ok i am seeing people say this engine is better and this one is better but the thing about steam were each railroad pretty much had the engines built for there needs and in pulling power it would be the allegheny but the 2-6-6-4 N&W engines hold the most recoreds out of any engine. they could pull the same that the big boys could at 25 miles an hour and weights alot less roanoke shops i believe made the best they did more with less. just my thought on this
i know of three challengrs here in the usa one is in duluth mn, secund is in two harbors mn under a shelter and the third is in proctor mn
thee one in duluth has been lifted iff the rails and has a 70 horse power electric motor operating the wheels and that in itself. also in duluth museum called the depot they even have a cab forward articulated 4-6-6-4 sitting there looking like it could be fired up and ready to pull a load
@fjbutch Speaking of which, does anyone know where the whistle itself is located? Whenever 3985 whistles, I never see any visible whistle steam coming from it, so how is it even whistling at all?
@OwlEye2010 3985's whistle, as well as 844's and the Big Boys, is locoated imediately behind the smoke stack. And the reason that you usually don't see steam from 3985's whistle is because the whistle is blown on superheated steam. (same thing with 844 and, back then, the Big Boys)
Well done on this run-by vid. The UP Challengers, as built by Alco, were equipped for coal. Would be interesting to see one of the Southern Pacific 4-8+8-2 cab-forwards brought back to life for excursions---the Class AC-10 from Lima split the size and weight between Challenger and Big Boy and may be able to run on the same grade tracks as Challenger.
Awesome. Great. The sheer titanic presence of this machine! Old-Testament-caliber wrath-of-God gravitas on wheels. If I were a hobo looking to catch out, & this thing came down the line, I'd hand in my notice & take up farming. And that eldritch whistle! The veritable call of Cthulhu. Reminds me of this: [ see UnKnownVQ's YouTube vid "American Werewolf in London Howl Only"] Cheers for posting this.
Excuse a Brit' sticking his oar in..but by far the greatest number of comments here concerns the renovation of a Big Boy...or lack of it. It seems clear that there is a lack of commitment from the top. What's needed is a long term pressure group to lobby those with influence,political and corporate. We managed to haul the hulk of Brunels Gt,Britain from the Falklands on a raft..Check it out today. This loco is your heritage.So shame them into it! The US has the money,it merely needs the will.
@The2000redrocket Thanks for your reply, l appreciate the difficulties involved in getting a Big boy rolling again,but the US is a big country. So build it a dedicated stretch of rails somewhere out there. ln 1966 British Rail scrapped our last remaining Peppercorn Class A Pacific.But a group of enthusiasts acquired all the drawings and built a brand new one.lt's taken 18 years and £3m in public donations but it ran this year..check out the videos. Given the will,nothing is impossible.
@The2000redrocket i agree on the nothing is impossable thing but the big bous need from what i understand (i am not the rail buff knowing all about steam stuff) they are wider and heavier and need special track clearence. they were built for fast freight on a western usa track. do not remember if it is up or sf but the setup is long gone. just be satifyed that there is a local story close to pennsylvania that a 3 diesel freight traaind lost two diesels and a steamer with a full train pushed him
Man, i still remember seeing this almighty locomotive myself. It was back in 2005. Those were the days when Michael Jackson was alive and Justin Bieber was never even heard of. *sigh*, the glorious days...
@RailRoadWorker18 They actually have done so in the past. Just look up "Union Pacific 3985 Freight" here on YouTube and you should find at least one video of it pulling a revenue double-stack freight train. I guess they figure that, if they're going to move the engine from Point A to Point B, they might as well put 'er to work and make some money off the thing.
@john2800100 - I would love nothing more but unfortunately it isn't practical. Due to the way the boiler swings into turns, you're very likely to hit something solid along the way. That could be anything from a tree to an oncoming train and either way, you'll probably buy the farm doing it. Doyle McCormack (4449) told me that 3985 nicked a hopper car in that fashion when she first returned to service. And remember, the lines where Big Boys ran had to be modified so it fit when they was NEW!
