Crowd gets look at famous steam locomotive

COLUMBUS -- After hours of patient waiting and a couple of hurried trips to the bathroom, Lawson Borer, 4, was rewarded with a close up look at the world’s largest operating steam engine late Monday afternoon.

Lawson, the son of Scott and Gina Borer, of Columbus, joined hundreds of area residents who had come at 1:30 p.m. and returned at 3 p.m. to get a look at Union Pacific’s historic “Challenger” No. 3985, steam locomotive. The famous locomotive finally arrived at the depot located at 2511 12th St. about 4:30 p.m.

Heavy freight traffic delayed the scheduled appearance of the train for more than three hours, but those who waited or returned later were not disappointed.

“It’s loud! Borer shouted as he covered his ears. Despite the noise and the crowd, he was obviously enjoying every minute of the event.

Randy Kassmeier, of New Orleans, in town visiting his mother, Fran Kassmeier, of Howells, took time out to see the train. Kassmeier is a train enthusiast whose love of trains extends to the collection of railroad dinner china used on passenger trains in years gone by.

“I think trains are fantastic,” Kassmeier said a short time before the locomotive finally arrived. Then, as the Challenger arrived from Duncan and parts west �” “This was well worth the wait!” Kassmeier shouted above the distinctive sound of the steam locomotive’s whistle.

The consensus of many of the hundreds who returned to view the train, was that the wait was worth the reward.

“A lot of freight was moving on the system today to accommodate shipments moving in both directions,” said a U.P. spokesman. “We apologize for any inconvenience the delay of the steam engine may have caused.

“Our first job is to move freight for our customers, and getting that done at the same time as we’re moving the steam engine.”

The historic train is making it’s way from Cheyenne, Wyo., to St. Paul, Minn., and back to celebrate railroad history and heritage.

The Challenger’s five-state, 1,700-mile tour celebrates railroad heritage as the 65-year-old locomotive travels from its home base in Cheyenne to St. Paul Minn.

Built in 1943, the Challenger, is an articulated locomotive with a “hinged” frame that allows it to negotiate curves. It is 122 feet long, weighs more than 1 million pounds, has 6-foot diameter drive wheels and can reach a top speed of 70 miles per hour. No. 3985 was built for fast freight service. It was retired in 1959, but U.P. employee volunteers restored it to running condition in 1981 for special service.

No. 3985 originally burned coal and pulled a tender with a 32-ton capacity. In 1990, it was converted to use No. 5 fuel oil.

The Union Pacific Railroad, links 23 states in the western two-thirds of the country.