Challenger Imports No. 2362.1 is a factory-painted HO scale brass model of Southern Pacific No. 4268, an AC-11 class 4-8-8-2 Cab Forward steam locomotive. The model was built in Korea by Samhongsa and imported by Challenger Imports, Ltd.
TrainReference’s original photographs include both the locomotive and its original Challenger Imports box. The box label identifies the model as Southern Pacific AC-11 Cab Forward No. 4268, catalog No. 2362.1.
At a Glance
- Importer: Challenger Imports, Ltd.
- Builder: Samhongsa, Korea
- Catalog number: 2362.1
- Prototype: Southern Pacific AC-11 Cab Forward
- Road number: 4268
- Wheel arrangement: 4-8-8-2
- Scale: HO
- Construction: Brass
- Finish: Factory painted
- Production period: 2002
Challenger Imports 2362.1
Challenger Imports commissioned this detailed HO scale brass reproduction of Southern Pacific No. 4268 from Korean brass builder Samhongsa. Specialist brass-model records identify catalog No. 2362.1 as the factory-painted AC-11 No. 4268 from the 2002 production run.
The original box photographed by TrainReference confirms the same information. Its label reads Southern Pacific, Class AC-11 Cab Forward, Locomotive No. 4268, Factory Painted, Catalog No. 2362.1, and identifies Samhongsa as the Korean builder.
Model Features
The Challenger Imports AC-11 was produced as a highly detailed operating brass model. Documented features of No. 2362.1 include:
- Factory-painted brass construction
- Can motor
- Operating directional lighting
- Illuminated number boards
- Cab interior detail
- Cab lighting
- Window glazing
The original TrainReference description also records working doors and hatches. The photographs show extensive separately applied piping, handrails, valve gear and other detail throughout the locomotive and tender.
Southern Pacific AC-11 Cab Forwards
Southern Pacific’s AC-11 locomotives were part of the railroad’s distinctive family of Cab Forward articulated steam locomotives. Unlike a conventional steam locomotive, the cab was placed at the front while the smokebox and exhaust were toward the rear.
The arrangement was particularly useful on Southern Pacific routes containing numerous tunnels and snow sheds. Moving the crew ahead of the smokebox helped keep locomotive exhaust away from the cab in these enclosed sections.
The 4-8-8-2 Arrangement
The AC-11 used a 4-8-8-2 wheel arrangement. Although the locomotive operated cab-first, mechanically it was an articulated steam locomotive with two sets of eight driving wheels.
Southern Pacific’s Cab Forwards burned oil rather than coal, making it practical to place the firebox and cab at the forward end while supplying fuel from the tender behind the smokebox.
Southern Pacific No. 4268
No. 4268 was a Baldwin-built member of Southern Pacific’s AC-11 class. The AC-11 locomotives were constructed during World War II and numbered within the 4245–4274 series.
No. 4268 had an unusual second career after its railroad service. Its boiler was reportedly used as a stationary steam source at a lumber operation near Placerville, California. Rail historians documented the remains of No. 4268 still producing steam there in the early 1970s.
The locomotive was not ultimately preserved, and no complete AC-11 survives today.
Identifying Challenger Imports No. 2362.1
The principal identifiers for the model documented here are:
- Challenger Imports catalog: 2362.1
- Builder: Samhongsa
- Railroad: Southern Pacific
- Class: AC-11
- Road number: 4268
- Wheel arrangement: 4-8-8-2
- Scale: HO
- Factory painted: Yes
The original green Challenger Imports box provides particularly strong identification because its factory label specifies the class, road number, catalog number and Samhongsa manufacture.
Original Photos
These photographs show Challenger Imports Southern Pacific AC-11 No. 4268 as originally documented by TrainReference, including the locomotive, tender, running gear and original labeled box.
References and Further Reading
Related Cab Forward References
Current Challenger Imports AC-11 Listings
Current eBay listings related to Southern Pacific AC-11 models are shown below. For the exact model documented here, look for Challenger Imports 2362.1, Samhongsa and Southern Pacific road number 4268.