@deloreanman14 where ever challenger can go, big boy can go to. UP Big Boy was basically a challenger, just 10 feet bigger. the challenger is okay, but it's just not the same. when seeing a big boy in action. big boy can pull a much bigger train than the challenger. I'm just saying. if they can restore a 126 feet engine, they can also restore a 136 feet one. just saying.
First, 'Challenger' is 121' 10 7/8", whereas 'Big Boy' is just over 132'. Second, 'Challenger' weighs around 1 million pounds, whereas 'Big Boy' weighs about 1 1/4 million pounds. Last, if my information is correct, the only rails that can support 'Big Boy' are along the Wasatch Mountains, between Utah and Wyoming.
Still, I do agree that it would be awesome to actually see a 'Big Boy' in action again. After all, he is 'king of the rails'.
I have to agree that almost all steam locomotives are 'shes'. However, like cars, I believe that there is at least one 'he', and, in my opinion, that 'he' is "Big Boy".
I saw the Challenger last year as it stopped at a local town in my area. I talked to the maintenance guys greasing it with an air grease gun (that thing was loud as hell) and they told me they had to stop every 100 miles to grease her. They also have a full machine shop in one of the cars that I looked in and it looked like 2 machinists in the railcar.
Hm... You might be partly right but I heard the only reason (this I know is true I'm just not sure if it's the ONLY reason) they're running her on fuel oil now is because of the grass and crop fires from coal cinders.
they run on fuel oil cuss they can fill the tender with 5,000 gallons + another 5,000 from the backup tender coal this beast fired by coal would us up its tender in just a little under 3 hours so it would need to refill severel times dureing a excursion
@colinroxanduknowit Piss? no way i'd piss anyone. anyway, this is one of my favorite locomotives. besides that is the K36 and the american 4-4-0. other than american locos are the C62 and D51 of japan.
Yeah, I know... just sayin'... mebbe a blend, I'm sure the technology is not real particular. Fire-tube and smoke-box deposits would be the biggest issues, I would think.
What are you talking about?! How would the motive power of a train affect how a railroad makes money? And besides, the train was pulling Heritage Passenger Cars owned by Union Pacific.
Um... Do you mean a DL-109 hauling the GM&O Rebel? If so, the answer is no. The Rebel that left the Southern RR station in New Orleans and ran past my house in the late 1940s looked like a doodlebug. The engineer was behind a window at the very front of the unit like a motorman on a trolley or streetcar.
Sorry about the last comment. The Big Boy series were 4000 to 4024. The Challenger was the predecessor to the Big Boy. Check out my vid to see what a Big Boy can do in Trainz 2006.
as much as i like steam trains, too bad they are not good for global warming whats-so-ever. And it suck that they can get the big boy running, even if it means on a straight peice of track. and if only people could renovate the 1601 alleganney at henry ford( i live right by it lol) :-)
Global warming? Keep in mind what one of those Challengers could pull would take hundreds of trucks. If anything, trains are good for the environment and the motorist.
Besides, most of what you see there is water vapor (not called steam for nothing).
My uncle ran the Challengers for the Delaware & Hudson between Binghamton and Albany N.Y. back in the 40s. Seems he had a love affair with the huge alcos. I was too young to understand, now I see....
when I was watching this video for the first time, when I heard that whistle All the hairs on my back stood up. Even in video, thats still one hell of a machine. Even though my freinds arent train enthusiests, I still think they would have loved to see this in real life. Anyone would.
Im pretty sure the method used to creat all the smoke is called "cheating". Use excessive ammounts of diesel oil to make it look like its actually burnig coal, I guess it had been converted to oil when this was shot, not sure tho..
It was burning oil. It was also very cold that morning. The "smoke" is more due to the temperature than anything (mostly moisture in the hot combustion gases cooling down and condensing).
I remember getting goose bumps when she passed thru my town, it was a sight and sound I'll never forget. I'd love to go back in time when steam locomotives ruled the tracks. Thanks for the great video.
