MTH ELECTRIC TRAINS

The Union Pacific designed and asked ALCO to build the best high-speed simple articulated engines to grace American rails in the midst of the Great Depression. The 4-6-6-4 Challenger first appeared on UP rails in 1936, and it was clear from the beginning that it could handle tremendous tonnage at high speeds. Though the Challenger was initially designed for freight use, UP also put it into passenger service, and it proved itself capable of handling any task it was given. The railroad was so pleased with its performance that it ordered more of the 4-6-6-4s over the next several years. It was as a result of a war-time order that the Rio Grande took possession of their Challengers. When UP placed their fourth order for the engines, the War Production Board refused to approve the entire order. Instead they diverted six of the Challengers to the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad, which received the leased articulateds in 1943. Although UP apparently expected to receive the engines they had ordered at the end of the war, the D&RGW Challengers were eventually sold to the Clinchfield Railroad. M.T.H. is proud to offer the Challenger in its familiar UP and rarer D&RGW markings in this handsomely detailed RailKing piece. It is sure to make an impressive appearance on any traditionally-sized layout. Pull-out fact: UP claimed the Challenger let them maintain freight speeds 55% higher than in 1928, when they began the design experiments that led to the 4-6-6-4.