Knowing the back story always lends more substance to a picture. Thanks for sharing.
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| Posted by on September 1, 2013 | |
The 662 and the other Challengers pictured here were not the UP-designed 4-6-6-4s built for the Defense Plant Corporation in WWII and assigned to the D&RGW. The engines pictured here--CRR Class E-2--were based on the slightly smaller locomotives built for the Delaware & Hudson. Four of these engines were built by Alco in 1947 (the earlier and nearly identical E-1s were constructed in 1942-43). The 662 and her brethren were retired from service in 1954. These particular simple articulateds remained in Erwin until 1963, when their 15-year equipment trusts expired. Since the engines represented the collateral on the loan, they remained until the Clinchfield was free to sell them for scrap. The UP-designed engines were classed E-3, and were actually acquired second hand before these engines. As noted, they had to be redrafted--and they were the first of the big 4-6-6-4s to be retired, in 1953. Alas, all eventually met the same fate: the scrap yard. Ironically, Ten-Wheeler Number 1 was restored for operation in 1968. Had Tom Moore come to Erwin a little earlier and laid his eyes on these big engines, perhaps one of them would have been rebuilt instead. Wouldn't that have been cool!
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Ron, thanks for clarifying all of that, it is greatly appreciated. Also, I wish Tom would have been there sooner, it would be incredible to see one of these massive workhorses pulling all of the coaches the CRR owned, it would have been a sight beyond belief and made the Clinchfield even more popular than it already is.
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Was the 663 the last Challenger ever built?
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675 was the last Challenger ever built, and the reason that when UP loaned 3985 to CSX in 1992 for the 50th anniversary, it was numbered 676, the next number in line.
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I know the 675 was the last one Clinchfield received....but I am pretty sure the 660s were built AFTER the E-3 engines were built.
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