Don't worry, it just looks fancy. Fact is most of it's just steam and ash from the burned coal that will just settle on the ground and mix in with the rest of the dirt. ;)
I saw this one most recently when it came to Portland, Oregon about a year ago. When that deep low whistle blows that familiar grade crossing pattern I feel it way down in my gut. I feel like I was born about fifty years too late, sometimes, but then again we have both the SP 4449 and the SP&S 700 right here in town, so opportunities to go see shiny, well-maintained engines are rather frequent.
There's something a bit magical about this video. There are other great views of 3985, and one must mention the Skipw tracking videos, but this one just sums it up really.
I'm british but I love the giant mallets. The audacity of building such things. And the Challengers are the best.
What a runby! =)
SuperMario6419 2 weeks ago
She's prity.
mrthat727guy 1 month ago
ok i am seeing people say this engine is better and this one is better but the thing about steam were each railroad pretty much had the engines built for there needs and in pulling power it would be the allegheny but the 2-6-6-4 N&W engines hold the most recoreds out of any engine. they could pull the same that the big boys could at 25 miles an hour and weights alot less roanoke shops i believe made the best they did more with less. just my thought on this
mikey765l 1 month ago
i know of three challengrs here in the usa one is in duluth mn, secund is in two harbors mn under a shelter and the third is in proctor mn
thee one in duluth has been lifted iff the rails and has a 70 horse power electric motor operating the wheels and that in itself. also in duluth museum called the depot they even have a cab forward articulated 4-6-6-4 sitting there looking like it could be fired up and ready to pull a load
sheka216 1 month ago
No matter how many times you watch 3985 in action, it's an amazing locomotive.
Vorahk3985 1 month ago
whats even more fun is when you get to set in the cab of a 2-6-6-4 mallet
sheka216 2 months ago
@sheka216 There's just one steamlocomotive left in the world with that wheel ararngement!
Vorahk3985 1 month ago
Very nice loco. Thumbs up! :)
megatwingo 3 months ago
Perfect video
morfeusz120 3 months ago
The whistle gave me goosebumps *****
fjbutch 5 months ago
@fjbutch Speaking of which, does anyone know where the whistle itself is located? Whenever 3985 whistles, I never see any visible whistle steam coming from it, so how is it even whistling at all?
OwlEye2010 4 months ago
@OwlEye2010 3985's whistle, as well as 844's and the Big Boys, is locoated imediately behind the smoke stack. And the reason that you usually don't see steam from 3985's whistle is because the whistle is blown on superheated steam. (same thing with 844 and, back then, the Big Boys)
harrodsburgNSfan 3 months ago
Well done on this run-by vid. The UP Challengers, as built by Alco, were equipped for coal. Would be interesting to see one of the Southern Pacific 4-8+8-2 cab-forwards brought back to life for excursions---the Class AC-10 from Lima split the size and weight between Challenger and Big Boy and may be able to run on the same grade tracks as Challenger.
bcschmerker 6 months ago
N I C E !
pkrieter 8 months ago
10 people are stage coach drivers
andrewnagl 11 months ago
Awesome. Great. The sheer titanic presence of this machine! Old-Testament-caliber wrath-of-God gravitas on wheels. If I were a hobo looking to catch out, & this thing came down the line, I'd hand in my notice & take up farming. And that eldritch whistle! The veritable call of Cthulhu. Reminds me of this: [ see UnKnownVQ's YouTube vid "American Werewolf in London Howl Only"] Cheers for posting this.
DekalbBlues 1 year ago
Excuse a Brit' sticking his oar in..but by far the greatest number of comments here concerns the renovation of a Big Boy...or lack of it. It seems clear that there is a lack of commitment from the top. What's needed is a long term pressure group to lobby those with influence,political and corporate. We managed to haul the hulk of Brunels Gt,Britain from the Falklands on a raft..Check it out today. This loco is your heritage.So shame them into it! The US has the money,it merely needs the will.
crankbv1 1 year ago
@crankbv1 last i knew the big boys can not run on just any track. that may be one of the reasons.
