Opinion: The UP 3985 Challenger Talk

Patience my fellow foamers.

Like some sort of rigged booby trapped explosive, UP 3985 has been coming up as a trigger point in countless railfan forums and Facebook groups over the last few years. With the increased interest in the UP steam program this year following the wildly popular UP 4014 tours, it seems plenty of talk has been made of 3985. Disparate clues that UP is planning to get working on it now that UP 4014 is finished, plenty of other firsthand reports claiming the engine is as good as dead and will continue its long term storage in the Cheyenne Roundhouse. Even more rumors suggesting its going to be packed up and stuffed and mounted in a museum. What exactly is going on with 3985, and why does the railfan community have such a fixation on it?

Do I have the answer to these tales of 3985's fate? No, I don't. I bet only Union Pacific themselves know the answers, and it seems for now we are just going to have to wait a bit longer to find out what they are planning (or not planning) for the engine. But I do want to share my opinions on the subject.

Mark Evans photo October 2008

1979 marked the beginning of UP 3985's return to service, when a group of volunteers began reassembling the engine in Cheyenne. The restoration was completed in 1981, and as part of the Union Pacific Steam Fleet it joined UP 8444 in public relations tours across the Union Pacific system. Among the highlights of this career was its 1992 use on CSX rails as part of the former Clinchfield Railroad's annual Christmas train. Another trip in that same era was the 1990 stack train run, where UP 3985 lead a stack train for APL. The final trip for the Challenger was in 2010, pulling the Ringling Bro.s Circus into Cheyenne; and the engine was stored pending its FRA mandated overhaul. A month later, in November; longtime UP Steam Program head Steve Lee who had been a part of the program for much of the Challenger's use, retired and was replaced by Ed Dickens. 

This is where I think of a lot of the hysteria surrounding UP 3985 began to take root. The changing of the old guard definitely ruffled a few feathers.  In 2013, UP 844 joined UP 3985 in storage and many online railfans went into a fury over the idea that this 'new guy' Ed Dickens had somehow allowed both of the railroad's steam engines to fall silent. 

However it is clear that Ed and his team were already beginning to focus on a much bigger task up ahead. In 2012 UP had announced their desire to re-acquire a Big Boy locomotive; and in July 2013 UP officially sealed the deal acquiring the now famous UP 4014 from its home in the Rail Giants museum in Pomona, California. 2014 was a big year, moving the Big Boy from its static display; and across four states back to Cheyenne to start restoration work. 

Still for many armchair critics, retired preservationists, and other railfans in the forums and chatroom's; it was unacceptable that steam was still silent on the Union Pacific (the pending Big Boy restoration not withstanding). Meanwhile the diesel fleet maintained by the steam program (the DDA40X and E units) slowly began falling silent too, furthering increased online speculation. Many began protesting the current steam team with some online petitions demanding Ed Dicken's removal from Union Pacific. It seems silly in hindsight, but the digital vitriol from that era was very real, and continues to haunt a few segments of the railfan community.

What followed was a stunning set of years, where Ed and his team proved their worth; first with a remodel of their steam shops in Cheyenne, the return of UP 844 to steam in 2016, and the final push to get UP 4014 ready for its grand May 2019 entrance. The chatroom hysterics seemed unfounded as 2019 grew to become Union Pacific steam's biggest year yet. 4014 would travel the nation in three massive tours, taking it up and down the Union Pacific system, celebrating the Golden Spike with UP 844 in Ogden, joining a preserved ALCO 2-8-0 in Duluth for a double steam display, pulling excursions up Cajon Pass, joining UP 4141 in honor of the late President Bush Sr. in Texas, and storming through snowstorms in Kansas and Colorado in a rush to get home before Thanksgiving. While many of the internet critics remained, their complaints fell on deaf ears as many who experienced UP 4014 in person (myself included) got to witness a spectacular showing from it through out the year. 

In person, its hard not to admire UP 4014. Clean and crisp looking its a modern and complete restoration to its core. The only part of 4014 I genuinely hated, was having to swim through the massive crowds that always followed to admire it! 

One of my favorite experiences with UP 4014 was its return to Utah in October, I chased it in Salt Lake City; and again a few days later through central Utah down from Provo to Delta.

What a year 2019 was! Thousands if not hundreds of thousands of people got to witness the largest steam locomotive in operation. I can't help but wonder what seeds have been sown, what little kid who was out trackside for UP 4014 this year might be the one with Ed Dicken's job in the next 30 years? Which one of those kids might be the next to helm the famous steam shops at Strasburg? Or the one to design the next leap in rail technology? This kind of publicity is excellent for our community, and UP 4014 has done marvels for railfanning and railroading this year. 

Of course though, the question returns eventually to... "what's next?" Slowly whisker tracks that had been removed for environmental remediation at the Cheyenne Roundhouse; are being put into place once again connecting UP 3985, the DDA40X and E units to the national rail network. Once these pieces of equipment are no longer "landlocked," will they join UP 844 and 4014 in the program's active roster?

