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North American
Locomotive Works |
Available at train-sim.com
Model description:
Get ready and hold on! The UP Steam MegaPack
from North American Locomotive Works has arrived. This set features
two new Big Boys, three Northerns and three Challengers, with a full
complement of coaches to go with them. What you'll get is:
• Version 2 of the NALW Big Boy,
road numbers 4005 and 4012. These feature updated physics and visual
effects, and are very nicely weathered. New custom sounds, including
exterior compressor and brake sounds, are included in this update.
• Three UP Challengers,
featuring the same enhanced effects as the BigBoy V2.0. They make perfect
additions to your UP steam fleet. These new models are uniquely skinned
as:
3977
- Skinned in the later two-tone grey passenger scheme, with UP Silver
Grey.
3979 - Standard UP black,
but weathered and dirty
3985 - Standard UP black,
lightly weathered with just a bit of road grime.
• Three FEF Northerns, featuring customized cab
and sounds. Like the Challengers, these are completely new models:
838
- Skinned in the UP "Greyhound" passenger scheme, with no
weathering. 838 is skinned in the original UP two-tone grey passenger
scheme, featuring Armour Yellow lettering and striping
840 - Skinned in the
later two-tone grey passenger scheme, with UP Silver Grey.
844 - Skinned in UP
standard Black, with no weathering. Perfect for excursion service.
• UP Smoothside Passenger set.
This passenger car set includes UP smoothside baggage cars, coaches,
sleepers, diners, domes and business car. Perfect to hook up behind
a Northern or a Challenger for excursions.
Also included is an auxiliary excursion tender for those long trips. Eight sample consists make up the rest of the package (with two excursion consists). Enjoy!
FEF-3 History
4-8-4 class locomotives were known by several names by various roads.
In general, they are referred to as the Northern, for the first
road to use the type (Northern Pacific) in 1927. Northerns quickly became
the near-standard late American locomotive class for fast freight and
passenger service. In total, 1,120 4-8-4 locomotives were built and
operated in North America. Of this total, the Union Pacific Railroad
operated 45 Alco built FEF-1, -2, and -3 class 4-8-4s. The first of
these 800's were delivered in 1937. Over their lifespan, the 800's design
and configuration was altered to improve performance and reduce smoke
flow over the cab, a problem that persisted with the engines until the
introduction of the elephant ears and dual stacking. The latter alteration
also had the effect of increasing engine power and efficiency through
the reduction of exhaust back pressure. All FEF-class engines were built
for coal firing, but the threat of a coal strike at the end of the war
prompted UP to convert these engines to oil firing. The conversion to
oil also had the benefit of providing additional smokebox space. Onefoot
was added for the inclusion of a Worthington model SA feedwater heater.
The FEF-3 locomotive was the subject of testing
by the AAR in 1938, along with other current state-of-the art locomotives,
to further advance steam locomotive designs. AAR identified the need
for future designs to be faster and stronger, to allow rail travel to
compete with the emerging airline and highway system. During these tests,
UP #815 distinguished itself above both the Pennsylvania K4 and the
C&NW 4-6-4 Hudson by its ability for sustained running at 102 mph,
7 mph faster than the Hudson.
Union Pacific continues to maintain and operate one
FEF-3 locomotive (844) as part of its steam program.
Challenger History
Union Pacific was one of the few railroads
that could acquire new motive power during the Great Depression. Together
with Alco and lead mechanical engineer Arthur H. Fetter, the railroad
set about designing a new fast freight steam engine. UP wanted to expand
its fleet of fast freight engines, but desired an engine that could
negotiate tighter curves than the rigid wheelbase 4-12-2. Alco took
the lead in the design effort. Well aware of the instability problems
of Baltimore & Ohio's 2-6-6-2s, Alco elected to employ a four-wheel
engine truck,thus designing what was a 4-12-2, split in half.
The instablility problem was solved by moving the
boiler forward in order to shift more weight onto the front engine.
This meant that the firebox could not be placed behind the rear set
of driving wheels, as with a 2-6-6-4, but rather, had to be was supported
both by the rear pair of drivers and the trailing truck, creating a
4-6-6-4. The 4-6-6-4 was actually an evolution of the UP 4-12-2 class
9000 compound freight locomotive. The Challengers are just slightly
heavier than the Nines, but are faster because of the lighter side rods
and better balance achieved in the articulated design.
