Carrying a full load of coal for the day's trip to Ogden, the crew of Union Pacific 4-6-6-4 3985 is making sure everything is ready to go before they head out of Salt Lake City's engine facility o... (more)

Steve Lee and company put on a nice show for us easterners as UP 3985 headed north up the CSX shortline for Cincinnati with the annual Christmas train that was celebrating the 50th anniversary ... (more)

In 1992 CSX celebrated the 50th anniversary of their annual Santa Train and to mark the occassion they borrowed UP's Challenger that would eventually be dressed up as a Clinchfield unit.Here the... (more)

Union Pacific "Challenger" 3985 passes under the other mainline at the "natural crossover" at Frost, just south (railroad west) of Victorville, California. The big 4-6-6-4 is on a fan trip, and i... (more)

A 1954 Chevy farm truck sits in the afternoon sun, as UP 3985, heading towards Gibbon Jct., heads eastbound. Chances are these two have meet before, as the truck is owned by a local farmer just do... (more)

Hightailing east bound for its next stop in Kearney, UP 3985 hauls it seven cars, on towards Minneapolis, MN for its planed appearance.

Having just taken off from a quick stop at Maxwell, Challenger UP 3985, has 7 cars in tow, as it rounds on of few curves on the UP Kearney Sub, eastbound, while a UP empty coal train with UP 7086 ... (more)

With Old Glory flying overhead, UP 3985, sits still while getting serviced, as railfans take photos and a father and son team get a closer look at the big Challenger, while a classic Coke, advert... (more)

Grease, dirt, sweat and a lot of love, is what it takes to keep big steam rolling along, as two of the UP's Steam Team work to "Shoot the rods", at its midway service stop, eastbound for Missouri ... (more)

The UP special arrives in Dolton at the end of the excursion run. Plenty of photographers on the ground to record the event.

This was an excursion from Dolton, Il. We chased this train through Indiana on the CSX. It was great to see a loco like this doing all the work without any diesels around.

Several hours late the 4-6-6-4 Union Pacific Challenger arrives in St. Paul for the weekend.

UP 3985, comes charging along US 30, into Maxwell, with it's equipment cars, heading for it's first servicing stop at Cozad. Throwing everyone off the big Challenger stopped just on the other side... (more)

The Challenger arriving back at it's home base after 22 day trip.

Arriving back at home base after a month long trip.