Challenger (passenger train)
Encyclopedia
The Challenger was a named passenger train fleet jointly operated by the Union Pacific Railroad
and the Chicago and North Western Railway
(which was later replaced by the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad
, better known as the "Milwaukee Road"). The economy service ran between Chicago, Illinois and several major cities located along the West Coast of the United States
. Known as "Everybody's Limited," the trains offered full Pullman service and top-flight coach seating, and were introduced in an attempt to draw Depression
-Era riders back to the rails. Food service was advertised as "three meals for under a dollar a day."
Throughout the late 1930s, the Challenger fleet was among the highest-patronized of American trains, and the best revenue producers of the UP passenger fleet. The train ultimately became Union Pacific's "Feature Train of the West." Discontinued in 1947, the Challenger reemerged in 1954 as a streamliner. When Amtrak
took over operation of the nation's passenger service in 1971 it ended the run of the Challenger once and for all.
s of its Los Angeles Limited to a second section, informally designated as the Challenger. The new train met with such success that the UP immediately ordered 68 cars rebuilt, including 47 coaches, 16 Pullman sleeping car
s, and 5 dining car
s. The coaches were outfitted with large, reclining chairs and decorated with a new color scheme to make the interiors more attractive, especially to women passengers. A lounge car
was added to the consist in April of the following year. All cars (save for baggage car
s) carried the Challenger name.
In May 1936 the train was assigned its own numbers and commenced operation between Chicago and Los Angeles, California
on an independent schedule. 1937 saw the UP partnering with the Southern Pacific Railroad
to extend service from Chicago to Oakland, California
, a line that would take the name San Francisco Challenger (the original run was designated as the Los Angeles Challenger).
The Challenger attracted new passengers and retained its middle-class clientele through a series of innovations devised as a result of formal research as well as personal conversations between passengers, company officers, and train crews. For maximum flexibility, lounge cars were designed for single, double, and table seating. Porter service was available throughout the train, and most stations had agents on duty to assist with any passenger need. Unique in the railroad industry, two special coaches were provided at the head of the train for the exclusive use of women, one of these specifically tailored for women with children. A registered nurse-stewardess was in attendance at all times, another first. The women received $125 per month, plus expenses.
Coach passengers provided with complimentary pillows, and tickets were pouched to avoid having to awaken passengers during the night. Station calls were eliminated during the sleeping hours, and short-haul passengers were individually awakened by train crews prior to arriving at their destinations. All bright lights were extinguished during the night (only blue lighting was used after 10:00 p.m.). Lounge rooms at the ends of the coaches were provided for those who wished to remain awake.
Increased rail traffic during World War II
led the UP to add the Furloughee Challenger to its roster on December 31, 1944; the train's name was changed to Military Challenger on December 23, 1945 and then to Advance Challenger on April 14, 1946. The train was discontinued altogether on June 2, 1946; the entire Challenger fleet would be taken out of service the next year following the establishment of daily service for the entire City fleet. On December 8, 1953 the C&NW and UP formally announced that the Challenger service between Chicago and Los Angeles would return with all-streamlined equipment, and on January 10 of the following year the first lightweight trainset hit the rails. The westbound Challenger completed its run in 39 hours 30 minutes, while eastbound ran 39 hours 45 minutes. Westbound No. 107 departed Chicago at 9:00 a.m. C.S.T. and arrived in Los Angeles at 10:30 p.m. P.S.T. the next day; eastbound No. 108 left L.A. at 2:00 p.m. P.S.T., and arrived Chicago at 7:45 in the morning C.S.T. of the second day. In February 1955, dome
coaches were added to the Challenger (along with dome lounge cars and unique [to Union Pacific] dome diners on the City of Los Angeles
and City of Portland
) as regular equipment for the first time on any of UP's trains.
