Dipping my toe in UP matters....

[Guest spet0114]

Hi Folks,

 

Over the weekend, I bought an HO model of a UP challenger.  It was entirely an impulse purchase, but not one I regret. The loco is truly a thing of beauty.

 

As far as my limited knowledge goes, it's a Lionel model of 3976 in the grey/yellow livery that she wore between 1946 and 1949 while working passenger services on UP's Northwestern district(?).

 

My questions are: what type of stock would she have hauled during this period, what livery would it have been in and does anyone make a half-decent RTR HO representation of it?

 

Many thanks in advance for any input!

 

Cheers
Adrian

[Zomboid]

Challengers were primarily freight locos, so it would have pulled freight cars from the era. So boxcars, boxcars and more boxcars and a caboose... I expect at that time a lot would have been wooden bodied, and from just about any road.

 

The good news is that boxcars are as plentiful in model form as they were in real life.

[Oldddudders]

This may help a little.

 

http://utahrails.net/up/ttg-challengers.php

[mdvle]

Passenger train modelling isn't very popular in the US, and thus options will be limited.

 

The first obvious choice would be to model a modern day excursion train.  I don't know if the challenger has been used for it, or in the paint scheme you have, but certainly it should be easier both to research the coaches and get them, they would be in the standard(?) UP yellow.

 

This could be a place to start http://www.trainweb.org/fredatsf/UPexcursion.htm with Walthers likely the best option of UP passenger cars.

 

Trying for 46 to 49 era will be more difficult and you may need to try finding a forum that is UP specific (perhaps on Facebook to start) to find out what equipment was in use during that time period.

[Oldddudders]

UP and its streamliner partners including C&NW, had taken delivery of 145 lightweight cars before Pearl Harbor stopped their manufacture. By 1950 another 200 cars had been delivered by AC&F, Pullman Standard and Budd. Armour Yellow was the colour, and if you can find some their use behind your 4-6-6-4 would be hard to - er - challenge!

[Oldddudders]

This may help a little.

 

http://utahrails.net/up/ttg-challengers.php

And if you click on the ‘rosters’ heading you will find a page dedicated to UP passenger cars past and present.

[w124bob]

This will be a slippery slope, a Big Boy will follow(assuming the Chinese carry on making them)!