#2524
Union Pacific Challenger
🇺🇸 United States ·built by American Locomotive Company· from 1936· five classes of American simple articulated 4-6-6-4 locomotives
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3 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
- 1. 3985 entering Eugene (41630796): Bruce Fingerhood from Springfield, Oregon, US· CC BY 2.0
- 2. Union Pacific Steam Locomotive 3814 fetter challenger: born1945· CC BY 2.0
- 3. Union Pacific Challenger 3985 01: Mark Evans· CC BY 2.0
what is it?
The Union Pacific Challengers are a type of simple, articulated, 4-6-6-4 steam locomotive built by American Locomotive Company (ALCO) from 1936 to 1944 and operated by the Union Pacific Railroad until the late 1950s. In total, 105 Challengers were built in five classes. They were nearly 122 ft (37 m) long and weighed 537 short tons (487 tonnes).
who runs it
base stats
Bars compare against all trains: 600 km/h (maglev), 1,700 seats; power, weight and number built on a log scale up to 20 MW, 1,000 t and 20,000 built.
fun facts
- First built 90 years ago, in 1936.
- Weighs about as much as 47 African elephants (~6 t each).
steam locomotive: Burns coal, wood or oil to boil water; the steam drives pistons that turn the wheels.
spec sheet
- built
- 1936–1944
- status
- retired
- number built
- 105
- kind
- Steam
- traction
- steam
- origin
- 🇺🇸 United States
- builders
- American Locomotive Company
- designer
- CSA Class : Arthur H. Fetter , 4664 Class : Otto Jabelmann
- operators
- Union Pacific Railroad, Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad, Clinchfield Railroad
- top speed
- 113 km/h
- power
- —
- gauge
- 1,435 mm standard gauge
- wheel arrangement
- 4-6-6-4
- weight
- 284 t
From the Wikipedia infobox and Wikidata. Blank means the sources don't say.
Sources: Wikidata Q15700457, Wikipedia: Union Pacific Challenger (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.