Cost cutting measures instituted by the CNW's new president Benjamin W. Heineman
and subsequent lack of interest by the CNW in long distance passenger traffic, led the UP to switch to the Milwaukee Road (MILW) for service to Chicago's Union Station
(previously, the trains had terminated at North Western Station
) beginning in November 1955. The Milwaukee Road embarked upon a repainting program wherein all of its passenger rolling stock and motive power received Union Pacific's Armour Yellow and Harbor Mist Gray color scheme (the MILW retained its traditional orange and black livery for freight units). The Milwaukee Road received that portion of the operating revenue generated between Omaha and Chicago, and furnished 25% of the equipment used on the line. UP diesels operated west of Omaha, while MILW power was employed into Chicago.
In 1955 the Challenger was combined between Chicago and Omaha with the Milwaukee Road's Midwest Hiawatha
and appeared in timetables as the Challenger-Midwest Hiawatha. This arrangement ended in 1956 when, in a cost-cutting measure, the Challenger and the City of Los Angeles were combined and operated on the City of Los Angeles's schedule. The Challenger reappeared as a separate train (with its morning departure from Chicago) in following summers, but after 1960 it ran on the CoLA's schedule year-round.
To further reduce costs in the face of dwindling ridership, further train consolidations occurred in the 1960s, and by 1970 the Challenger, City of Denver
, City of Los Angeles, City of Portland, and City of San Francisco
were all combined into one giant train for much of their runs. The train was dubbed by critics as the "City of Everywhere."
At this time as well the dome diners were withdrawn from service on all UP trains, although the dome coaches and dome lounge cars remained in service until the turnover of passenger service to Amtrak. Amtrak discontinued all UP named trains, save for a modified City of San Francisco (via BN to Denver, thence via UP's Overland Route to Ogden and SP to Oakland/San Francisco), when it assumed long-distance passenger rail service throughout the United States on May 1, 1971.
The consist of the last train No. 107 to travel over the CNW (westbound) on October 29, 1955 included:
The last train No. 108 to travel over the CNW (eastbound) consisted of:
steam-driven locomotive
s designed by the UP and built by the American Locomotive Company
between 1936 and 1943. Best known among these is Union Pacific 3985
, one of 105 Challengers built for the railroad; it is the largest operating steam locomotive in the world.
The dome car
now called Challenger was built in 1958 by Pullman-Standard
as Union Pacific Dome Coach #7015, the last such car built. It was reacquired by Union Pacific in 1989 and today operates as part of employee and other special trains.
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
and the Chicago and North Western Railway
Chicago and North Western Railway
The Chicago and North Western Transportation Company was a Class I railroad in the Midwest United States. It was also known as the North Western. The railroad operated more than of track as of the turn of the 20th century, and over of track in seven states before retrenchment in the late 1970s...
(which was later replaced by the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad
Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad
The Milwaukee Road, officially the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad , was a Class I railroad that operated in the Midwest and Northwest of the United States from 1847 until its merger into the Soo Line Railroad on January 1, 1986. The company went through several official names...
, better known as the "Milwaukee Road"). The economy service ran between Chicago, Illinois and several major cities located along the West Coast of the United States
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
. Known as "Everybody's Limited," the trains offered full Pullman service and top-flight coach seating, and were introduced in an attempt to draw Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
-Era riders back to the rails. Food service was advertised as "three meals for under a dollar a day."
Throughout the late 1930s, the Challenger fleet was among the highest-patronized of American trains, and the best revenue producers of the UP passenger fleet. The train ultimately became Union Pacific's "Feature Train of the West." Discontinued in 1947, the Challenger reemerged in 1954 as a streamliner. When Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
took over operation of the nation's passenger service in 1971 it ended the run of the Challenger once and for all.