The2000redrocket 6 months ago
@The2000redrocket Thanks for your reply, l appreciate the difficulties involved in getting a Big boy rolling again,but the US is a big country. So build it a dedicated stretch of rails somewhere out there. ln 1966 British Rail scrapped our last remaining Peppercorn Class A Pacific.But a group of enthusiasts acquired all the drawings and built a brand new one.lt's taken 18 years and £3m in public donations but it ran this year..check out the videos. Given the will,nothing is impossible.
crankbv1 6 months ago
@The2000redrocket i agree on the nothing is impossable thing but the big bous need from what i understand (i am not the rail buff knowing all about steam stuff) they are wider and heavier and need special track clearence. they were built for fast freight on a western usa track. do not remember if it is up or sf but the setup is long gone. just be satifyed that there is a local story close to pennsylvania that a 3 diesel freight traaind lost two diesels and a steamer with a full train pushed him
The2000redrocket 6 months ago
Klasse Camy führund ,Tolle Bilder ,voller Steam
drixdresspress 1 year ago
WOW! Is the only word for that!
4beatlefans 1 year ago
The Challenger will remain the best steam train in the world!
CookiesAndGuns95 1 year ago
wow great video. i saw this engine two weeks ago. my vids look like junk to yours! nice work
1134REN 1 year ago
Thats nice, thanks for sharing.
maison0blanche 1 year ago
awsome horn
cupofsoda 1 year ago 2
Big boy is fantastic ! Zoltan bebto from Hungary,Europe.
bebtozoltan55 1 year ago
Man, i still remember seeing this almighty locomotive myself. It was back in 2005. Those were the days when Michael Jackson was alive and Justin Bieber was never even heard of. *sigh*, the glorious days...
TheMylo84 1 year ago
Beautiful catch! Love that horn.
coashddjj2 1 year ago
i am a huuuuuuuuuge train fan and love trains but....whats the difference between the challenger and the big boys?
killthekiller101 1 year ago
@killthekiller101 challenger is a 4-6-6-4 setup and the bigboy is a 4-8-8-4 set up.
mbtech2003 1 year ago
They should do a Heavy Freight Train with that thing to show the real power of it!
RailRoadWorker18 1 year ago
@RailRoadWorker18 They actually have done so in the past. Just look up "Union Pacific 3985 Freight" here on YouTube and you should find at least one video of it pulling a revenue double-stack freight train. I guess they figure that, if they're going to move the engine from Point A to Point B, they might as well put 'er to work and make some money off the thing.
JETZcorp 1 year ago
@Atomitod. Ever wish that union pacific would restore a Big Boy to running condition?
john2800100 1 year ago
@john2800100 - I would love nothing more but unfortunately it isn't practical. Due to the way the boiler swings into turns, you're very likely to hit something solid along the way. That could be anything from a tree to an oncoming train and either way, you'll probably buy the farm doing it. Doyle McCormack (4449) told me that 3985 nicked a hopper car in that fashion when she first returned to service. And remember, the lines where Big Boys ran had to be modified so it fit when they was NEW!
deloreanman14 1 year ago
@deloreanman14 where ever challenger can go, big boy can go to. UP Big Boy was basically a challenger, just 10 feet bigger. the challenger is okay, but it's just not the same. when seeing a big boy in action. big boy can pull a much bigger train than the challenger. I'm just saying. if they can restore a 126 feet engine, they can also restore a 136 feet one. just saying.
john2800100 1 year ago
@john2800100
First, 'Challenger' is 121' 10 7/8", whereas 'Big Boy' is just over 132'. Second, 'Challenger' weighs around 1 million pounds, whereas 'Big Boy' weighs about 1 1/4 million pounds. Last, if my information is correct, the only rails that can support 'Big Boy' are along the Wasatch Mountains, between Utah and Wyoming.
Still, I do agree that it would be awesome to actually see a 'Big Boy' in action again. After all, he is 'king of the rails'.
razgrizaceblaze259 1 year ago
@john2800100 Not true...unfortunately. there are no turntables left that are long enough , and no rail
heavy enough, left on the UP system to run one...there IS, one wye left...at Green River, WY...and that
is it. The operating costs alone, would be enough to not make it viable, in comparison to the 3985 to
run it. The 3985 will keep running as long as it is viably self sustaining, and Steve Lee remains
in charge of it.
