In later years the train did include a few lightweight cars. 3977, which is on display in North Platte, Nebraska. To put you right to work, the Challenger includes a selection of period . It was officially retired in January 2020 and is stored in Cheyenne, Wyoming, but has since been acquired by the Railroading Heritage of Midwest America (RRHMA) in Little Silvis Shops in Silvis, Illinois, where the locomotive is now being restored to operation once again. June 20, 1946
October 30, 1955
It is an excellent resource with thousands of historic maps on file throughout the country. The schedule was slow, which allowed switching of head-end and passenger cars with other trains as the Gold Coast made its way across the country. 9 between Ogden and Sparks. This was due to the Depression-era changes in service, and to set aside train numbers 1 and 2 for the City of Portland Streamliner M-10001. (Read more about UP's early passenger trains). (Trainorders.com, January 27, 2019), During their operation, departure time from Los Angeles was around 10 p.m., with an early morning arrival at Los Angeles around 5 a.m. After arrival at Los Angeles, Pullman passengers could occupy their accommodations until 7 a.m. (Trainorders.com, January 27, 2019), Following the cancellation of the Postal Service contract in October 1967, the train's consist was one locomotive, two coaches and one baggage car. 1, 1950-1964, Union Pacific Railroad Passenger Cars, Vol. including the EMD E9s. Built between 1936 and 1943, the Challengers were nearly 122 feet long and weighed more than one million pounds. This 100-page special issue covers the family of trains that introduced the modern era of rail travel. (Union Pacific Streamliners, page 505), October 22, 1949
The new train met with such success that the UP ordered 68 cars rebuilt, including 47 coaches, 16 Pullman sleeping cars, and 5 dining cars. The Treasure Island Special stopped operating on September 18, 1940 and did not resume operations the following year because the Exposition had ended and there was not enough traffic to justify it. The seller is "ohnoi81 and is located in this country: US. 844) get all the limelight. The train was discontinued in 1951 as UP continued make changes to its passenger train schedules. Class TTT 2-10-2 UP 5511. If you are a supplier, contractor or carrier, please visit the. Gregg Glenwood Publishers, Felton, Ca. 10, No. The service began out of Chicago on May 22, 1939, with the consist of the seasonal winter service of the "Orange Blossom Special" until September 25th. 10.89 + 19.76 Postage. [3] The only other surviving Challenger is UP No. *Estimated delivery dates - opens in a new window or tab include seller's handling time, origin ZIP Code, destination ZIP Code and time of acceptance and will depend on shipping service selected and receipt of cleared payment. It was discontinued a final time following the start of Amtrak. rd numbers. 52 was a Cheyanne to Denver local passenger. FOR SALE! November 17, 1895
The 3 railroads liked the colors on the Advance and Progress and adopted them for the 49er, which was always a Pullman owned train. 6936 are part of the Heritage Donation Special train that will (probably) pass through Denison this week. Additional equipment and enhanced service notwithstanding, 105 years of carrying passengers came to an end for Union Pacific on May 1, 1971. Join Today! The San Francisco Overland reverted to being an all-Pullman train. Technical breakthroughs allowed the UP Challengers to operate with 280lbf/in2 (1.93MPa) boiler pressure, something usually reserved for passenger locomotives like the FEF Series. ", March 31, 1946
Today was the first day the Union Pacific steam crew started with the Union Pacific donation special. Four 1950s coach cars. They operated over most of the Union Pacific system, primarily in freight service, but a few were assigned to the Portland Rose and other passenger trains. Edd H. Bailey, U. P. president, said two years experience showed that the two trains averaged only 24 passengers per mile while space was provided for 110 passengers on each trip. Items 3, 4, and 5 were Pullman demo cars and were painted in the demo paint. When first relocated to Cody Park in 1968, however . In the 1960s this operation changed to the Pullman operating between Los Angeles and Omaha. The San Francisco Overland ceased being a separate train in the timetables, being combined with other trains. The train had ebbed and flowed as part of No. U. P. asked to discontinue the two train runs two years ago and was denied its application by the ICC. The trains had full Pullman service and coach seating and were an attempt to draw Depression-Era riders back to the rails. Porter service was available throughout the train, and most stations had agents on duty to assist passengers. Much of the train's equipment came from discontinued runs like theLos Angeles Limited, which had since been