Steam & Excursion > 3985 to receive its original tender.

RRHMA recently addressed the popular question "what tender will 3985 have?"
Today they offered an answer.

"Many of you have asked us about the tender that will be paired to our recently acquired "Challenger," Union Pacific 3985. Today we are proud to announce some exciting news: 3985 will get its original tender! During 2019's Big Boy event, Union Pacific Railroad 4014 carried the Challenger's tender as it was previously converted for use with an oil-burning steam locomotive.
Railroading Heritage of Midwest America will perform the conversion of the #4014 tender to oil at our Silvis, Illinois shop."

Several assumptions can be made by the way they worded or perhaps what they didn't say such as once the conversion to 4014s tender is completed will the exchange it for 3985s tender? I assume that the plan.

I imagine the simplest way to handle it would be send 4014's tender to Silvis with 3985. Do the work there, then send Big Boy to wherever is as close to the Silvis shop as it can get. Do the ol' switcheroo there. If both groups are fine with waiting a few years for 3985's rebuild to be done and they could meet under steam, imagine the photo ops.

Posted from Android

Steve Sandberg attended the Union Pacific Historical Society meeting in Cheyenne, Wyoming, May 12, 2022.  Steve Sandberg gave a great talk about the plans for the museum and repair shop at Silvis, IL, and the incorporation of the donated UP equipment.

Photo - 12 May 2022 Ed Dickens and Steve Sandberg at Cheyenne, WY.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/13/22 14:15 by cozephyr.

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Hopefully someone was there to record it.

Posted from Android

Well, there we have it. I was wondering about this when the donation was announced, along with which tenders were original to which locomotive. In the Trains Mag. post they say 4014's is original to 4015, but 3985's is in fact 3985's original tender. Cool.

Cheers, Dave

Hillcrest Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Well, there we have it. I was wondering about this
> when the donation was announced, along with which
> tenders were original to which locomotive. In the
> Trains Mag. post they say 4014's is original to
> 4015, but 3985's is in fact 3985's original
> tender. Cool.
>
> Cheers, Dave

Another fun fact....The oil bunker and perhaps some other parts of 3977 in North Platte(Or is it Grand Island???) were used when they converted 3985 to oil, circa 1990.
Greg

Yep 3977 is in North Platte Greg.






gregscholl Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hillcrest Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Well, there we have it. I was wondering about
> this
> > when the donation was announced, along with
> which
> > tenders were original to which locomotive. In
> the
> > Trains Mag. post they say 4014's is original to
> > 4015, but 3985's is in fact 3985's original
> > tender. Cool.
> >
> > Cheers, Dave
>
> Another fun fact....The oil bunker and perhaps
> some other parts of 3977 in North Platte(Or is it
> Grand Island???) were used when they converted
> 3985 to oil, circa 1990.
> Greg

Posted from Android

I'm still looking forward to when 3985's restored and how much less it'll cost compared to 4014's restoration!

Posted from Android



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/15/22 19:17 by ProAmtrak.

4014 tender that it was retired with is really 4015's someone said

Hillcrest Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Well, there we have it. I was wondering about this
> when the donation was announced, along with which
> tenders were original to which locomotive. In the
> Trains Mag. post they say 4014's is original to
> 4015, but 3985's is in fact 3985's original
> tender. Cool.
>
> Cheers, Dave

Information for Surviving Big Boys in Wikipedia indicates none are with the tenders that were original to the locomotives.
info per WIKIPEDIA
ENGINE & TENDER
4004 25-C-103 Holliday Park, Cheyenne, WY
4005 Not Reported Forney Transportation Museum, Denver, CO
4006 25-C-104 Museum of Transportation, St Louis, MO
4012 25-C-114 Steamtown National Historic Site, Scranton, PA
4014 25-C-115 *temporarily with tender from 3985 Union Pacific Railroad
4017 25-C-404 National Railroad Museum, Green Bay, WI
4018 25-C-101 Museum of the American Railroad, Frisco, TX
4023 25-C-105 Kenefick Park, Omaha, NE

Note that tender for 4014 is actually with 4012.

ALLEN

The goings on in Silvis make me want to move there and volunteer in some capacity...