Union Pacific 3977

UP No.3977 on static display in Nebraska

Union Pacific 3977 is a four-cylinder simple articulated 4-6-6-4 "Challenger"-type steam locomotive built in June of 1943 by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) of Schenectady, New York, for the Union Pacific Railroad.

She is one of only two sole surviving Challengers still in existence, the other one being 3985, who is from the same batch of 44664-4 locomotives, and is the only one to have operated in excursion service.

Ever since her retirement, she’s preserved on outdoor static display in North Platte, Nebraska.

History with Union Pacific

3977 was the third of the 4664-4 batch of Challengers ordered by Union Pacific in 1943 during World War II, which were numbered from 3975-3999.^[1] She was also one of ten Challengers liveried in two-tone grey livery with the distinctive yellow pin-striping and lettering, and were fitted with deflectors on both sides towards the front, or in many a UP railroad-man's case "wild wings", and put into passenger service between Portland, Oregon, and Seattle, Washington, as well as along the Columbia River to Huntington, Oregon, in 1946.^[2]

During 1952, 3977 was converted to burn oil, which was a modification given to several other Challengers at the time, when five circulators in the firebox were removed and replaced with fire-pans. The engine would be renumbered to 3710, also just like several other Challengers at the time.^[3]

Retirement And Preservation

By 1958, she was retired from service due to dieselization, but after several years was donated to the city of North Platte. Following her retirement, 3710 was renumbered back to its old number, 3977. When she was saved from scrap, she was relocated to Cody Park in October of 1968 and put up for static display, however, 3977 had the usual UP black boiler and graphite smokebox.

Around 1985, a then-retired UP EMD DDA40X Centennial, numbered 6922, was placed on static display directly next to 3977 and still remains there as of 2023.^[4] During the late 1990s, 3977 would shed the standard black livery and be restored and repainted back to the two-tone livery, which she still wears to this very day.

Historical Significance

Though nowhere near as famous or well known as her sister 3985, she’s significant as being one of only two sole surviving Challengers left, as the remainder of the type were scrapped by 1962 when all were retired. She’s also the only UP locomotive at the moment that is wearing the greyhound livery.