Is union pacifc the only railroad to run Big Boys and challengers

[countershot]

I am helping out a freind that owns a O scale railroad museum and i am makeing a right up for the big boys and challengers fef-3 every loco you can think of.
Can you help?[?]

[passengerfan]

Yes UP was the only road to operate Big Boys but the Challengers were operated by several roads the NP, GN, SP&S come immediatly to mind and i beleieve their were others will have to do a little further research.

[joseph2]

Add the Delaware & Hudson to the list of challenger owners. Here is a link you will find useful www.steamlocomotive.com it lists who owned what.

[SSW9389]

And Clinchfield, Rio Grande, Western Maryland, and Western Pacific.

Western Pacific considered the Big Boy in 1941, but opted for FT diesels instead.[8D]

QUOTE: Originally posted by joseph2

Add the Delaware & Hudson to the list of challenger owners. Here is a link you will find useful www.steamlocomotive.com it lists who owned what.

[countershot]

Thank you i did not know that..........
I may need some more info later......i'll keep you posted[:)]

[countershot]

what about Fef-3's? and was it just a passenger locomotive or both?
[|)]

[passengerfan]

The UP FEF locos were passenger power and also found on mail and express trains. Very few engines with 80" drivers were used for anything but passenger power they were to slippery getting started with freight.

[Anonymous]

The Clinchfield railroad owned quite a few challengers.

[Anonymous]

In addition to Mail & Express, after diesels became widespread in general passenger service, many U.P. Northerns ended up in freight service on the Nebraska division where they typically hauled fast freight such as livestock specials and refer trains. They also served as backup power and in helper service for passenger trains. Despite having 80" drivers, the heavier/higher boiler pressure FEF-2 & 3 classes had more TE than the smaller drivered FEF-1's.

[traintownofcowee]

Bigboys-----------Yes
Challengers-----No

Challengers were used on the Clinchfield Railroad also. VERY related to the Union Pacific's challengers.

[West Coast S]

The Clinchfield Challengers were obtained from the Rio Grande which was forced to accept the Alco/UP design due to war restrictions, The UP designed warbaby Challengers were unpopular with Rio Grande shop forces and crews and an effort was made to sell them to the Union Pacifc in 1946, who elected not to purchase due to pending diesel purchases. Rio Grande placed them in storage at Salt Lake City until sold to the Clinchfield in 1947.


WP could have been a contender for Big Boys. In October of 1941 they contacted Alco and UP about the possibilty of purchasing 10 for service between Elko NV and Salt Lake. WP nixed the idea for a number of reason, primary being EMD was able to supply FTs on demand for about the same price.