Dennis A. Livesey

Dennis,
You're correct. At Boody, VA--a few miles north of St. Paul--this same movement met a northbound empty hopper train on a 14-degree curve. As the Challenger came around the right hand curve past the north control point, the boiler naturally swung off to the left, as designed. The left front running board starting clipping the vertical ribs on the hoppers of the standing train, and it crumpled it up pretty badly. After stopping to check on things (particularly the crew's underwear aboard the Challenger!), the train continued to Kingsport. That night and next morning, a replacement running board was crafted at CSX's shops in Erwin, and early the next day, it was being welded in place. Thereafter---until the Challenger returned to home rails---the engine did not pass any equipment on an adjoining track in a curve. The siding at Boody, incidentally, didn't exist in the steam era on the Clinchfield, so that's why this hadn't been an issue when the CRR operated its own 4-6-6-4s.