As I said earlier... I am not the person with those answers. I do know what I want emotionally; the thought of three massive UP steamers in play is an awesome fantasy. The image of UP 4014, 3985 and 844 in a massive triple header is probably the holy grail of many a railfan's dream, and its been something I have spent time idly daydreaming about. Just as 844 was welcomed to communities it returned too after its 2016 restoration was completed, perhaps 3985 could do the same once more as it returns from its long hiatus. Perhaps a double showing of 4014 and 3985 could solidify UP's legacy as the railroad of true giants.

But the logical part of me asks... why? Why in the world would Union Pacific need three locomotives in their fleet? They don't often pull passenger excursions, the Cajon Pass and a brief segment of the Ogden trip being the only parts of 4014's trips this whole year with passengers on-board. Unlike a tourist railroad that can have two or three engines under steam at a time, UP often only needs just one engine running per trip. Part of the appeal of 3985 was it being a large articulated steam locomotive, but with 4014 in the stable now there is a larger articulated in town. Lastly with the corporate bean counter's over their shoulder's; would Ed even have a case to argue to corporate for the funding to restore 3985 when its clear 4014 and 844 can already draw the crowds? Would funding for 3985 delay the potential return of the E units and the DDA40X?

Like Pink Floyd said "Money so they say, is the root of all evil today..." and money will always be the bottom line in any steam locomotive's hopes for future operation. Just go ask Western Maryland Scenic and their long slow road to returning 1309 to operation... So if money is the key issue, unless corporate was willing to finance a three steam engine operation; it seems 3985 might only have a chance to return to operation if it replaces either 844 or 4014 in the future. This is where my opinion comes on strongly; if I had to pick two of the three and leave the third for storage... I'd pick 844 and 4014 any day over 3985. With the exception of the railfan's who have formed strong bonds to 3985; I imagine most of the railfan population, general public, and most importantly corporate heads at UP would likewise leave 3985 behind in their selections. Its hard to sell UP 3985 to corporate and the general public, when its simplest description is "imagine UP 4014, but slightly shorter..."

So then the question becomes... what to do with 3985? It has already donated some parts (most notably its tender) to 4014, perhaps it can join UP 838 as a part's source and template permanently stored in the Cheyenne shops? Or maybe its destiny lies in a museum, bring it out somewhere for display and permanently strike it from the UP roster? Or perhaps it is to sit collecting dust, until maybe a day comes when 4014's novelty wears thin and a replacement is sought for, or maybe UP's business head's hearts will grow three sizes one day and they decided they need that third steamer to complete the ultimate foamer dream team? Or is UP already planning a return to steam and restoration is secretly under way even as we speak?  

If I were a betting man, UP 3985 is going to stay exactly where it is at. I tend to lean on a lot of the accounts from this year's 4014 tour's where several railfans reported Ed or other steam crew mentioning there are no plans for UP 3985. No plan's means exactly what it says on the tin; no plans... no plans to donate it, restore it, scrap it, move it, or anything of the like. Personally, I think no plan is in a way, the perfect plan for 3985 right now... its safe and indoors; protected from theft, can serve as a parts template for 844 and 4014, and makes a great talking point for the occasional Steam Shop tours. I'd hope that the steam shop dedicates its forces to continued upkeep on 4014 and 844, and perhaps begins bringing its historic diesels back into operational shape; since the return of the DDA40X and E units could perhaps make more poignant diesel helpers for the two active steam engines rather than the current trend of using general UP freight engines. 

Again, I can't pretend to know with any certainty what is going on at the UP Steam Shop. But I think Ed and his crew deserve all the praise they can get for the restoration of 4014. I find the continued online hand wringing and bashing over 3985 odd; 2019 has been the most spectacular year for the steam program yet, but many railfans seem to not be seeing the forest through the trees continuing to focus on what hasn't happened rather than what has already happened. Our community can continue to get hung up on 3985... or we can enjoy the 4014 ride while it lasts and the present events we are all getting to collectively witness. When Otto Perry or Emil Albrecht witnessed the golden age of UP steam, do you think they could have imagined the crowds and excitement that would have been caused a half century later when just one Big Boy returned to service? Its an amazing world where every railfan across the globe got to witness the Big Boy in action thanks to digital streaming and social media bringing it right to them. 

As 3985's enjoy's its well deserved rest, I do hope that someday in some future it will once again breath with a fire in its belly and join its sibling engines in the UP Steam Fleet. Its the only one of the three UP steam engines I have yet to personally catch in action, and I hope to see it someday myself in steam. Until then 3985 will be fondly remembered by railfan's who got to witness it in action, while a new generation will get to come and know 4014 and 844 in these coming years. 

- Jacob Lyman

I should also mention, the 1982 fires caused by UP 3985 in Utah are personally one of my favorite "that's crazy!" stories that exists in railroading. If anyone wonders why UP 3985 and later UP 4014 became oil burners... well here's the answer: https://www.railpictures.net/photo/420353/