Challenger Panoramic 02
by Sylvia Thornton
Title
Challenger Panoramic 02
Artist
Sylvia Thornton
Medium
Photograph - Photograph Digital
Description
Union Pacific's Challenger steam locomotive, on display at Cody Park, North Platte, Nebraska. My father worked as a fireman on these locomotives. They were being used as passenger trains at the time.
From Wikipedia:
The Union Pacific Challengers were a type of simple articulated 4-6-6-4 steam locomotive built by American Locomotive Company for the Union Pacific Railroad. 105 of these locomotives were built between 1936 and 1943. The Challengers were nearly 122 feet long and weighed more than one million pounds[clarification needed]. They operated over most of the Union Pacific system, primarily in freight service, but a few were assigned to passenger trains operating through mountain territory to California and Oregon. The locomotives were built specifically for Union Pacific and much of the experience gained later went into the design of the "Big Boy".
The name "Challenger" was given to steam locomotives with a 4-6-6-4 wheel arrangement. This means that they have four wheels in the leading pilot truck, which helps guide the locomotive into curves, two sets of six driving wheels, and finally four trailing wheels, which support the rear of the engine and its massive firebox. Each set of six driving wheels is driven by two steam cylinders. In essence, the result is two engines under one boiler.
Uploaded
February 14th, 2014
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