No Longer Available in VHS The debut of Union Pacific Challenger 3985 as an excursion engine was an exciting and historic event in the early 1980s. Fantrips pulled by the locomotive had been confined for the most part to the Cheyenne, Wyoming home base area until 1990. Converted from coal to oil at the steam shop in Cheyenne during the first part of 1990, Challenger 3985, the largest operating steam locomotive in the world, then made a historic journey to Omaha, Nebraska for the annual River City Roundup. After successful oil-burning test runs, the 3985 put on a spectacular show of steam power as it pulled an 8000-foot-long freight train eastbound from Cheyenne, over Archer Hill, to North Platte, Nebraska on September 18, 1990. The next day the 3985 was assigned to power the River City Roundup passenger special from North Platte to Omaha, Nebraska. On the return trip the engine again pulled freight, this time from Omaha to North Platte. Westbound out of North Platte, the engine was at the head of the Union Pacific Employees Special back to Cheyenne. Pentrex has expertly captured the action of this mighty locomotive at work as it handled each new assignment in a manner befitting such a fine specimen of 1943 Alco superpower. 60 Minutes |
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