The Challanger is supposed to stop in Beaumont, Tx for it’s 100 mile lubrication today. Hopefully my wife and son will be able to see it. If any pictures result that would help you I will try to post them.
Wish I did not have to work today, even with the UP / Lionel / Athern donnybrook I would have liked to see it with my son.
I saw an O-scale model of a “Sherman Hill” open-platform streamlined observation car at the Fremont & Elkhorn Valley Railroad’s depot in Femont, NB. The last car of the 3985’s consist is also named the “Sherman Hill”, but has no observation platform and a baggage-car-style door on the side. Whether this is the same car, heavily modified, I do not know.
In February I spent a day watching #3985 across eastern Kansas. I’ll go back through all of the photos and see if I have one with enough detail on the consist to be of help. I’m doing about the same as you in building a set for my layout. I’ve got the JLC scale Challenger, a MTH Premier water tanker (still looking for a second) and a set of passenger cars that matches fairly well. The consist I saw had a UP yellow box car for tools and supplies behind the tenders. I saw a MTH mail car that looked like a close match.
Bob
My son’s trip was a bust. They could not get close enough to get a good view, so there are no pictures to post from it’s maintenance stop in Beaumont. Sorry.
From the brief clip on the local news it appeared to have only two yellow tenders as a consist. Checked the web site it appears it will be staying in Houston for public display and making area excursion runs till Thursday. I know there are some corporate / privately owned refurbished passenger cars based in Houston and Galveston. I’d bet there are some ticketed excursions on tap.