Dear N Scale Customers;

 

The final due dates for your orders are quickly approaching, if you want to get your new Arthearn products, make sure you place your orders today!

 

Athearn has announced the 4-6-6-4 Challenger Steam Locomotives

 

Union Pacific

In the spring of 1941 UP locomotive designers began working on a locomotive to team up with the new 4-8-8-4 Big Boy’s then under construction at Alco. The Big Boy’s were designed to pull heavy freights up the Wasatch Range in Utah to the division point at Green River, WY. What was needed was a locomotive to take over at that point that could speed the freights eastward across the Wyoming Division. Building on their experience with the original CSA 4-6-6-4 Challengers UP and Alco’s designers developed a newer and better Challenger type locomotive. The result was a group of 65 4-6-6-4 Challenger built in three separate groups during World War II.

ROAD NUMBER SPECIFIC FEATURES:

• #3985 Modern Excursion version, Oil Burner, Era 1980’s - 2000’s

• #3933 Coal Burner, Dual smoke stack, Tender bunker coal extensions, Era 1940’s - 1959

• #3967 Coal Burner, Dual smoke stack, Smoke Lifters, Era 1940’s - 1959

• #3997 Coal Burner, Dual smoke stack, Tender bunker coal extensions, Era 1940’s - 1959

 

 

 

 

Denver & Rio Grande Western

During the World War II industrial production was overseen and regulated by the Federal War Production Board. When the UP placed their 2nd Challenger order with Alco in 1943 the WPB stepped in and had 5 of the locomotives built for the Denver & Rio Grande Western RR to help fulfill their need for additional motive power to haul wartime traffic. These 5 locomotives were built to UP’s specifications.

 

ROAD NUMBER SPECIFIC FEATURES:

• #3803 Coal burner, Dual smoke stacks. Era: 1944-1946.

 

 

PROTOTYPE SPECIFIC INFORMATION

The name “Challenger” was given to steam locomotives with a 4-6-6-4 wheel arrangement. This means that they have four wheels in the leading pilot truck, which helps guide the locomotive into curves, two sets of six driving wheels, and finally four trailing wheels, which support the rear of the engine and its massive firebox. Each set of six driving wheels is driven by two steam cylinders. In essence, the result is two engines under one boiler. The Union Pacific Railroad sponsored development of this type to meet the need for higher speeds in main-line service. Historically, articulated locomotives had been limited to slow speeds by factors inherent in their design. The technical breakthroughs achieved with the Big Boy enabled the carrier to develop a newer, improved Challenger that met their speed expectations.

Though originally intended for freight service, many Challengers were used in passenger service.

 

STEAM LOCOMOTIVE FEATURES:

• DCC-ready features Quick Plug plug-and-play technology

• Scaled from prototype resources including drawings, field measurements, photographs, and more

• Accurately-painted and –printed paint schemes

• Full cab interior with boiler backhead with printed gauges

• Individually applied piping, valves, generators, etc.

• Operating eccentric cranks on both sides operating in correct direction

• Headlights and indicator number boxes (number boards) with directional light change

• Five pole, skewed armature motor with flywheel for smooth operation

• Pivoting front and rear engines for negotiating 11” radius curves

• See-through running boards

• See-through cab windows

• McHenry scale knuckle couplers

• LED Lighting for realistic appearance

• Fully-assembled and ready-to-run

• Heavy die-cast frame for greater traction and more pulling power

• Packaging securely holds for the model for safe storage

• Minimum recommended radius: 15”

 

SOUND EQUIPPED MODELS ALSO FEATURE

• Tender-mounted DCC decoder with SoundTraxx Tsunami2 sound

• Sound, units operate in both DC and DCC

• Full DCC functions available when operated in DCC mode

• Engine, whistle, and bell sounds work in DC

• All functions NMRA compatible in DCC mode

• Excellent Slow speed control

• Many functions can be altered via Configuration Value (CV) changes

• CV chart included in the box

 

 

 

Building on a rich tradition started in 1946, the Athearn brand is home to the hobby’s best-loved models. Athearn has brought the joy of model railroading to you for 75 years, starting from our classic ‘Blue-Box” kits to our most recent Genesis 2.0 line. With accurate detailing and painting, Athearn is the brand that any hobbyist is proud to own and operate. No matter your era or favorite railroad, Athearn truly is “Trains in Miniature.”

 

 

Order Due Date: September 24, 2021

Anticipated Delivery Date: Nov 2021

 

Looking for more Athearn N Scale 4-6-6-4 Steam Locomotives? Click here!

 

Looking for more Athearn N Scale Products? Click here!

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