4-6-6-4

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Union Pacific Challenger No. 3985 is an example of a 4-6-6-4 locomotive. Union Pacific Challenger 3985 01.jpg
Union Pacific Challenger No. 3985 is an example of a 4-6-6-4 locomotive.

In the Whyte notation for classifying steam locomotives by wheel arrangement, a 4-6-6-4 is a railroad steam locomotive that has four leading wheels followed by two sets of six coupled driving wheels and four trailing wheels. 4-6-6-4's are commonly known as Challengers. [1]

A similar wheel arrangement exists for Garratt locomotives, on which both engine units swivel, but is referred to as 4-6-0+0-6-4.

Other equivalent classifications are:
UIC classification: 2CC2 (also known as German classification and Italian classification)
French classification: 230+032
Turkish classification: 35+35
Swiss classification: 3/5+3/5

The UIC classification is refined to (2'C)C2' for simple articulated locomotives.

Challengers were most common in the Union Pacific Railroad, but many other railroads ordered them as well. An expansion for the Union Pacific Challenger class was the Union Pacific Big Boy class, being a 4-8-8-4, instead of a 4-6-6-4.

Today, the only Challenger locomotives that survive were both owned by Union Pacific. One such locomotive, Union Pacific 3985, was operated by the Union Pacific Railroad in excursion service from 1981 to 2010, when mechanical problems took it out of service. It was retired in January 2020 due to its poor mechanical condition [2] and subsequently donated to the Railroading Heritage of Midwest America, where it is now undergoing a second restoration. [3] [4] [5] The second example, Union Pacific 3977 is on static display in Cody Park North Platte, Nebraska.

Though originally intended for freight service, many units could be found leading passenger consists as well. Railroads that used the Challenger type locomotive include:

4-6-6-4 construction roster
Railroad (quantity)ClassRoad numbersBuilderBuild yearNotes
Clinchfield Railroad (12 new, 6 secondhand)E-1650–657 ALCO 1942–1943Scrapped between 1953 and 1958
E-2660–663 ALCO 1947Scrapped between 1955 and 1959
E-3670–675 ALCO 1943Ex-D&RGW, acquired 1947. Scrapped 1959
Delaware and Hudson Railway (40)J1500–1539ALCO1940–1946Scrapped between 1951 and 1959
Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad (21)L-1053700–3709 Baldwin 1938Scrapped between 1951 and 1956
L-1053710–3714Baldwin1942Scrapped between 1951 and 1956
L-973800–3805ALCO1943To Clinchfield Railroad in 1947. Scrapped 1959
Great Northern Railway (2 secondhand)Z-64000–4001ALCO1937Ex-SP&S 903–904; sold back to SP&S March 1950 and July 1946 respectively. Scrapped between 1953 and 1957
Northern Pacific Railway (47)Z-65100–5120ALCO1936–1937Scrapped between 1950 and 1953
Z-75121–5126ALCO1941Scrapped between 1951 and 1954
Z-85130–5149ALCO1943–1944Scrapped between 1952 and 1957
Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway (8)Z-6900–905ALCO1937Identical to NP Z-6 class; 903–904 sold to GN January 1940; purchased back March 1950 and July 1946 respectively
Z-8910–911ALCO1944Identical to NP Z-8 class
Union Pacific Railroad (105) CSA-1 3900–3914ALCO1936To UP 3800–3814. Scrapped between 1957 and 1958
CSA-2 3915–3939ALCO1937To UP 3815–3839. Scrapped 1958
4664-3 3950–3969ALCO1942Scrapped between 1958 and 1959
4664-4 3975–3999ALCO1943No. 3977 and 3985 are preserved.
4664-5 3930–3949ALCO1944Scrapped between 1957 and 1959
Western Maryland Railway (12)M-21201–1212Baldwin1940–1941These and the 15 units for the D&RGW were the only ones of this type made by Baldwin. Scrapped 1958
Western Pacific Railroad (7)M-100401–407ALCO1938Scrapped between 1953 and 1959

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Union Pacific Big Boy</span> Type of American simple articulated 4-8-8-4 locomotive

The Union Pacific Big Boy is a type of simple articulated 4-8-8-4 steam locomotive manufactured by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) between 1941 and 1944 and operated by the Union Pacific Railroad in revenue service until 1962.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whyte notation</span> Code for arrangement of locomotive wheels

The Whyte notation is a classification method for steam locomotives, and some internal combustion locomotives and electric locomotives, by wheel arrangement. It was devised by Frederick Methvan Whyte, and came into use in the early twentieth century following a December 1900 editorial in American Engineer and Railroad Journal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">4-8-8-4</span> Articulated locomotive wheel arrangement

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Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-10-2 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels, ten powered and coupled driving wheels, and two trailing wheels. In the United States and elsewhere the 2-10-2 is known as the Santa Fe type, after the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway that first used the type in 1903.

