(Midlands News Service circulated the following story by Roger Holsinger on September 21.)
POTTER, Iowa — After dealing with a couple of mechanical problems and railroad repairs, Union Pacific’s Challenger No. 3985 rumbled and steamed into town as school children and spectators lined each side of the tracks here Thursday morning.
The locomotive, which was built in 1943, is making a five-state, 1,750-mile. 23-day tour that began Thursday morning in Cheyenne, Wyo., and will end in St. Paul, Minn.
The tour is being done to celebrate railroad heritage.
While the engine was scheduled to arrive at 10 a.m. in Potter, it didn’t arrive until noon. According to railroad personnel, the train wasn’t able to leave Cheyenne as scheduled and then there were some issues with the locomotive’s water tank and some other mechanical issues with the locomotive.
Despite the delays, hundreds of people gathered along Highway 30 to watch the locomotive steam through. Almost everyone was either video tapping or photographing the locomotive. As it rolled out of town, the entourage of cars and trucks followed.
In addition to the train enthusiasts, junior high school students from Potter-Dix patiently waited for the train to arrive.
The Challenger, No. 3985 is the world’s largest operating steam locomotive.
The locomotive will be on display for five days in North Platte as part of the city’s Rail Fest. Then it heads into Iowa and then Minnesota before it turns around and heads back to Cheyenne. Those who missed seeing the locomotive will be able to see it when in comes back through the state next month.
The locomotive, which is 122 feet long, has a hinged frame that allows it to negotiate curves, according to information from Union Pacific. It weighs more than one million pounds, has six-foot diameter drive wheels and can reach a top speed of 70 miles per hour.
The locomotive was built for fast freight service and was retired in 1959. In 1981, it was restored to running condition by UP employee volunteers for special service and is based in Cheyenne.