Hello Rick!
Tuesday October 28 1997 11:17, Rick Jones wrote to Tom Walker:
 RJ>    Hmmmmm, I wonder just how impractical it really is though. Union
 RJ> Pacific wouldn't be keeping Challenger #3985 in operating condition and
 RJ> use, even for PR purposes, if there wasn't some practicality to it. And 

 RJ> 4-6-6-4 doesn't have that much more freedom of movement than a 4-8-8-4,
Sure does...
And they had to convert 3985 to an oil burner vice coal, due to all the brush 
fires they created on excursion runs with the sparks and hot coals from her.
 RJ> IMHO. #3985 made it over Cajon Pass and down through San Berdoo,
 RJ> Riverside and Ontario, Calif. just a few years ago pulling an
 RJ> excursion train without any trouble. THAT was a wonderful sight to
 RJ> see!
But that's in the west where most railroads learned they needed massive 
articulateds and to run them, they also had to have more graceful curves.
Get the video, "Union Pacific's Clinchfield Challenge" about the 3985 
renumbered and renamed to Clinchfield 676 for the 50th Anniversary of the 
Santa Claus Special on the old Clinchfield line, who at one time, owned 6 of 
the Challenger loco's similar to 3985. In the remarks by the engineer, ? 
Lee(?), he tells how much trouble they had, mapping out routes where they 
could go, due to the curves, bridge limitations, etc. In fact, there is one 
scene after '676' remodeled, with it's running board, the side of a hopper in 
a train on a parallel track. Even tho 3985 is only a 4-6-6-4, doesn't mean it 
can go everywhere.
And the 4-8-8-4 BigBoy can only go a fraction of where the Challenger can go. 
BigBoy was made to conquer the Wasatch mountains and Sherman hill at 
Cheyenne. As it was stated here recently, BigBoy would get the train to the 
top and then turn the cars over to a Challenger or other loco's for the rest 
of the trip. With it's appetite for coal and water, Big Boy was not too cheap 
to operate.
They tried but it wasn't to feasible to convert to oil due to the firebox 
that the BigBoy has.
Here's some of the text on BigBoy in Model Railroader Cyclopedia - Vol I, 
Steam Locomotives;
"The longest and heaviest locomotives are generally considered to be Union 
Pacific 4-8-8-4 engines built by Alco in 1941 and 1944. These 25 machines 
were designed for the same problem as many other UP engines, the Wasatch 
Mountains. The idea was to eliminate helpers. Because of their extreme 
length, the Big Boys left this area only occasionally and they practically 
never ventured into short-turntable territory in Nebraska."
"Careful design incorporating lateral motion devices eliminated any tendency 
to nosing with the Big Boys, and UP men said they were able to run as fast as 
80 miles per hour although they developed their best horse power at 30. In 
the terminals they could round a curve as sharp as 20 degrees, equivalent to 
40" in HO scale".
Thats about right as my BigBoy would travel one loop on my layout, and the 
loop was 36" radius. On a smaller loop, about 30" radius, it would always 
give me problems, even tho it was a Riv loco, with extra articulation. 
(Bought it in 1971 for $35.97 at Woolco, Pensacola FL. Wish now I'd have 
purchased hundreds of the Riv models. Did get a SP 4-8-8-2 Cab Forward, a B&O 
2-10-2, 'Big-6 or Texan'. Both at same or less than the BigBoy. They really 
run smooth...)
The real Big Boy was 132' long and weighed 1.25 million pounds, with full 
fuel/water load.
But my layout bridges could take all that weight with no problem with my Big 
Boy. :)
Take care
                               -=[Bob]=-
Internet:
classa@juno.com
rowingender@worldnet.att.com
rwingend@mail.orion.org
... I'd rather ride the Wave than wallow in QWKsand!
--- D'B 3000A3/GoldED/386 3.00.Alpha5+REG#1047/TAG 2.7c
---------------