History
In early June 1935 the Union Pacific transferred the heavyweight coaches and tourist sleeping carSleeping car
The sleeping car or sleeper is a railway/railroad passenger car that can accommodate all its passengers in beds of one kind or another, primarily for the purpose of making nighttime travel more restful. The first such cars saw sporadic use on American railroads in the 1830s and could be configured...
s of its Los Angeles Limited to a second section, informally designated as the Challenger. The new train met with such success that the UP immediately ordered 68 cars rebuilt, including 47 coaches, 16 Pullman sleeping car
Sleeping car
The sleeping car or sleeper is a railway/railroad passenger car that can accommodate all its passengers in beds of one kind or another, primarily for the purpose of making nighttime travel more restful. The first such cars saw sporadic use on American railroads in the 1830s and could be configured...
s, and 5 dining car
Dining car
A dining car or restaurant carriage , also diner, is a railroad passenger car that serves meals in the manner of a full-service, sit-down restaurant....
s. The coaches were outfitted with large, reclining chairs and decorated with a new color scheme to make the interiors more attractive, especially to women passengers. A lounge car
Lounge car
A lounge car is a type of passenger car on a train, where riders can purchase food and drinks. The car may feature large windows and comfortable seating to create a relaxing diversion from standard coach or dining options...
was added to the consist in April of the following year. All cars (save for baggage car
Baggage car
A baggage car or luggage van is a type of railway vehicle often forming part of the composition of passenger trains and used to carry passengers' checked baggage, as well as parcels . Being typically coupled at the front of the train behind the locomotive, this type of car is sometimes described...
s) carried the Challenger name.
In May 1936 the train was assigned its own numbers and commenced operation between Chicago and Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
on an independent schedule. 1937 saw the UP partnering with the Southern Pacific Railroad
Southern Pacific Railroad
The Southern Pacific Transportation Company , earlier Southern Pacific Railroad and Southern Pacific Company, and usually simply called the Southern Pacific or Espee, was an American railroad....
to extend service from Chicago to Oakland, California
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
, a line that would take the name San Francisco Challenger (the original run was designated as the Los Angeles Challenger).
The Challenger attracted new passengers and retained its middle-class clientele through a series of innovations devised as a result of formal research as well as personal conversations between passengers, company officers, and train crews. For maximum flexibility, lounge cars were designed for single, double, and table seating. Porter service was available throughout the train, and most stations had agents on duty to assist with any passenger need. Unique in the railroad industry, two special coaches were provided at the head of the train for the exclusive use of women, one of these specifically tailored for women with children. A registered nurse-stewardess was in attendance at all times, another first. The women received $125 per month, plus expenses.
Coach passengers provided with complimentary pillows, and tickets were pouched to avoid having to awaken passengers during the night. Station calls were eliminated during the sleeping hours, and short-haul passengers were individually awakened by train crews prior to arriving at their destinations. All bright lights were extinguished during the night (only blue lighting was used after 10:00 p.m.). Lounge rooms at the ends of the coaches were provided for those who wished to remain awake.
Increased rail traffic during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
led the UP to add the Furloughee Challenger to its roster on December 31, 1944; the train's name was changed to Military Challenger on December 23, 1945 and then to Advance Challenger on April 14, 1946. The train was discontinued altogether on June 2, 1946; the entire Challenger fleet would be taken out of service the next year following the establishment of daily service for the entire City fleet. On December 8, 1953 the C&NW and UP formally announced that the Challenger service between Chicago and Los Angeles would return with all-streamlined equipment, and on January 10 of the following year the first lightweight trainset hit the rails. The westbound Challenger completed its run in 39 hours 30 minutes, while eastbound ran 39 hours 45 minutes. Westbound No. 107 departed Chicago at 9:00 a.m. C.S.T. and arrived in Los Angeles at 10:30 p.m. P.S.T. the next day; eastbound No. 108 left L.A. at 2:00 p.m. P.S.T., and arrived Chicago at 7:45 in the morning C.S.T. of the second day. In February 1955, dome
Dome car
A dome car is a type of railway passenger car that has a glass dome on the top of the car where passengers can ride and see in all directions around the train. It also can include features of a coach, lounge car, dining car or observation...
coaches were added to the Challenger (along with dome lounge cars and unique [to Union Pacific] dome diners on the City of Los Angeles
City of Los Angeles
The City of Los Angeles was a streamlined passenger train that ran between Chicago, Illinois, and Los Angeles, California, via Omaha, Nebraska, and Ogden, Utah. Between Omaha and Los Angeles it ran on the Union Pacific Railroad; east of Omaha it ran on the Chicago and North Western Railway until...
and City of Portland
City of Portland
The City of Portland was a named passenger train operated by the Union Pacific Railroad and Chicago and North Western Railway between Chicago, Illinois, and Portland, Oregon. It started in June 1935, using the refurbished M-10001 streamliner trainset; with only one set of equipment the train left...
