schedule.

The 3985 was in Houston for the Super Bowl and came back through Arkansas on its return trip.

During the stop, people were able to get close enough to the locomotive to take photographs. The Union Pacific Challenger No. 3985 was designed by Union Pacific and built in 1943 by the American Locomotive Company. It is one of 105 Challengers built for Union Pacific between 1936 and 1943 and is the only operating engine of its class in the world today.

No. 3985 last operated in regular train service in 1957. It was retired in 1962 and stored in the roundhouse in Cheyenne, Wyoming, until 1975, when it was placed on display near the Cheyenne depot. A group of Union Pacific employees volunteered their services to restore the locomotive to running condition in 1981.

The name Challenger was given to steam locomotives with a 4-6-6-4 wheel arrangement. This means that they have four wheels in the leading pilot truck, which helps guide the locomotive into curves; two sets of six driving wheels, and finally, four trailing wheels, which support the rear of the engine and its massive firebox. Each set of driving wheels has its own steam cylinder. The result, in essence, is two engines under one boiler.

The frame of the locomotive is hinged to allow it to go through curves. When watching the approaching locomotive go through a curve, you can see the boiler swing out left or right independently of the lower half of the engine, as the rear half of the locomotive remains in a straight direction until its wheels and frame are halfway through the curve.

The Challengers were designed for fast freight service, but occasionally pulled passenger trains. No. 3985 originally burned coal and pulled a tender with a 32-ton capacity. In 1990, it was converted to use No. 5 oil. The top speed of No. 3985 is about 70 miles an hour.