TurbinePower69 1 year ago
I love the smell a steam train leaves ,some people might not but i do
fpvshitsonhsv 1 year ago
@fpvshitsonhsv I do too. BUT it has to be a coal-fired engine.
BILLBKLYN 1 year ago
Made In U.S.A.!
RailRoadWorker18 1 year ago
The D&H used to run these bad boys in the NE hauling anthracite out of PA. Very coal machine.
kingtiger59 1 year ago
Very nice. Never seen this much steam. How do get so many views?
omahahorseshoes 1 year ago
there nothing like a steam locomotive.
jdubbjazzbass 1 year ago
AWESOME vid quality and SOUND
EnjoyFirefighting 1 year ago
gorgeous!! can't beat a steamer in full song!
Xantec 1 year ago
What a machine. I would love to see this monster working in the flesh but I won't fly so I don't think I ever will!
7822welshsteam 1 year ago
Five (5) Star Runby Video! Great sound, lighting, echo, close-up. Nice job! *****
sgtredbluered 1 year ago
Comment removed
09JDCTrainMan 1 year ago
I have to agree that almost all steam locomotives are 'shes'. However, like cars, I believe that there is at least one 'he', and, in my opinion, that 'he' is "Big Boy".
razgrizaceblaze259 1 year ago
Is challenger 3985 a she or a he?
09JDCTrainMan 2 years ago
@09JDCTrainMan didn't you hear the horn? that's his mating cal
trainguy3 2 years ago 2
Horn, don't you mean whistle?
09JDCTrainMan 1 year ago
probably the most beautiful steamer ever built!!!
They need to get a big boy running now too!
mjc6184 2 years ago 6
OMG *FanGirl scream* 3985!!!!!!!!
GECP4256 2 years ago 2
AWESOME!!! I'm from Holland, last week there was a little bit of snow and no trains were driving. pussy ass trains we have here.
Unabomber2 2 years ago
lol
Kman781 2 years ago
SHE IS A BEAST. Wish she'd come out to PA.
Jared1452 2 years ago
He is making all that smoke. SMOKING!
09JDCTrainMan 2 years ago
This has been flagged as spam show
she is making smoke trains are shes not hes
caseyjonesfan 2 years ago
Sometimes when we refer to "He", we are referring to Big Daddy, the boss. :-)
844jim 2 years ago
I saw the Challenger last year as it stopped at a local town in my area. I talked to the maintenance guys greasing it with an air grease gun (that thing was loud as hell) and they told me they had to stop every 100 miles to grease her. They also have a full machine shop in one of the cars that I looked in and it looked like 2 machinists in the railcar.
BadWolf762 2 years ago 7
What a beautiful machine!!!Is awesome!!!!The whistle..the smoke all...10*
edystvumdb 2 years ago
Beautiful location, if you like scenic locations like these, you will love "The Spot" in Niles Canyon.
ThomasRivette 2 years ago
Love the sound of the whistle!!!!
PlanesTrainsAutos 2 years ago
Fire it with coal likes they were designed to use. Piss on you environuts!!
markm7737 2 years ago
i think its not run by coal any more cause of cost efficiency, and it would just be too much to handle.
colinroxanduknowit 2 years ago
Hm... You might be partly right but I heard the only reason (this I know is true I'm just not sure if it's the ONLY reason) they're running her on fuel oil now is because of the grass and crop fires from coal cinders.
DeltaPhi79 2 years ago
they run on fuel oil cuss they can fill the tender with 5,000 gallons + another 5,000 from the backup tender coal this beast fired by coal would us up its tender in just a little under 3 hours so it would need to refill severel times dureing a excursion
golfisgreat123 2 years ago
it was done to prevent trackside fires
cooknsmurf 2 years ago
@markm7737 Agree 100%
BILLBKLYN 1 year ago
There is nothing like a Challenger.
Stigx1337 2 years ago
Best run-by of her on youtube!
colinroxanduknowit 2 years ago 7
@colinroxanduknowit I didn't know trains have genders! LOL!!!