upgraded to lightweight streamliners. Eventually downgraded and relegated to summer-only service, by 1965 number 27 survives as an express and mail train with a rider coach occupied only by the occasional railfan or railroader on a pass. Oregon Short Line took possession of its seven branch feeder lines, comprising 390.5 miles of trackage, mostly in southern Idaho. Shown in Salt Lake City newspaper ads as early as 1918 as the Butte-Portland Special. In 1990, it was converted to use No. Its a 595-ton superlative. Various newspaper items and advertisements suggest the scheduled train did indeed start on November 26th, but the dedicated luxury equipment was not available until mid December. Lionel TMCC Lionmaster 6-28077 Union Pacific Challenger 4-6-6-4 Used O ISSUES. with the Interstate Commerce Commission about April 10. San Francisco Overland Oakland to New York standard heavyweight sleepers changed to lightweight new 10-6 sleepers, May 29, 1950
This page was last edited on 10 February 2023, at 21:10. (Deseret News, April 2, 1970), "Along with the New Orleans-Jacksonville Gulf Wind, the Butte Special was the last train in the U.S. to have open sections (until Amtrak Day 5/1/1971 when it finished its last run). Food service was advertised as "three meals for under a dollar . (Salt Lake Telegram, December 23, 1905), When it was introduced, the Los Angeles Limited was shown as Train No. The equipment was spartan and the meal service was advertised as "three meals for under a dollar a day." At the same time in Ogden, Westbound train 101, The City of San Francisco would arrive, and it would split into the Los Angeles section and the Oakland (San Francisco) section. (Trainorders.com, January 27, 2019), Typical power was usually a three-unit set of 900-class E8 or E9s. The Union Pacific M. Pullman) had been used on the Orange Blossom Special in the 1938-39 winter season runs between New York and Florida. The economy service ran between Chicago, Illinois, and the West Coast of the United States. September 15, 1937
The engine is dormant today, resting offstage while 4014 (as well as 4-8-4 No. Changed to The Challenger Domeliner; included addition of 7000-series Dome Chair cars, When they were delivered in December 1954, Dome chair cars 7000-7004 were assigned to CHALLENGER STREAMLINER service, and 7005-7009 were assigned to CITY OF PORTLAND service. The American Milemaster also ran on the Arizona Limited before going to the SoP Lark. Bachmann HO Scale Electric Train Union Pacific 42' Steel Gondola Car # 70200 Ad vertisement by MissBargainHuntress. Dedicated to the preservation of the history of the Union Pacific Railroad. fleet, lasted until October of 1955 when the railroad became dissatisfied with the The railroad sought powerful locomotives that could handle mountain grades at high speeds. Trains 29 (Butte Special) and 30 (Salt Lake Special) as early as 1930; changed to Trains 35 and 36 after May 1957. Air conditioning, reduced noise, and a better ride distinguished these trains from the conventional steam-powered models. Union Pacific Challenger No. $44.98 $38.59. Los Angeles Challenger withdrawn, October 1, 1947
This is a Microscale 60-1080 N Scale Union Pacific Passenger Car The Challenger Green Scheme (1935 - 1938) Gold Leaf Lettering Waterslide Decal.Condition: Factory New (C-9)Operational Status: FunctionalOriginal Box: Yes (P-9)Manufacturer: MicroscaleModel Number: 60-1080Road Name: Union Pacific (UP)MSRP: $8.75Scale/Era: Lionel Lionel Standard Gauge C-6 Very Good Model Railroad Passenger Cars, C-6 Very Good HO Steam . In the 1930s the introduction of the lightweight Streamliner passenger trains set a new standard for luxurious train travel. The train's "drumhead" tail sign displayed the neon-lighted "Challenger Domeliner.". Members enjoy 15% off any purchase in our store. As patronage and passenger rail travel Originally the car was painted gray (with white lettering) and had a black roof and truck. The Union Pacific, over whose rails the new train was soon to run all the way from Omaha to the Pacific, emphasized its character as a companion to The Overland in its advertising and promotional literature. $28.00 shipping. Trains 5 and 6, the Mail and Express, was discontinued. 717 and 818. "The new train will be thoroughly modern in all its appointments and completely air conditioned, will be the only train on any railroad departing in the mornings from Los Angeles, San Francisco or Portland and providing through service from these points to Chicago, Denver and Kansas City." 5511 and Centennial No. Originally a part of the Union Pacific Heritage Fleet, it was taken out of service in 2010 and subsequently retired in 2020. The interior of this 3 bedroom, 1 drawing room observation car was smartly decorated in the latest mode. San Francisco Overland began through dining car service
April 2, 1970