) as regular equipment for the first time on any of UP's trains.
Cost cutting measures instituted by the CNW's new president Benjamin W. Heineman
Benjamin W. Heineman
Benjamin W. Heineman was an attorney and American railroad executive. Heineman first gained attention in the railroad industry in 1954, when he orchestrated a successful proxy battle for control of the Minneapolis and St. Louis Railway...
and subsequent lack of interest by the CNW in long distance passenger traffic, led the UP to switch to the Milwaukee Road (MILW) for service to Chicago's Union Station
Union Station (Chicago)
Union Station is a major train station that opened in 1925 in Chicago, replacing an earlier 1881 station. It is now the only intercity rail terminal in Chicago, as well as being the city's primary terminal for commuter trains. The station stands on the west side of the Chicago River between Adams...
(previously, the trains had terminated at North Western Station
Ogilvie Transportation Center
The Richard B. Ogilvie Transportation Center is a passenger terminal in downtown Chicago, Illinois, USA, serving the three commuter rail lines of Metra's Union Pacific District, which approach the terminal elevated above street level. It occupies the lower floors of the Citigroup Center...
) beginning in November 1955. The Milwaukee Road embarked upon a repainting program wherein all of its passenger rolling stock and motive power received Union Pacific's Armour Yellow and Harbor Mist Gray color scheme (the MILW retained its traditional orange and black livery for freight units). The Milwaukee Road received that portion of the operating revenue generated between Omaha and Chicago, and furnished 25% of the equipment used on the line. UP diesels operated west of Omaha, while MILW power was employed into Chicago.
In 1955 the Challenger was combined between Chicago and Omaha with the Milwaukee Road's Midwest Hiawatha
Midwest Hiawatha
The Midwest Hiawatha was passenger train service of the Milwaukee Road. The service was inaugurated on December 11, 1940 and operate between Chicago's Union Station and Omaha, Nebraska, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, through northern Illinois and Iowa and South Dakota...
and appeared in timetables as the Challenger-Midwest Hiawatha. This arrangement ended in 1956 when, in a cost-cutting measure, the Challenger and the City of Los Angeles were combined and operated on the City of Los Angeles's schedule. The Challenger reappeared as a separate train (with its morning departure from Chicago) in following summers, but after 1960 it ran on the CoLA's schedule year-round.
To further reduce costs in the face of dwindling ridership, further train consolidations occurred in the 1960s, and by 1970 the Challenger, City of Denver
City of Denver
The City of Denver was a passenger train operated jointly by the Chicago and North Western and Union Pacific railroads. The train operated on both railroads' rights of way between Chicago, Illinois, and Denver, Colorado...
, City of Los Angeles, City of Portland, and City of San Francisco
City of San Francisco
The City of San Francisco was a streamlined passenger train operated jointly by the Chicago and North Western Railway, the Southern Pacific Railroad, and the Union Pacific Railroad...
were all combined into one giant train for much of their runs. The train was dubbed by critics as the "City of Everywhere."
At this time as well the dome diners were withdrawn from service on all UP trains, although the dome coaches and dome lounge cars remained in service until the turnover of passenger service to Amtrak. Amtrak discontinued all UP named trains, save for a modified City of San Francisco (via BN to Denver, thence via UP's Overland Route to Ogden and SP to Oakland/San Francisco), when it assumed long-distance passenger rail service throughout the United States on May 1, 1971.
Timeline
- May 1936: The Challenger makes its first run between Chicago, Illinois, and Los Angeles, California.
- 1937: A second train, the San Francisco ChallengerSan Francisco ChallengerThe San Francisco Challenger was a train operated by Southern Pacific Railroad, Union Pacific Railroad and Chicago and Northwestern Railroad. Starting in 1936, it ran from Oakland, California to Chicago, Illinois via the Overland Route. In 1947 it was replaced by the Gold Coast, which was...