DenshaDeGoExpert 6 months ago
@DenshaDeGoExpert well yeah, steam engines are like woman cause they are beautiful and fun, but if you piss her off, she gives all hell! :)
colinroxanduknowit 6 months ago
@colinroxanduknowit Piss? no way i'd piss anyone. anyway, this is one of my favorite locomotives. besides that is the K36 and the american 4-4-0. other than american locos are the C62 and D51 of japan.
DenshaDeGoExpert 6 months ago
simply amazing who doesnt love steam!!!!!
shininghappyperson7 2 years ago 4
I love the engine, plus all of that smoke is bound to piss Al gore off!
Jon13bur 2 years ago 3
especially since it's oil
DeltaPhi79 2 years ago
Bone-heads, that's something called "steam" - the title screen points out that it's three degrees above freezing.
mwhkelly 2 years ago
I forgot to say since it's oil that made the steam.....
DeltaPhi79 2 years ago
Yeah, good point... I wonder, tho, how many Mac Burger joints you need to get enough recycled fryer oil to fill the tender :)
Bonus; the run-by's would smell like french-fries!
mwhkelly 2 years ago
You know what that would be awesome but they need to use FUEL oil so.... problem there
DeltaPhi79 2 years ago
Yeah, I know... just sayin'... mebbe a blend, I'm sure the technology is not real particular. Fire-tube and smoke-box deposits would be the biggest issues, I would think.
mwhkelly 2 years ago
true, but even if its 3 degrees you dont see a diesel "steaming" like that
colinroxanduknowit 2 years ago
What a beast!
SteffanLlwyd 2 years ago 3
This comment has received too many negative votes show
Why does this steam engines pulling cargo carrages instead of passager carrages?
I think that steam train only carry tourists for sunday ride nowdays.
If they are used for cargo transport, i don not think the train company will make profit these days.
applesweeter 2 years ago
What are you talking about?! How would the motive power of a train affect how a railroad makes money? And besides, the train was pulling Heritage Passenger Cars owned by Union Pacific.
legodirectorHD 2 years ago
WTF? IT CAN TAKE MORE THAN A FEW CARS!!!
Chernabog135 2 years ago
alright then rsvp them so they can increase their passenger list and then add on more cars for the excursion.
roninotakuknight 2 years ago
It's very great! 5*****
WoelkerVideo 2 years ago
Now That,s a steam whistle
BNSiggey 3 years ago 2
This is the best!!!
When I was a kid, all they had was steam. I was 6 years old before I saw my first diesel locomotive (except the GM&O Rebel which was an oddball).
Thanks for posting this video.
phillippibeard 3 years ago
was that a DL-109?
Broncort1 3 years ago
Um... Do you mean a DL-109 hauling the GM&O Rebel? If so, the answer is no. The Rebel that left the Southern RR station in New Orleans and ran past my house in the late 1940s looked like a doodlebug. The engineer was behind a window at the very front of the unit like a motorman on a trolley or streetcar.
phillippibeard 3 years ago
3 tenders, wow! He just topped Flying Scotsman!
WilbertVereAwdry 3 years ago
She, not he. All steamers are ladies
ThomasRivette 2 years ago
Tell that to Awdry.
WilbertVereAwdry 2 years ago
Except for the Big Boy- Definitely a he!
guitboxchicken 2 years ago 2
Sorry about the last comment. The Big Boy series were 4000 to 4024. The Challenger was the predecessor to the Big Boy. Check out my vid to see what a Big Boy can do in Trainz 2006.
DeltaPhi79 3 years ago
as much as i like steam trains, too bad they are not good for global warming whats-so-ever. And it suck that they can get the big boy running, even if it means on a straight peice of track. and if only people could renovate the 1601 alleganney at henry ford( i live right by it lol) :-)
badboylll 3 years ago
Global warming? Keep in mind what one of those Challengers could pull would take hundreds of trucks. If anything, trains are good for the environment and the motorist.
Besides, most of what you see there is water vapor (not called steam for nothing).
Plisken1986 3 years ago 2
i didnt think of it that way...
badboylll 3 years ago
Don't worry. We all learn something new every day.
DanielVolker 3 years ago
Comment removed
DeltaPhi79 3 years ago
If there ever was something called 'Steam Fundamentalism' this is it!