The trains had full Pullman service and coach seating and were an attempt to draw Depression-Era riders back to the rails. At Ogden Trains 35 and 36 connect with Nos. Converted to oil fuel in 194143; renumbered 38003814 in 1944. (Trainorders.com, comment by Ed Von Nordeck on February 25, 2019), During their years of operation, Trains 5 and 6 originally carried a 6-6-4 Pullman between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, and between Ogden and Cheyenne (nighttime travel) and a cafe-lounge during daylight hours that was changed en route. It should be noted that the UP had a streamlined coach Chicago-LA train, the "Challenger" trains 107 & 108. But, instead of evolving from two-tone gray into multi-colors, the Gold Coast evolved from green into multi-colors, especially when the UP decided to standardize on its streamliner colors in 1952. (David Seidel). With the change from C&NW to Milwaukee for Omaha-Chicago connections on October 30, 1955, trains 27 and 28 operated between Omaha and Green River. It refers to Union Pacific Challenger #4014. 30. railroad has become not only one of the most highly respected 10 was consolidated with train no. Air conditioning was unheard of until the 1930s. Changed from San Francisco Challenger sometime between 1946 and 1949. operations in May of 1971 it chose not to retain the name or any other Union Pacific, the largest and one of the most powerful railroads in the However, similar to the SFO, it became a "rainbow train" during the years of transition after WW II. And on a Summer afternoon you are the engineer of Train 52 making your Cheyanne passenger stop before beginning your northbound journey. EDITORS NOTE: This essay ran in the Spring 2019 issue of Classic Trains. 28 carried standard cars only. Discontinued in 1947, the Challenger name reappeared in 1954 on a streamliner. 12", was scheduled to leave Portland at 7:10 am. Trix 22940 Class 3900 Challenger Steam Locomotive Number 3969. The Yellowstone Special train operated only between Idaho Falls and West Yellowstone. One of the B&O's original streamliners, the Abraham Lincoln, operated during its brief ownership of the Alton Railroad in the Midwest. (Fresno Morning Republican, November 16, 1905). Thereafter, 5&6 carried only chair cars." that the Electro-Motive Corporation named the M-10000. The Challengers were named passenger trains on the Union Pacific Railroad and the Chicago and North Western Railway . The Challenger Domeliner combined with City of Los Angeles as all-coach second section during summer, "In June 1956 it was announced that the Los Angeles Challenger would henceforth operate as an all-coach train during the summer months and that the COLA would be an all-Pullman train during the same period. The route was between Pocatello and West Yellowstone. In the July 20, 1931 timetable the Overland Limited and San Francisco Limited were combined as the San Francisco Overland Limited, trains 27 and 28. Atlas 10 003 674 HO U28C Locomotive Silver - Union Pacific #2803. the new train, to be known as the Pacific Limited, will use but two nights in its jump from any one of its three Pacific coast points to Chicago and Kansas City terminals. Wooden benches were the standard seating accommodations and wood stoves furnished heat. Train24, the Gold Coast, which operated an hour ahead of No. (train) The Challengers were named passenger trains on the Union Pacific Railroad and the Chicago and North Western Railway (which was replaced in 1955 by the Milwaukee Road ). The Union Pacific Railroad is donating the locomotives to Railroading Heritage of Midwestern America in Silvis, Illinois. $25.00. May 12, 1936
The result was a locomotive in working order weighing some 317 short tons (288t; 283 long tons) accompanied by a tender weighing 174 short tons (158t; 155 long tons) when 2/3 loaded. (Salt Lake Herald, November 9, 1905; San Bernardino County Sun, November 12, 1905; Salt Lake Tribune, November 19, 1905), The actual delay came from Pullman not being able to procure the needed dynamos for electric lighting. On this page you will find information about many of Union Pacific's named but non-Streamliner passenger trains. Direct service began to West Yellowstone, with the completion of the branch itself. Norfolk and Western 611 is one of the railroad's beautiful 4-8-4 J's. 49er. The coaches had large reclining chairs and a new color scheme to make the interior more attractive, especially to women passengers. Lounge rooms at the ends of the coaches were provided for those who wished to remain awake. (Ranks and Kratville, Union Pacific Streamliners, page 327), "The five Union Pacific-owned twin-unit dining cars built in 1937 for CHALLENGER service (each with one number for both dormitory-kitchen and dining room units) were assigned to the CHALLENGER STREAMLINER in 1954 with dining room capacity reduced to 52 seats." [ digital file from b&w film copy neg. ] The train was made up of all Pullman owned equipment -- streamlined heavyweights