, with service between Chicago and Oakland, CaliforniaOakland, CaliforniaOakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
is added to the lineup in cooperation with the Southern Pacific Railroad; the original train is now designated as the Los Angeles Challenger. - November 8, 1944: The westward San Francisco Challenger jumps the tracks on a curve at 5:15 a.m. and piles into a ditch three miles west of Colfax, CaliforniaColfax, CaliforniaColfax is a city in Placer County, California, at the crossroads of Interstate 80 and State Route 174. It is part of the Sacramento–Arden-Arcade–Roseville Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,963 at the 2010 census...
. Nine people are killed and 93 injured. - 1947: The Challenger fleet is withdrawn from service.
- October 19, 1947: San Francisco Challenger is discontinued when renamed Gold Coast
- December 8, 1953: The CNW / UP announces that the Challenger service between Chicago and Los Angeles will resume, and will employ all streamlined equipment.
- January 10, 1954: The first lightweight Challenger enters service.
- February 1955: a dome coach is added to the Challenger; a dome lounge and dome diner were added to the City of Los Angeles and City of Portland.
- November 1955: The Milwaukee Road assumes operation of the Challenger between Council Bluffs, IowaCouncil Bluffs, IowaCouncil Bluffs, known until 1852 as Kanesville, Iowathe historic starting point of the Mormon Trail and eventual northernmost anchor town of the other emigrant trailsis a city in and the county seat of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States and is on the east bank of the Missouri River across...
and Chicago, operating out of Union Station. - 1956: The Challenger and City of Los Angeles are combined during the off-season.
- 1970: Dome diners are removed from all UP passenger train consists, including the Challenger. The Challenger is combined with the entire City fleet into one train.
- May 1, 1971: UP ends the Challenger train service as AmtrakAmtrakThe National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
takes over long-distance passenger operations in the United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Equipment used
A wide variety of steam- and diesel-powered locomotives served the Challenger over the course of its lifetime.The consist of the last train No. 107 to travel over the CNW (westbound) on October 29, 1955 included:
- EMD E8EMD E8The EMD E8 was a , A1A-A1A passenger train locomotive manufactured by General Motors' Electro-Motive Division of La Grange, Illinois. The cab version, or E8A, was manufactured from August, 1949 to December, 1953, and 449 were produced – 446 for U.S., and 3 for Canada...
A Locomotive CNW #5029B - BaggageBaggage carA baggage car or luggage van is a type of railway vehicle often forming part of the composition of passenger trains and used to carry passengers' checked baggage, as well as parcels . Being typically coupled at the front of the train behind the locomotive, this type of car is sometimes described...
UP #5648 - SleeperSleeping carThe sleeping car or sleeper is a railway/railroad passenger car that can accommodate all its passengers in beds of one kind or another, primarily for the purpose of making nighttime travel more restful. The first such cars saw sporadic use on American railroads in the 1830s and could be configured...
UP Alpine View (14 sections) - Sleeper UP Pacific Beauty (10 roomettes, 6 double bedrooms)
- DinerDining carA dining car or restaurant carriage , also diner, is a railroad passenger car that serves meals in the manner of a full-service, sit-down restaurant....
(48 seats) CNW #6956 - Coach (48 seats) CNW #3418
- Coach (44 seats) UP #5486
- DomeDome carA dome car is a type of railway passenger car that has a glass dome on the top of the car where passengers can ride and see in all directions around the train. It also can include features of a coach, lounge car, dining car or observation...
-Coach UP #7000 - Coach (44 seats) UP #5470
The last train No. 108 to travel over the CNW (eastbound) consisted of:
- 2-EMD E-unitEMD E-unitEMD E-units were a line of passenger train diesel locomotives built by the General Motors Electro-Motive Division and its predecessor the Electro-Motive Corporation . Final assembly for all E-units was in La Grange, Illinois. Production ran from May, 1937, to December, 1963. The name E-units...
