UP#3985 Highball to Lodgepole, Nebraska
12 minuets of heavy metal thunder as Union Pacific (UP) No. 3985 the mighty 4-6-6-4 "Challenger" type steam locomotive climbs home to Cheyenne,WY unassisted on her final day of an eastern tour in October of 2008. Probably one of the finest sounding audio I ever recorded of the mighty challenger from a dead start at 2min great sounding lubrication sequence. 5 min 1st meet 7 min a crossing another at 9min 2nd meet at high speed meet is around 10 min. in just before charging westbound through Lodgepole, Nebraska at 11 min. The bad is the start up steam mist evidently was caught by the camera lens resulting in less than optimum results. I apologize for that, but the following 12 minuets left no time to find the lens wipe. As the mainline steam event had already begun. Thanks for watching my videos over the years. I am very Thankful for your continued support & Stay Safe Friends! More info on UP#3985 it was built in 1943 by the American Locomotive Company of Schenectady, New York. The locomotive is one of two of the original 105 Union Pacific Challengers left, the other one is No. 3977 on display in North Platte, Nebraska. 3985's top speed is in the neighborhood of 70 to 80 mph. She was retired in 1962, and then restored and was placed in excursion service in 1981. Converted to burn oil in 1990. UP#3985 is now stored inside the roundhouse in Cheyenne, WY. It last ran on October 14th, 2010, and due to mechanical issues it was never Steamed UP again. As of January 2020, it was officially retired, due to its poor condition. Its tender has been repurposed for use by 4014, due to 4014's original tender not being converted in time for its expected first run. Some parts of 3985 are now used on Big Boy 4014. Subscribe for more and I am searching for the tape from Oct 14, 2010. And sad to hear the mighty Challenger has been retired this year.