SteffanLlwyd 3 years ago
i still cant believe they burn road tar but i suppose its cheaper than coal,,,
shorehamsoo 3 years ago
And burning waste oil allows the engine to travel over more of UP's system.
DanielVolker 3 years ago
Yeah, from the football game.
Atomitod 3 years ago
it was returning from the superbowl..like the NFL???
wannabeangel83 3 years ago
this locomotive is one of the biggist pice rail michine out ther
addington86 3 years ago
This has been flagged as spam show
ANYONE UP? I NEED SOMEONE TO TALK TO
ANY GUYS UP? c9
AzioRapper 3 years ago
the most massive runby of 3985 ever !!!!
Oldskoolrailroad 3 years ago
I love how active this engine is. Its refreshing. There are tons of videos of it on the site.
ragemanchoo82 3 years ago
makes tuff loco's look not so tuff.
WhyAyeMann 3 years ago
Fantastic!
alogmail 3 years ago 8
amazing!!!
camaroracer454 3 years ago 7
POWERFULL. THAT'S IT!
OMF1955 3 years ago 8
Makes today's engines look like kiddy-cars.
chaplainphil 3 years ago 25
Look at that Power ... amazing!!!!
farouqleftback 3 years ago 9
god what a whistle!!!!! that was awsome!!
sleeplessingc 3 years ago 9
i agree
lvanciel 3 years ago
wow it looks like a ghost train in the ending!! that smoke is thick and lots of it great catch man best catch ever!
xxxDeath9572xxx 3 years ago 16
cigar anyone ? ;)
KhmerSerey1 3 years ago
this is real smoke man
andreaslocomotive 3 years ago 5
hello handsome that engine kicks ass but not as much as the U.P BIG BOYS
UNIONPACIFIC1 3 years ago 2
Nice the steam locomotief ferry nice
Sytze1234 3 years ago
My uncle ran the Challengers for the Delaware & Hudson between Binghamton and Albany N.Y. back in the 40s. Seems he had a love affair with the huge alcos. I was too young to understand, now I see....
twrldr1 3 years ago 3
As soon as it comes thru here again I'll definitely take more video and post it. The 3985 hasn't been thru in a long time now. Wish it would though!
Atomitod 3 years ago
I would love to see that. I bet the ground shook when that monster roared by. Steam locomotives are auwsome!!
SouthernRR4501 3 years ago 3
You can't fail to be impressed by that glorious cloud of steam and smoke as it came up the track. Wow, then the whistle blew....
fabulous!
PetesNikon 3 years ago 2
Go for it dude- railroads kickass!
Kman781 3 years ago
when I was watching this video for the first time, when I heard that whistle All the hairs on my back stood up. Even in video, thats still one hell of a machine. Even though my freinds arent train enthusiests, I still think they would have loved to see this in real life. Anyone would.
DarkTower97 3 years ago
NICE! That whistle will scare the S-it outta anybody.
Kman781 4 years ago 2
That was a great vid
I loved the vapor cloud from the stack . With it being 35 it makes a great show. Good Job !!!!!
vipleather 4 years ago
actually, they reenginered it to run on no. 5 oil while it was being refurbished to reduce the sparks and whatnot
ryan4893 4 years ago
It's not smoking nearly as much on some other videos as it is here. Do you know when it was modified to run on oil?
TECHKLEC 4 years ago
takes your breath away, shear poetry in motion mmmmmmmmmm :o]
straker1999 4 years ago
I WISH Richard Trevithick could have seen how his invention would turn out in the end. US steam really is numbingly fantastic!
SteffanLlwyd 4 years ago
maaan so much smoke:))) the driver can see shiit:P
raducj 4 years ago
Now THAT is a freakin train horn. Wow.
Soothsayerman 4 years ago
Wow, that was AWESOME!!
lostchord359 4 years ago
Awesome!
A true masterpiece in engineering... :-)
mortdk 4 years ago
Man that was sweet.
TheMadRRConductor 4 years ago
What a briliant video.
