No. 10147 Streamlined Alco E-4 Class 4-6-4 "Hudson" Type Steam Locomotive, heading up the "Challenger" Streamlined Passenger Train

 Chicago & North Western Railroad

In June, 1935, the original steam-powered “Challenger” began operation on the Union Pacific Railroad as a second (coach) section of the “Los Angeles Limited,” Union Pacific’s premier all-Pullman train between Chicago and Los Angeles (2299 miles), with service established early in the twentieth century (1905). The “Challenger,” however, was designed to attract budget-minded travelers, and when officially introduced in August, 1935, was America’s only long-distance all-coach train. Seven sets of equipment were required for the daily service. In 1937, the “San Francisco Challenger” began service between Chicago and Oakland (2260 miles), and the original “Challenger” was renamed the “Los Angeles Challenger.” Trip times were about 60 hours. The equipment was painted Pullman green with gold stripes and lettering.
 
Starting in 1937, lightweight streamlined passenger cars began to appear on Union Pacific’s crack passenger trains, following the lead of the revolutionary new diesel-powered streamliners Union Pacific introduced in 1936, the “City of Los Angeles (see No. 10352) and the “City of San Francisco” (see No.10265) (Both twice weekly service from Chicago 1937-47).  There was not enough streamlined equipment to replace all the old heavyweight cars, however, and the older coaches and Pullmans continued to be used through World War II and the immediate post-war period, until the early 1950s, on many of Union Pacific’s name trains. The “Challengers” used a mixture of light and heavyweight equipment during this period, under steam power. Consists were seven to ten cars, including thrifty “tourist sleeping cars” and diners, painted Pullman green, and two-tone gray (1946-1952). (See No. 10377, “Challenger,” Union Pacific colors postwar.)
 
Although the idea for the “Challenger” fleet originated with the Union Pacific, the Chicago and North Western Railroad was not only proud to operate the trains between Chicago and Omaha, but was also part owner, contributing equipment with 23 lightweight streamlined coaches built in 1937 by Pullman-Standard, painted Pullman green with gold stripes and lettering. “The Challenger,” in red script lettering, was centered below the window line on each coach, as on the Union Pacific cars. C&NW began operation of the “Challengers” between Chicago and Omaha in May, 1936.
 
There were thirteen innovations provided by the new train. These included special women’s and children’s coaches with large dressing rooms, smoking lounges, a registered nurse/stewardess available without charge, free pillow service, air-conditioning, and reclining seats in all coaches.
 
The UP and C&NW were quite happy with the prewar operation of the ”Challengers.” The train was one of the best in terms of profit, frequently running in two or more sections.
 
New Alco-built streamlined 4-6-4 “Hudson”-type steam locomotives were ordered prewar, designed by renowned industrial designer Otto Kuhler, the most powerful “Hudson’s” ever manufactured, a total of nine delivered to C&NW in 1938 (Nos. 4001-4009). They were used on the longer distance Chicago-Omaha runs, none to power the “400" fleet. The nine new streamlined E-4 Class “Hudsons” were promoted by  C&NW as “Steamliners—Smooth Flowing Speed—The Most Powerful 4-6-4 Passenger Locomotives Ever Built.” They were painted Pullman green with gold stripes to match the passenger equipment. In addition to the “Challenger” trainsets, C&NW/UP used the new C&NW E-4s to head up many California-bound trains between Chicago and Omaha, including the “Forty-Niner” (see No. 10016), the “Los Angeles Limited,” and the “Pacific Limited.”  See No. 10073 for additional information on the “Hudson”-type locomotive. See No. 10537 for the C&NW streamlined “Twin Cities 400,” diesel-powered with Electro-Motive E-8AA locomotives, unveiled in September, 1939.
 
By 1953, most railroads had converted from steam to diesel operation, and Chicago and North Western was no exception, with the “Hudson’s” retired from the “name” trains. Competition from the airlines and the interstate highway system caused the Chicago and North Western to drastically reduce its passenger service by 1959, including the seven “400" trains that had evolved from the original “400" from Chicago to the Twin Cities. By the time Amtrak took over Chicago and North Western passenger operations in 1971, no “400s” were still operating.
 
No. 10147 represents an accurate scale model by MTH in “0" gauge of Chicago and North Western’s striking streamlined Alco E-4 Class 4-6-4 “Hudson”-type steam locomotive, heading up the streamlined 7-car “Challenger” all-coach passenger train (Nos. 10148 and 10149) as a C&NW streamliner as it would have been seen in its heyday in the late 1930s and 1940s to 1947, between Chicago and Omaha. The “Challengers”were discontinued in 1947. Between Chicago and Omaha, the streamlined Alco E-4 Class “Hudsons” made the 488-mile run in 11 hours and 40 minutes, which included a number of stops not made by Union Pacific’s “City” fleet of diesel-powered streamliners, which could make the trip in7 hours and 45 minutes (see Nos. 10029, 10265, 10590, and 10635).
 
The E-4s, built as coal burners, were converted to oil burners by 1948. All were scrapped between 1953 and 1961.
 
Postwar, plans were made to discontinue both the “Los Angeles Challenger” and the “San Francisco Challenger” when the faster “City” streamliners were placed on daily schedules (1947). The “Los Angeles Challenger”was discontinued at the end of the summer of 1947, and in December of that year the “San Francisco Challenger” was terminated.
 
However, in January, 1954, “Challenger” service was re-established Chicago-Los Angeles with all-streamlined equipment (including domes) and diesel power, replacing the “Los Angeles Limited” (40-hour schedule). The new train wore UP’s Armour yellow and Harbor Mist gray color scheme, like other contemporary UP streamliners, and included sleeping cars. In 1959, the train was back to all-coach, then combined with the “City of Los Angeles” in 1961, as all the “City” trains became combined as a “City of Everywhere” arrangement. The “Challenger” was part of that train until Amtrak in May, 1971.

ADDENDUM - NOTABLE “400S”:
1935  Original “400" Chicago-Minneapolis/St. Paul
1936  “Minnesota 400" Mankato, Minnesota-Wyeville, Wisconsin
1942  “Twin Cities 400" Chicago-Minneapolis/St. Paul (the renamed and streamlined original “400")
1942  “Peninsula 400" Chicago-Ishpeming, Michigan
1950  “Flambeau 400" Chicago-Ashland, Wisconsin
1950  “Dakota 400" Chicago-Huron, South Dakota (the renamed “Minnesota 400")
1955  “Kate Shelley 400" Chicago-Boone, Iowa
1958  “Green Bay 400" Chicago-Green Bay, Wisconsin
1960  “Rochester 400" Chicago-Mankato, Minnesota (the renamed “Dakota 400")