A 2-8-8-2, in the Whyte notation for describing steam locomotive wheel arrangements, is an articulated locomotive with a two-wheel leading truck, two sets of eight driving wheels, and a two-wheel trailing truck. The equivalent UIC classification is, refined to Mallet locomotives, (1'D)D1'. These locomotives usually employ the Mallet principles of articulation—with the rear engine rigidly attached to the boiler and the front engine free to rotate—and compounding. The 2-8-8-2 was a design largely limited to American locomotive builders. The last 2-8-8-2 was retired in 1962 from the N&W's roster, two years past the ending of steam though steam was still used on steel mill lines and other railroads until 1983.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2-6-6-2</span> Articulated locomotive wheel arrangement

Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives by wheel arrangement, a 2-6-6-2 is a locomotive with one pair of unpowered leading wheels, followed by two sets of three pairs of powered driving wheels and one pair of trailing wheels. The wheel arrangement was principally used on Mallet-type articulated locomotives, although some tank locomotive examples were also built. A Garratt locomotive or Golwé locomotive with the same wheel arrangement is designated 2-6-0+0-6-2 since both engine units are pivoting.

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The Union Pacific Railroad 9000 Class was a class of 88 steam locomotives, built by ALCO for the Union Pacific between 1926 and 1930.

In Whyte notation, 2-4-4-2 refers to a railroad steam locomotive that has two leading wheels followed by four coupled driving wheels, a second set of four coupled driving wheels, and two trailing wheels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">4-10-2</span> Locomotive wheel arrangement

Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives by wheel arrangement, 4-10-2 represents the arrangement of four leading wheels, ten powered and coupled driving wheels and two trailing wheels. In South Africa, where the wheel arrangement was first used, the type was known as a Reid Tenwheeler. In the United States of America it was known as a Southern Pacific on the Southern Pacific Railroad and as an Overland on the Union Pacific Railroad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Union Pacific 844</span> Preserved American 4-8-4 steam locomotive

Union Pacific 844 is a class "FEF-3" 4-8-4 "Northern" type steam locomotive owned and operated by the Union Pacific Railroad for its heritage fleet. Built in December 1944 by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) of Schenectady, New York, No. 844 is one of four surviving FEF series locomotives and the only one in operation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Union Pacific 3985</span> Preserved American 4-6-6-4 locomotive

Union Pacific 3985 is a four-cylinder simple articulated 4-6-6-4 "Challenger"-type steam locomotive built in July 1943 by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) of Schenectady, New York, for the Union Pacific Railroad. No. 3985 is one of only two Challengers still in existence and the only one to have operated in excursion service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Union Pacific Challenger</span> Class of American simple articulated 4-6-6-4 locomotives

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Union Pacific 6936 is an EMD DDA40X locomotive built for the Union Pacific Railroad (UP). Previously a part of UP's heritage fleet, 6936 was for several decades the last remaining operational "Centennial" type, and thus the largest operational diesel-electric locomotive in the world. It is now owned by the Railroading Heritage of Midwest America in Silvis, Illinois, who plans to return the locomotive to operation.

In Whyte notation, a 4-6-6-2 is a steam locomotive with four leading wheels in an unpowered bogie at the front of the locomotive followed by two sets of driving wheels with six wheels each, followed by two unpowered trailing wheels at the rear of the locomotive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2-6-6T</span> Locomotive wheel arrangement

In the Whyte notation for describing steam locomotive wheel arrangement, a 2-6-6 is a locomotive with a two-wheeled leading truck, six driving wheels, and a six-wheeled trailing truck. All the locomotives produced of this arrangement have been tank locomotives, and the vast majority in the United States. It was a popular arrangement for the larger Mason Bogies, as well as some of the largest suburban tank locomotives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Union Pacific 4014</span> 1941 American steam locomotive

Union Pacific 4014 is a steam locomotive owned and operated by the Union Pacific (UP) as part of its heritage fleet. It is a four-cylinder simple articulated 4-8-8-4 "Big Boy" type built in 1941 by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) at its Schenectady Locomotive Works. It was assigned to haul heavy freight trains in the Wasatch mountain range. The locomotive was retired from revenue service in 1959 and was donated to the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society; thereafter, it was displayed in Fairplex at the RailGiants Train Museum in Pomona, California.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Union Pacific 5511</span> Preserved American 2-10-2 steam locomotive

Union Pacific 5511 is a 2-10-2 “Santa Fe” type steam locomotive built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1923 as part of the Union Pacific Railroad's TTT-6 class. It is the last remaining member of its class and the only remaining 2-10-2 to be operated by the Union Pacific.

References

  1. "Union Pacific 4-6-6-4 "Challenger" Locomotives in the USA". www.steamlocomotive.com. Retrieved 2019-05-08.
  2. Keefe, Kevin. "The Challenger at high tide". Classic Trains.
  3. "Work begins on Union Pacific Challenger No. 3985". Trains. Retrieved 2023-01-07.
  4. "Railroading Heritage of Midwest America - official website". Railroading Heritage of Midwest America. Archived from the original on April 28, 2022. Retrieved June 12, 2022.
  5. Glischinski, Steve (April 28, 2022). "Railroading Heritage of Midwest America, Union Pacific agree to donation of Challenger, other locomotives, cars". Trains. Kalmbach Media. Archived from the original on April 28, 2022. Retrieved June 12, 2022.