Mattaeae 4 years ago
man look at that baby belch smoke n steam..=)
dumbcow1 4 years ago
Im pretty sure the method used to creat all the smoke is called "cheating". Use excessive ammounts of diesel oil to make it look like its actually burnig coal, I guess it had been converted to oil when this was shot, not sure tho..
L324RE12 4 years ago
It was burning oil. It was also very cold that morning. The "smoke" is more due to the temperature than anything (mostly moisture in the hot combustion gases cooling down and condensing).
Atomitod 4 years ago
It was converted to oil in 1990. The coal cinders used to start grass fires. The 844 was converted to oil in 1946, due to a coal strike.
Tanvan180 4 years ago
They did things to prevent that. Smoke stacks have spark arresters (screen doors) to block them.
princenoah21 4 years ago
The Challenger and Big Boy whistle are exactly the same, actually.
adfgfds 4 years ago
nah i've heard the Big Boy's its a little more stronger sounding.
boeingLL747 4 years ago
I TOTALLY AGREE
UNIONPACIFIC1 3 years ago 3
Pentrex's bigboy video has a few recordings of the Big Boy's whistle. It's a bit stronger and sharper than the Challengers.
ronthecyborg 2 years ago
I have one word for this video. WOW!
THandBfan 4 years ago
What a beast, that distinctive mournful whistle just says "America" to me. How many steam locos are still operational in the US?
ogwen040 4 years ago
More than you'd think. Check out steamlocomotive-dot-com for a list...
Atomitod 4 years ago
That whistle is haunting.
kiminicooper1 4 years ago
I thought so too....especially once it disappears down the track.
Atomitod 4 years ago
I agree. However, I think that Big Boy's whistle is by far more beautiful to hear than the Challenger's whistle.
razgrizaceblaze259 4 years ago
yea they had it on coal but it kept setting fires track side from all the cinders...the big biys handled better on coal apparently...
stevelerro 4 years ago
nice video
swatcaty 4 years ago
wow
JacobCastro1234 4 years ago
I think they converted 3985 to oil burning
EternalFallout 4 years ago
yes they did in 1996
lvanciel 4 years ago
It was actually in 1990.
UPTRAIN 4 years ago
oh thanks i had no clue
lvanciel 4 years ago
No problem, it was the winter before I was born. They used the oil burner off a displayed Challenger at North Platte I belive.
UPTRAIN 4 years ago
love that smoke!
Nec1228 4 years ago
I remember getting goose bumps when she passed thru my town, it was a sight and sound I'll never forget. I'd love to go back in time when steam locomotives ruled the tracks. Thanks for the great video.
sac7000 4 years ago
She's a moose, but she's a great moose! Long live 3985!
Superedit 4 years ago
no wonder the ozone is depleting
imartin08 4 years ago
Don't worry, it just looks fancy. Fact is most of it's just steam and ash from the burned coal that will just settle on the ground and mix in with the rest of the dirt. ;)
gobo760 4 years ago
Reminds me of 1218, only a lot faster. 1218 was built to drag coal up mountains at low speed. Challenger was built to run flat out.
boardman49 4 years ago
No, it was build to haul heavy freighttrains on Sherman hill
UnionPacificBigBoy 4 years ago
wow what a sound !!!
QuebecCentral 4 years ago
I saw this one most recently when it came to Portland, Oregon about a year ago. When that deep low whistle blows that familiar grade crossing pattern I feel it way down in my gut. I feel like I was born about fifty years too late, sometimes, but then again we have both the SP 4449 and the SP&S 700 right here in town, so opportunities to go see shiny, well-maintained engines are rather frequent.
arobins74 4 years ago
You'r lucky to have so much so close. I'd love to see SP 4449 live someday.
Atomitod 4 years ago
my favoite locomotive
lvanciel 4 years ago
It's so nice to see a massive "old girl" like the 3985 out there running the high iron. I hope they keep her around for another hundred years!
KC0TLV 5 years ago
There's something a bit magical about this video. There are other great views of 3985, and one must mention the Skipw tracking videos, but this one just sums it up really.
I'm british but I love the giant mallets. The audacity of building such things. And the Challengers are the best.
greyheron 5 years ago