Locomotives (UP pair replaced with CNW units at Omaha) - BaggageBaggage carA baggage car or luggage van is a type of railway vehicle often forming part of the composition of passenger trains and used to carry passengers' checked baggage, as well as parcels . Being typically coupled at the front of the train behind the locomotive, this type of car is sometimes described...
UP #5640 - SleeperSleeping carThe sleeping car or sleeper is a railway/railroad passenger car that can accommodate all its passengers in beds of one kind or another, primarily for the purpose of making nighttime travel more restful. The first such cars saw sporadic use on American railroads in the 1830s and could be configured...
UP Alpine Camp (14 sections) - Sleeper UP Pacific Mist (10 roomettes, 6 double bedrooms)
- 2-unit (articulated) Dormitory-Kitchen-DinerDining carA dining car or restaurant carriage , also diner, is a railroad passenger car that serves meals in the manner of a full-service, sit-down restaurant....
(48 seats) UP #5101 (taken off at Omaha) - Lounge carLounge carA lounge car is a type of passenger car on a train, where riders can purchase food and drinks. The car may feature large windows and comfortable seating to create a relaxing diversion from standard coach or dining options...
UP #1517 (taken off at Omaha) - Coach (44 seats) UP #5484 (taken off at Omaha)
- DinerDining carA dining car or restaurant carriage , also diner, is a railroad passenger car that serves meals in the manner of a full-service, sit-down restaurant....
(48 seats) CNW #6956 (taken on at Omaha) - DomeDome carA dome car is a type of railway passenger car that has a glass dome on the top of the car where passengers can ride and see in all directions around the train. It also can include features of a coach, lounge car, dining car or observation...
-Coach UP #7002 - Coach (44 seats) UP #5478
Dining aboard the Challenger
The meals served in the Challenger's dining cars, while basic (definitely not the first-class fare found aboard the UP's streamliners, where a single meal might cost as much as $1.25) were ample, served on distinctive china and in portions large enough to satisfy even the heartiest traveler's appetite. Even as late as 1954 the meal selections were priced with the budget-conscious traveler in mind: breakfast cost 65¢, lunch was 85¢, and dinner could be had for $1.00.Other railroad uses of the name Challenger
The Challenger name has also been applied to a class of type 4-6-6-44-6-6-4
In Whyte notation, a 4-6-6-4 is a railroad steam locomotive that has four leading wheels followed by six coupled driving wheels, a second set of six driving wheels and four trailing wheels.Other equivalent classifications are:...
steam-driven locomotive
Locomotive
A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
s designed by the UP and built by the American Locomotive Company
American Locomotive Company
The American Locomotive Company, often shortened to ALCO or Alco , was a builder of railroad locomotives in the United States.-Early history:...
between 1936 and 1943. Best known among these is Union Pacific 3985
Union Pacific 3985
Union Pacific 3985 or UP 3985 is a four-cylinder simple articulated 4-6-6-4 Challenger-type steam locomotive owned by Union Pacific Railroad. The UP 3985 locomotive was built in 1943 by the American Locomotive Company of Schenectady, New York...
, one of 105 Challengers built for the railroad; it is the largest operating steam locomotive in the world.
The dome car
Dome car
A dome car is a type of railway passenger car that has a glass dome on the top of the car where passengers can ride and see in all directions around the train. It also can include features of a coach, lounge car, dining car or observation...
now called Challenger was built in 1958 by Pullman-Standard
Pullman Company
The Pullman Palace Car Company, founded by George Pullman, manufactured railroad cars in the mid-to-late 19th century through the early decades of the 20th century, during the boom of railroads in the United States. Pullman developed the sleeping car which carried his name into the 1980s...
as Union Pacific Dome Coach #7015, the last such car built. It was reacquired by Union Pacific in 1989 and today operates as part of employee and other special trains.
See also
- Passenger train service on the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad
- Passenger train service on the Chicago and North Western Railway
- Passenger train service on the Southern Pacific Railroad
- Passenger train service on the Union Pacific Railroad
External links
- The Challenger at the Union Pacific Railroad's official website
- Passenger trains operating on the eve of Amtrak