9/17/2010    Gaining Steam

UP's historic steam locomotive to embark on 2,200-mile tour

Later this month, Union Pacific Railroad’s “Challenger” steam locomotive, which is considered the world’s largest operating steam engine, will launch a six-state, 2,200-mile tour that will run from Cheyenne, Wyo., to Gorham, Ill., to commemorate railroad heritage.

To kick-off the tour, the 67-year-old Challenger will pull the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® circus train between Speer, Wyo., and Denver on Sept. 28.

“History will be made that day when No. 3985 will pull a 65-car train that [weighs] more than 6,000 tons and is 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 prepared statement.

Next month, the Challenger will be on display in Kansas City, Jefferson City and St. Louis, Mo. The locomotive also will stop overnight in Denver; Cheyenne; North Platte, Neb.; Marysville, Kan.; St. Louis; and Sedalia, Mo.

Built in 1943, retired in 1959 and restored in 1981, the 122-foot-long, articulated locomotive features a “hinged” frame to negotiate curves. It weighs more than 1 million pounds and can reach a top speed of 70 mph. The tour will be the locomotive’s first extended trip after undergoing maintenance work the past two years, according to UP.

For More Details and to Monitor the Trip, CLICK HERE

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