SILVIS, Ill. — Union Pacific’s hospital train of historic equipment from Cheyenne, Wyo. arrived at the Silvis shops of Railroading Heritage of Midwest America late on the afternoon of Saturday, Nov. 19, just ahead of planned ceremonies to mark donation of the locomotives and other rolling stock.
The equipment, including 4-6-6-4 Challenger No. 3985, 2-10-2 No. 5511, Centennial DDA40X diesel No. 6936, several passenger cars, and a caboose, arrived in Silvis only a couple of hours before ceremonies were to begin to officially hand off the equipment to RRHMA. UP agreed to donate the equipment last April [see “Railroading Heritage of Midwest America, Union Pacific agree …,” Trains News Wire, April 28, 2022].
Iowa Interstate Railroad handled the move from Council Bluffs, Iowa, to Silvis but used UP diesels for the move [see “Union Pacific ‘hospital’ train detoured …,” News Wire, Nov. 18, 2022]. Large contingents of railroad fans and locals followed the train on the last portion of its journey from South Amana, Iowa, to the Silvis shop with weather ranging from sunny to blowing snow.
Once at Silvis, crews battling fierce winds and cold temperatures first switched the Centennial into the huge shop building. Next came No. 5511, which was placed on a special track laid on top of the concrete floor of the shop. There was a delay in switching No. 3985 into the building, so ceremonies went ahead with Union Pacific officials and RRHMA President and Chief Operating Officer Steve Sandberg.
Sandberg saluted the dedication of UP’s Cheyenne-based steam crew, which spent nine days on the road moving at times recalcitrant equipment over the UP main line at slow speeds. UP’s Senior Manager of Heritage Operations Ed Dickens presented Sandberg with a ceremonial bill of sale to mark the transfer from Union Pacific to RRHMA.
Now that the equipment is at Silvis, the first order of business for RRHMA is the conversion of Big Boy 4014’s tender from coal to oil. No. 3985’s oil carrying tender was used behind UP Big Boy 4014 when it was converted to burn oil in 2019. RRHMA will now convert 4014’s original coal tender to handle oil, then it will be returned to UP, and 3985’s tender will be moved to Silvis.
RRHMA plans to start work on UP 3985 as soon as possible and has begun the process of hiring employees to be begin the rebuild.
For more information visit the RRHMA website.
Point of Information – From an operational standpoint, how do they swap tenders, since each has only one coupler? Run it on the rear end of any moves and hope there is no trouble necessitating coupling up to the non-coupler?
Either that, or have 4014 make a special trip out to Silvis when it’s swap time and perform it onsite. I don’t know if you could swap out the drawbar to the loco for a coupler temporarily, but if so that could be another option.
It will probably go in a special train with just one engine and run in reverse. That is how they have moved some of this type of equipment in the past. They will be able to do this at a more efficient speed. I don’t know why they just don’t keep the 4014 tender and re-paint it. Its the fact that it is an original 12 wheel pedestal tender of the type used on Challengers, Big Boys and Northern’s that is important, not that it is the exact same one.
That is the IAIS 6988 Chinese 2-10-2 which is being stored at the shop.
Whats the third steam engine with smoke deflectors and chimney covered in the beginning has a ladder in the tender ?