The Challenger No 3985 steam locomotive will return to Houston in early June to pull trains for several charitable events associated with the George Bush Presidential Library, M. D. Anderson Cancer Center and Points of Light Foundation. Usually, No. 3985 departs at 8 a.m. Complete schedules, with arrival times and location of stops, will be posted in May. Saturday, May 22 Cheyenne, Wyo. - North Platte, Neb. Sunday, May 23 North Platte - Marysville, Kan. Monday, May 24 Layover and public display Tuesday, May 25 Marysville - Kansas City, Mo. Wednesday, May 26 Layover and public display at Kansas City Union Station Thursday, May 27 Kansas City - Coffeyville, Kan. Friday, May 28 Coffeyville - Van Buren, Ark. Saturday, May 29 Van Buren - North Little Rock Sunday, May 30 North Little Rock - Pine Bluff Monday, May 31 Layover and public display Tuesday, June 1 Pine Bluff - Monroe, La. Wednesday, June 2 Monroe - Lake Charles Thursday, June 3 Layover and public display Friday, June 4 Lake Charles - Houston, Texas Saturday, June 5 - Thursday, June 10 Houston - Layover and public display. Friday, June 11 Houston - Special Train for Invited Guests from the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center Pediatric Unit. Saturday, June 12 Layover and public display Sunday, June 13 Houston - Valley Jct.-Houston - Special Train for guests of the Bush 41@80 Endowment, benefiting the George Bush Presidential Library, Points of Light Foundation and M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. Monday, June 14 Layover and public display Tuesday, June 15 Houston - Palestine Wednesday, June 16 Palestine - Longview Thursday, June 17 Longview - Texarkana, Ark. Friday, June 18 Texarkana - North Little Rock Saturday, June 19 Layover and public display Sunday, June 20 North Little Rock - Van Buren Monday, June 21 Van Buren - Coffeyville, Kan. Tuesday, June 22 Coffeyville - Osawatomie Wednesday, June 23 Layover and public display Thursday, June 24 Osawatomie - Trenton, Mo. Friday, June 25 Trenton - Boone, Iowa Saturday, June 26 Boone - Fremont, Neb. Sunday, June 27 Layover and public display Monday, June 28 Fremont - North Platte Tuesday, June 29 North Platte - Cheyenne, Wyo. For those of you in Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas and Texas, here's another chance to get pics of the 3985 (if you remember, she was down at Houston for the Super Bowl back in February). A personal aside- am I the only one who sees the irony of a machine named Challenger being in Houston? (Hint- think NASA, which is just down the road)
Hemi, 36 cars would have been unheard of in the era of steam passenger trains. The New York Central exclusive trains like the 20th Century Limited only had 12 or so cars, but ran in several sections, each of which had that many cars. In the post-steam era, trains like the New River Gorge special ran 30-34 coaches. This was an unheard of consist, as I said. It took a freight engine like the NKP 765 Berk to pull that much varnish. Now, look at the Challenger. 36 cars should be no problem for this hauler.
36 cars in the train? How many cars does UP have in its passenger fleet (including tool and power cars)? At any rate, it'll dwarf the Super Bowl consist it hauled around back in January.
36 cars?! Good thing it's the 3985. Two locos in one. Otherwise, I doubt there's another steam loco that could even attempt that much tonnage! Anyone have a roster of the cars to be used? Boxcab E50