and a lightweight two car articulated lightweight Sleeper set. Advanced: Help & Contact; Sell; My eBay Expand My . The fifteen 9000-series Dome Observation cars were ordered by UP in March 1954 as part of a $10 million order from American Car & Foundry for 35 dome cars that included ten 7000-series Dome Coach cars and ten 8000-series Dome Diner cars. Micro-Trains N Scale #23230 Union Pacific Challenger 40' Standard Box Car . TheCityfleet became revered throughout the west and rivaled the Santa Fes legendarySuper Chief, and every other western passenger train, in exquisiteness and fine traveling. These single women were charged with first-aid service for the entire train, but their main function was to assist women with small children and children traveling alone. The Challenger began service with coaches and tourist sleepers, replacing the Advance section of San Francisco Overland. Booster engine under tender gave steam locomotive extra oomph. James E. Boynton. 31 built but only 25 delivered to UP (see below); 39753984 converted to oil fuel in 1945; renumbered 37083717 in 1952. Model Search: TEST MODE The new trains was operated as Trains 15 and 16. SP Train no. To offer daily service between three west coast points and Denver, in addition to the other daily trains already operating, involved a tremendous outlayof equipment and personnel. All scrapped between 1958 and 1959. Night Trains The Pullman System in the Golden Years of American Rail Travel, Steam Steel & Limiteds A Saga of the Great Varnish, The Official Pullman-Standard Library: Selected Heavyweight Cars, The Official Pullman-Standard Library, Vol. On December 8, 1953, the C&NW and UP announced that a Challenger between Chicago and Los Angeles would return with all-streamlined equipment, and on January 10 the first lightweight trainset hit the rails. 6 overtook No. Obviously this should be Union Pacific Big Boy #4014.. 9, No. 1937 saw the UP partnering with the Southern Pacific Railroad to add a train from Chicago to Oakland, California, a line that would take the name San Francisco Challenger (the original then became the Los Angeles Challenger). Showing only minor signs of wear and handling consistent with its age. Union Pacific Train No. HO Scale Model Train Passenger Car. None preserved. . UP Passenger Trains, 1946-1959 -- An incomplete list of Union Pacific passenger trains in the post-war period, taken from a very small sampling of public timetables. The new assignment on this train, and its multiple consist changes along its route, made the shortcoming of the tail-end observation apparent and before the end of 1956 the entire fleet of fifteen cars were pulled out of service and were modified for mid-train service. Union Pacific's "The Utahn" passenger train was established on May 14, 1947, operating in conjunction with the UP's City of St. Louis (started on June 2, 1946), providing through service from St. Louis to Los Angeles with connections made at Cheyenne, Wyoming. In May 1955 the five Dome Observation cars assigned to The Challenger were reassigned to the City of St. Louis. This group, designated Class CSA-2 . San Francisco Challenger changed to Trains 23 and 24, May 14, 1947
The car Geo. as early as 1956 when it was combined with big sister City of Los Angeles One of these seven feeder lines was the Yellowstone Park Railroad, organized in September 1905 to build a branch from St. Anthony, Idaho, northeast to Ashton, then to the boundary of Yellowstone National Park. The Union Pacific dome coach, Challenger, in Hearne, Texas. This latest version made its inaugural run on January 10, 1954. None preserved. SP met UP's Overland trains at Ogden with its connecting westbound trains operating as the Pacific Express and eastbound trains as the Atlantic Express. (Wayner, Car Names Numbers and Consists, 1972, page 164). ICC Finance Docket 24935, reported in 333 ICC 413; decided on June 20, 1968; decision was that the train's operation should be continued for the public good. 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.. A total of 105 Challengers were built in five classes. One car to Washington, and two cars to New York, Starting in September 1947 the Pennsylvania had a New York-Oakland sleeper (10 section, 1 drawing room, 2 compartment) daily on the San Francisco Overland Limited. The twin-unit diners were capable of serving 700 to 800 meals per day. A group of Union Pacific employees volunteered their services to restore the locomotive to running condition in 1981. "The Forty-Niner", Union Pacific Streamliners, by Harold E. Ranks and William W. Kratville (Kratville Publications, Omaha, 1974), pages 243-274. January 2, 1963
The Interstate Commerce Commission approved termination of the San Francisco Overland service. Through New York sleeper replaced by lightweight 10-5 sleeper via New York Central, November 8, 9, 10, 1949
June 9, 1907
