Here is the last movements of the 3985 Challenger…It shows the steamer on a Coal Train…Through Valley Jct, IL, Interchanged to the UP from Norfolk Southern and then down to VMV in Paducah KY!!!
If the Challenger did indeed go down to VMV via St. Louis (Valley Jct) then I am pretty sure I would have heard about it.
Here is the last movements of the 3985 Challenger…It shows the steamer on a Coal Train…Through Valley Jct, IL, Interchanged to the UP from Norfolk Southern and then down to VMV in Paducah KY!!!
If the Challenger did indeed go down to VMV via St. Louis (Valley Jct) then I am pretty sure I would have heard about it.
I believe it was back in 1992, they dressed it up at Clinchfield 676 and used it for the annual Santa train that Clinchfield used to run. It was I think the 50th anniversary of the Santa train and CSX wanted to do something special for it.
The War Production Board made D&RGW to take 6 Challengers durring WW2 which they did not want after the war do to stocking parts for just 6 engines. D&RGW stored them in SLC after the war until the board found Clinchfield to buy them and the spare parts. ( from the book THE CHALLENGER LOCOMOTIVES )
I have a DVD “Union Pacific’s Clinchfield Challenge”. Up took 3985 to the old Chinchfield area of CSX ( Shelbiana KY to Kingsport TN.) and covered the UP ID with Chinchfield 676 lettering and numbers as a 50th anniverary run complete with Santa Claus. This would have been 95 or 96
This DVD was one of six in the Extreme Steam set from Questar Inc. I got it at Costco or Sam’s Club in Dec 06.