Athearn N 4-6-6-4, UP #3985 Modern

Union Pacific

In the spring of 1941 UP locomotive designers began working on a locomotive to team up with the new 4-8-8-4 Big Boy’s then under construction at Alco. The Big Boy’s were designed to pull heavy freights up the Wasatch Range in Utah to the division point at Green River, WY. What was needed was a locomotive to take over at that point that could speed the freights eastward across the Wyoming Division. Building on their experience with the original CSA 4-6-6-4 Challengers UP and Alco’s designers developed a newer and better Challenger type locomotive. The result was a group of 65 4-6-6-4 Challenger built in three separate groups during World War II. 

ROAD NUMBER SPECIFIC FEATURES: 

#3985

• Modern Excursion version
• Oil Burner
• Era 1980’s – 2000’s

Union Pacific

UP painted several of their Challengers in their two-tone grey paint scheme for passenger service. They also added smoke lifters and converted many to oil burners as well.   

STEAM LOCOMOTIVE FEATURES: 

• DCC-ready features Quick Plug^™ plug-and-play technology
• Scaled from prototype resources including drawings, field measurements, photographs, and more
• Accurately-painted and –printed paint schemes
• Full cab interior with boiler backhead with printed gauges
• Individually applied piping, valves, generators, etc.
• Operating eccentric cranks on both sides operating in correct direction
• Headlights and indicator number boxes (number boards) with directional light change
• Five pole, skewed armature motor with flywheel for smooth operation
• Pivoting front and rear engines for negotiating 11″ radius curves
• See-through running boards
• See-through cab windows
• McHenry^® scale knuckle couplers
• LED Lighting for realistic appearance
• Fully-assembled and ready-to-run
• Heavy die-cast frame for greater traction and more pulling power
• Packaging securely holds for the model for safe storage
• Minimum recommended radius: 15″