Those limitations prompted the introduction of the Big Boy in 1941, as well as a redesign of the last three orders from 1942 to 1944. Passenger travel via train began in the 1830s in eastern markets, reaching midwestern lines in the 1860s. The five Dome Observation cars (9010-9014) were re-assigned from The Challenger to the City of St. Louis. It is one of 105 Challengers built for Union Pacific between 1936 and 1943 and was, for many years, the only operating engine of its class in the world - the largest and most powerful operating steam locomotive. The train continued to run until Labor Day 1962 (with some additional holiday runs from Christmas to the New Year). February 26, 1933
(Ogden Standard Examiner, December 20, 1967). Calculated tractive effort is 97,350lbf (433.0kN). Union Pacific's Challenger: An Unusual Passanger Train, 1935-1971 Patrick C. Dorin TLC Publishing 2001, 80pp Soft Cover. Perhaps most notable is completing the eastern leg of the Transcontinental Railroad. A 4-6-6-4 could and did work heavy passenger trains with no apology, wrote David P. Morgan, and in the words of one expert it rode as well at 60 to 70 miles per hour as any articulated ever built.. The Union Pacific Challenger 3985 has since been committed for donation to Railroading Heritage of Midwest America in Silvis, Ill. Free shipping for many products! The six sleepers had been built in the period 1917-1929 and retained their friction bearings in their new assignment. (Union Pacific Railroad, description for Heritage Fleet Dome Car "Challenger"), "The Challenger began service on August 21, 1935 as an all-heavyweight train between Chicago and Los Angeles. Rivarossi Union Pacific Railroad HO Model . Another recently discovered photo, dated April 16, 1955, shows a 9000-series Dome Observation on the tail end of The Challenger train at DeKalb, Illinois. They had 69-inch (1,800mm) drivers, mammoth wheels usually seen on passenger locomotives only because freight engines normally require the extra torque provided by smaller wheels. 24 and operated ahead to Omaha, since it made fewer stops." May 1957-- A listing of consists of Union Pacific passenger trains passing through Salt Lake City in April and May 1957, including changes in the consists at . 3985, TTT-6 No. By 1906 the electric lighted all-Pullman Overland Limited covered the 1,911 miles along its route in 56 hours. . The Yellowstone Park Railroad was leased to Oregon Short Line for operation in June 1906, and OSL took full control by deed of sale on October 31, 1910. (Wayner, Car Names Numbers and Consists, 1972, page 148), "The five twin-unit dormitory-kitchen-dining cars (5100-5104) were withdrawn from CHALLENGER service. Railroads & Locomotives Locomotives Union Pacific Challenger ruled the Overland Route, These magnificent 4-6-6-4s left a stylish, indelible mark on Americas most historic main line. The September 24, 1967 timetable is the first without the San Francisco Overland service. One of my regrets is that I never had the opportunity to ride that train." Westbound departure at 11 p. m.; eastbound arrival at 1:43 p. m. (online newspaper research), November 17, 1895
with the help of the Chicago & North Western (until 1955) between The track also featured exclusive coaches for women and children at the head of the train, thus eliminating the need for men to even walk through the cars." UP Color Guide to Freight and Passenger Equipment. After 1956 the "Challenger" was combined with the COLA which was mainly a Pullman train but did carry a coach or two. For the first time, detailed coverage of the Union Pacific/Chicago & Northwestern passenger trains tells the entire story of this innovative line. However, Don Strack rescued the data and transferred it over to his UtahRails.net site (another fine resource). The Challengers were designed for fast freight service, but occasionally pulled passenger trains. Union Pacific inaugurated service of its Overland Flyer, between Omaha and Ogden, Utah, where passengers and through cars were transferred to the Central Pacific/Southern Pacific. June 1909
Over the years Ive pulled too many to count from the Kalmbach files; they were favorite targets of Dick Kindig, Robert Hale, Wally Abbey, and other greats. country, has been with us since 1862. Its schedule was also 20-1/2 hrs. (Trainorders.com, June 26, 2011), "Train 5&6 carried a LA to Vegas, Cheyenne to Omaha, 6-6-4 Pullman at this time, later changed to LA to Omaha until its removal in 1966. Hardbound 160 pages Information on the three cylinder 4-10-2 locomotive UP/LA&SL 8800 . What about removing flanges from diesel wheels? The three 6 section, 6 double bedroom cars (Popular series) had been rebuilt in 1938 from 12 section, 1 drawing room, 1 compartment cars. About the same time, SP mail train 22 from Oakland would arrive, and the two trains would be consolidated into one huge, (say 18 to 22 car) mail and express train for Omaha and Chicago, with a rider coach or two on the tail.