Some technical details of the
Aster model.
The locomotive is
modeled in 1/32 scale Gauge One and features a alcohol fired C-type
boiler, working cylinder drain cocks on all four cylinders, battery
powered headlight, and all the necessary appliances featured on the latest
Aster locomotives.
The standard Aster design
will be Union Pacific Challenger # 3985 in black, as preserved today in
Cheyenne WY. The grey UP Passenger is engine # 3977.
A black version without
cab numbers and tender lettering (undecorated) was also be made available
by advanced reservation only. This provided an opportunity
to decorate the locomotive kit in Rio Grande or Clinchfield lettering or kit bash it into a Great Northern Z-Class
The Challengers ordered
by Union Pacific from ALCO were numbered 3950-3999. Aster Hobby Co. Inc.
is modeling the only operational example # 3985 still owned and operated
by Union Pacific Railroad in Cheyenne, WY. Some of the UP Challengers
were used in Passenger service and painted grey with yellow striping
(pictured in color above). Both Challengers # 3985 and # 3977 have been
preserved as oil burners and will be modeled by Aster Hobby Co. Inc. in
"as preserved condition".
The Rio Grande operated
several Challenger locomotives purchased from Baldwin. In 1943, five more
were purchased from ALCO on a war order. They were identical to the UP
Challengers. The ALCO engines # 3800 - 3805 did not match with the
Railroads operations and maintenance system and were later sold to the
Clinchfield.
The Clinchfield Railroad
purchased their Challengers from the Rio Grande. Besides converting them
to single smoke stack they remained identical in appearance to the UP
Challengers.
The Great Northern
operated two ALCO Challengers which were originally owned by SP&S
Railroad. They differed from the UP Challengers from the engine pilot
arrangement, compound pump location, single smoke stack, slanted crew cab,
cosmetic detail and a totally different tender. With some "kit bashing"
skills a Aster UP Challenger kit may be converted to resemble this great
looking GN class Z to compliment Aster's Great Northern S2
