(The following story by Algis J. Laukaitis appeared on the Lincoln Journal Star website on September 20, 2010.)
LINCOLN, Neb. — Hundreds of railroad fans are expected to line the Union Pacific tracks in a few weeks to watch “Challenger” No. 3985, the world’s largest and most powerful steam locomotive, roll across Nebraska.
The historic train will be on a 2,200-mile tour from Cheyenne, Wyo., to Gorham, Ill., to celebrate railroad heritage.
“We expect more than the usual (number of people) coming trackside because Challenger has been in the shop getting worked on,” UP spokesman Mark Davis said.
The last time Challenger passed through Nebraska was in 2004, according to Journal Star files.
To kick off the tour, Challenger will pull the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus train between Speer, Wyo., and Denver. Colo.
“History will be made that day when No. 3985 will pull a 65-car train that is more than 6,000 tons and nearly 6,100 feet long, the most for a steam locomotive in the 21st century,” said Dick Hartman, UP’s director of public affairs for Colorado and Wyoming, in a press release.
After it unloads the animals, performers and circus gear in Denver, Challenger will head back to Cheyenne, Wyo., and then across Nebraska, into Kansas and Missouri, where it will help Sedalia, Mo., residents celebrate the community’s sesquicentennial on Oct. 10.
The only overnight stops in Nebraska are in North Platte on Sept. 30 and on Oct. 13, when the locomotive heads back to its home base in Cheyenne, Wyo.
The closest overnight stop for railroad fans in Lincoln and Southeast Nebraska is just across the Nebraska-Kansas border in Marysville, Kan., on Oct. 1 and Oct. 12.
Fans can get a close-up look at Challenger and its support cars during the overnight stops, Davis said.
Challenger is 122 feet long and weighs more than 1 million pounds. It also has a hinged frame to help it negotiate curves.
The locomotive was built in 1943 for fast freight service –it has a top speed of 70 mph — and was retired in 1959. UP employee volunteers restored the locomotive to running condition in 1981.
A Global Positioning Satellite transmitter was installed in one of the rail cars that will travel with Challenger. The GPS system has been integrated with a map on UP’s website, so fans can follow the train’s progress across six states.
The GPS system will update the map every five minutes. Enter the word “Steam” in the search box on the homepage for a shortcut to the map.
GPS updates are also available at http://twitter.com/UP_Steam.