Steam & Excursion > 70 years ago

It was 70 years ago in 1943 that the builders construction plates were applied to the smoke box of UP's 3985. In 1979 we had it removed from its display west of the Cheyenne Depot to the roundhouse for restoration. A group of us worked on it day after day in between working for the railroad and getting our rest to get it running in 1981. Then in 1990 we converted the Challenger to oil inserting the oil tank out of the Challenger in Cody Park in North Platte, NE. It has run for the UP ever since up until it was pulled from regular service for overhaulon 2010. After thirty years on the road of pulling specials, excursions and even a 125 car doublestack train it awaits its return to service.
Happy Birthday 3985 from one of your greatest admirers.
This one's for you too Lynn.

Bob Krieger
Cheyenne, WY

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I'll second that Bob. We sure have had some great times with 3985, even if some of the days/nights were pretty long.

Thanks again for remembering Lynn also.

Good job guys. Hope to see it again under steam. Looks like it was hoked up while on display with all the striping and whitewalls and silver smokebox. Glad you folks did it right when you did it.

Thanks a lot, Bob! Many thanks to you John Boehner who convinced the right people in Omaha that the project could be undertaken in the first place, and then to you, Craig, Don and so many others who labored tirelessly in her restoration and years of operation thereafter. You guys have provided me with many hours of wonderful memories, including some special time with my son, Kevin, the "World's Youngest Challenger Fireman." I cherish a photo taken with Kevin and me standing beneath Lynn in the fireman's seat on that very day. Lynn has just completed dropping the remnants of a sandwich on my head and is holding his finger high with the old "SCORE!" HA!

Personally, I don't think there's much question she'll run again.

Frisco, 3985 was painted very much like the display photo above for a couple of years before Steve decided to return her to a scheme much closer to her in-service appearance.

John Bush
Omaha

Thanks for your history with this magnificent machine. Hopefully we'll see her in action again in the not too distant future...

Steve Mitchell
http://www.yardgoatimages.com

4-12-2 Wrote:
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> Thanks a lot, Bob! Many thanks to you John
> Boehner who convinced the right people in Omaha
> that the project could be undertaken in the first
> place, and then to you, Craig, Don and so many
> others who labored tirelessly in her restoration
> and years of operation thereafter. You guys have
> provided me with many hours of wonderful memories,
> including some special time with my son, Kevin,
> the "World's Youngest Challenger Fireman." I
> cherish a photo taken with Kevin and me standing
> beneath Lynn in the fireman's seat on that very
> day. Lynn has just completed dropping the
> remnants of a sandwich on my head and is holding
> his finger high with the old "SCORE!" HA!
>
> Personally, I don't think there's much question
> she'll run again.
>
> Frisco, 3985 was painted very much like the
> display photo above for a couple of years before
> Steve decided to return her to a scheme much
> closer to her in-service appearance.
>
> John Bush
> Omaha
I remember when I let Kevin fire the Challenger and crowned him with that title. I always had and still have a unique affection for the locomotive, especially when we worked it on the double stack. Heck, Jack and I set the back up miles record with that locomotive on CSX too.

Bob Krieger
Cheyenne, WY

Bob3985 Wrote:
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> Heck, Jack and I set the back up miles record with
> that locomotive on CSX too.


Boy, tell me about it! She was a real bear to fire, being dragged backwards all those mile on the old Clinchfield.

A huge THANK YOU for bringing her to the old Clinchfield too!!

ExtraSouth Wrote:
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> A huge THANK YOU for bringing her to the old
> Clinchfield too!!

Thanks, it was quite an undertaking having to do all the planning ourselves with very little help from the folks at CSX. But we made it work. Even when we couldn't negotiate the wye at Kingsport and did the backward round trips to turn on the NS connector about 125 miles away. I think that was called St. John's Junction but don't quote me on that one. that was a couple of years ago (smile).

Bob Krieger
Cheyenne, WY

It was called St. Paul. I chased you guys a couple of days and rode from Kingsport to St. Paul and back to Kingsport the day after the Santa Train. Diesel up, steam back.