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If you want to be strictly prototypical, an external Elesco would be too old for this version of the Challenger; it's based on the 1942 design built by ALCo. Kalmbach's "Steam Loco Cyclopedia" (page 248) indicates that Elesco feedwater heaters were hidden inside these engines. Typically, front-mounted heaters were found on engines built or rebuilt in the early 1920s. Later in the decade, you start to see partially exposed Elesco heaters mounted into the top of the smokebox. I suspect this increased efficiency, as less heat was lost. Feedwater technology improved greatly in the 30s, so that smaller, more efficient units like the Elesco coil-type or Worthington S and SA mounted on top of the smokebox were the order of the day. There's a good shot of a DRGW 4-6-6-4 with a front-mount Elesco on page 157 of Kalmbach's "Guide to North American Steam Locos," however this is a prewar version, built in 1938 by Baldwin. The use of external Elesco feedwater heaters at this late date may have been carried over from the road's 2-8-8-2s which also had them. Using the same parts would simplify repairs and reduce the number of spare parts needed.
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