Alco delivered thirteen engines in 1936. Union Pacific
was not disappointed, and over the next seven years went on to order
a total of 105 4-6-6-4s, built to two different designs: the early Alco
design and a later UP design. A Union Pacific official christened the
engine 'Challenger.'
The first 4-6-6-4, UP number 3900, was received from
Alco at Council Bluffs on August 25, 1936, and after a brief ceremony
it headed west pulling a refrigerator train. Six Challengers were asssigned
to passenger service. In total, Alco delivered 105 of the class to UP,
while eight other railways bought 4-6-6-4 class locomotives. In total,
252 were built. Of these, two survive and the 3985 continues to run
in UP's steam program.
Road Numbers
Northern: 838, 840, 844
Big Boy: 4005, 4012 (see specs)
Challenger: 3977, 3979, 3985
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FEF-3 Northern Specs
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Challenger Specs Tender Type: 14-wheeled Water Capacity: 25,000 gallons Fuel: 5,945 gallons No. 5 oil Gauge of Track: 4 ft. 8-1/2 in. Cylinder: Diameter: 21 in. Stroke: 32 in. Driving Wheel Diameter: 69 in. Boiler: Inside Diameter: 94-11/16 in. Pressure: 280 lbs. Fire Box: Length: 187-1/32 in. Width: 108-3/16 in. Tubes: 2-1/4 in. Diameter: 45 x 20 ft. 0 in. 4 in. Diameter: 177 Wheel Base: Driving: 12 ft. 2 in. & 12 ft. 2 in. Engine: 60 ft. 4-1/2 in. Engine & Tender: 121 ft.10-7/8 in. Weight in Working Order, Pounds: Leading: 102,300 Driving: 404,000 Trailing: 121,600 Engine: 627,900 Tender: 441,900 Evaporating Surfaces, Square Feet: Tubes: 527 Flues: 3,687 Fire Box: 500 Circulators: 81 Total: 4,795 Superheating Surface, Square Feet: 2,162 Grate Area: Removed, 1990 Maximum Tractive Power: 97,350 lbs. Factor of Adhesion: 4.17 |
The UP "Greyhound" paint scheme
Union Pacific's two-tone paint scheme first
came into use in about mid-1946, to match a similar paint scheme in
use by The Pullman Co. on its passenger cars since the late 1930s. Two-tone
gray paint was used on most, if not all, of the steam locomotives assigned
to passenger, including the 4-6-2 Pacifics, the 4-8-2 Mountains, the
4-8-4 Northerns. Also included were a group of ten oil-burning 4-6-6-4
Challengers assigned to the Northwestern District passenger service.
The passenger Challengers eliminated the use of helpers and double-headers
on passenger trains, enabling 4-8-2 Mountains and other smaller power
to be assigned to other duties.
As originally applied, the color of the striping
and lettering was Armour Yellow. This bit of yellow color was apparently
intended to match the yellow color on the Streamliners since these steam
locomotives were originally intended to be used as standby power on
these premium trains. In 1949, the color of the striping and lettering
was changed from Armour Yellow to Silver Gray.
Of the 10 Challenger locomotives in the UP 3975-3984
series assigned to this service, at least nine locomotives were painted
to two-tone gray in 1946. Along with two-tone gray paint, all ten locomotives
also received smoke lifters, or smoke wings, a new feature added after
October 1945 and intended to keep smoke out of the cabs and away from
the operating crews. The ten two-tone gray Challengers operated mostly
in passenger service, but occasionally turned up in freight service.
Credit:
Model
and Base Textures: Jens-Chris Baerenz
Final Textures: John Fowlis and Harold Clitheroe
Lighting: Kelley Ellison
Cab View: Graeme Cox
Original sound samples: Matt Donnelly, Joseph Realmutto, Steve Thompson
Sound engineering: Harold Clitheroe, Chuck Schneider
Physics: John Fowlis, Chuck Schneider
Beta Testing: Harold Clitheroe, John Fowlis, Chuck Schneider, Michael
MacFall
Assembly and Packaging: Michael MacFall
© 2002 North American Locomotive Works. All rights reserved.
All release dates subject to change without notice.
© 2002 North American Locomotive Works. All rights reserved.