Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Challenger makes maintenance stop in Gurdon

There's just something about a train.

In a town like Gurdon, where the railroad has always played an important role, the chance to see the world's largest operating steam engine was enough to draw a crowd of more than 100 people.

The Challenger No. 3985, one of the last operational steam engines, made a scheduled stop in Gurdon. Despite temperatures well into the 90s, the young and old alike gathered at the Gurdon Depot. Word had spread along the line that the train had already gone through Beirne. Global Positioning Tracking allowed those with computers to track the train's progress earlier in the day. Then the light appeared in the distance.

"It's coming," someone shouted and the words were echoed several times. The excitement mounted as the whistle blew for the first time and the youngsters seemed unable to stand still.

"We're going to see the biggest train of all," Kagon Morrison, 5, said of his reason for being there.

"I wanted him to see it," said his mother, Melissa Morrison.

Mary Premont, waiting with her grandchildren, said they were excited about the opportunity to see the Challenger.

Maybe it's all summed up simply by 10-year-old Tiffany Krueger. "Trains are cool."

But the children weren't the only ones who were excited. Beatrice and Ellis Stafford were among those waiting. Mr. Stafford worked for the railroad for 41 years and said seeing the big engine brought back a lot of memories. The Stafford's son is also a railroad employee.

"We're just a bunch of railroad folks," Mrs. Stafford said.

The train stopped in Gurdon for a little "TLC," according to a media spokesperson for the railroad. And during the half hour the train was stopped, workers were busy with grease and oil as they checked out the engine.

Bob Barthelemew, who called himself a train buff, drove to Gurdon from Texarkana to watch the train.

"The days of us seeing it are numbered," he said.

He said he traveled by train as a child, when trains represented a very luxurious mode of travel. There were linen tablecloths, crystal glasses and silverware for dining and the heavy passenger cars were stable with little of the swaying motion.

Cal and Martha Benson said they also have traveled by train. The Bensons drove to town from Arkadelphia.

"We've ridden trains like this one," Mrs. Benson said. "When we heard it was stopping here, we had to come. I got excited about it."

If possible, the departure stirred up more excitement than the train's arrival. The clanging of the bell that signaled that the train was about to take off, the hiss of the steam as the train began to move and the black smoke pouring from the front of the engine, capped by the traditional blasts from the train's whistle probably caught the attention of everyone in town.

The chatter of children as they recapped the event is a good indication that many will remember the day the Challenger No. 3985 made a pit stop in Gurdon. After all, there's just something about a train.