Steam Train: UP Challenger 3985

[trooptpt80]

And still coal fired. Rare video! Thank you!

[electron2601]

this girl is rocking the world!

[struck2soon]

...and no stinking diesel in the consist to spoil the appearance!

[rutman1957]

good vidieo. like the black smoke. 3985 was converted to #5 oil in 1990. pretty rare video. live in sedalia missouri. it's here now. will try to take some video as it leaves town.

[ThomasRivette]

Now that was Beautiful. Thanks for uploading.

[flammabletube]

awesome vid 3985 was running heavy by the looks of it

all I can say bring the steamers back

10/10

[cbolanz]

hi i'm chris i like this video and i'll respond well if you find a video of 3985 in a certain year by the number 1988

[e44e33]

Didn't get a chance to chase 3985 in 1988.

[ravenhawk6910]

That's different then the 3985 I know. She was still a coal burner when this was made.

[tara2578]

the challngers are cool but the big boys are cooler its a shame there are no big boys running

[NightmareKato]

The reason there are no Big Boys in operation is primarily due to changes in how the railroad tracks are laid now, turn radius on the tracks are too sharp for the Big Boy to run safely.

Remember, the Big Boy is an articulated locomotive, meaning the nose swings out on the turns. Because of the way the tracks are laid, there is a VERY high risk of the Big Boy smashing into other trains in the turns. That was one reason why the Big Boy was phased out - that and it was very expensive to maintain.

[suckboy]

3985 is also articulated. Your comment made it sound like that was an unusual feature of the Big Boys, but most of the largest steamers were articulated.

One of the other primary reasons the Big Boys are all retired is that converting them to burn fuel oil failed on the one they tried it with. I don't recall the specifics.

[jay600katana]

damn LET ' ER EAT! what a beast

[mekydro]

superb 'stack talk' as she powers away up the bank

[shorehamsoo]

whATS WITH THE OVER FIRE???? DRAMATICS,,

[trainboy94]

Was this when the 3985 had white tires???????

[myview58]

she had the cole poured to her!I love that sound!

[ColonelSamatoshi]

It's COAL not cole, & with as much smoke as it's blowing out it should be parked & a better steamer used.

[Xantec]

she's smoking because she's working hard, cresting a hill with 20 cars in tow!

[DarkTower97]

Amen.

Ya know they its easier to convert power plants to use alternate forms of producing energy than transportation.

[SkipW]

Too Bad the field of view is a little less now those little trees, are now a little larger and thats too bad. Also I think the smoke output has suffered slightly due to the 1990 conversion from a coal burner to fuel oil, but the video gets the Green signal here! & thanks 4 postin it

[hughesmr]

GREAT video. Now that's a smoke show!

[BigUnitBeef]

Who said that crap? Tell that fool if more people rode trains and used public transportation instead of driving their HUMMERS....well. The answer is obvious.

[cchan006]

I see that some people standing too close to the tracks are giving the respect that the 3985 deserves by stepping back! :)

Awesome!