Milwaukee Road 261 October 1994

[@dwkcamman611]

That first runby gave me goose bumps, love it, great classic video!

[@brandongatz1554]

Look at the trackside signals still standing! Awesome. Long gone now...

[@stevensolway1054]

261 was here in Green Bay at the NATIONAL RAILROAD MUSEUM since 1958 as the MUSEUM'S very first exhibit. And the Museum grew slowly to over 80 pieces. But 261 just sat around. 261 was being vandalised with broken windows. And rusting to another rusty hunk of junk. But in 1984 to was sandblasted and repainted. Luckily in 1984 I was hired as the employee, and Tour Guide. Thus I was able to thousands of tourists most of the Major trains at the Museum like U.P. RR. 4017 4-8-8-4 BIG BOY. And the British 60008 "DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER " 4-6-2 Pacific A4 CLASS Streamliner. Then in 1992 all the railfans were "SHOCKED AND SURPRISED " to discover that 261 was leased to the Brand New NORTHSTAR RAIL CO. in Minneapolis/St. Paul. Then with some prep work at the Museum grounds, then 261 was slowly pulled to the x-MILWAUKEE ROAD Enginehouse in the Oakland Avenue switchyard that was then run by WISCON CENTRAL. And after several months of grueling work, that included locating roller bearings for the 12 axles under the tender, 261 was pulled over the GB&W RR by a W.C.L. GO-40 Westbound to Black Creek, and the Junction to the former Shawano Division to the North but instead going South to Appleton and Neenah, and switching over to the Steven's Point section of the old SOO LINE. And I was able to catch a ride with another railroad fan from Depression who drove his car 🚗, so that I could use my 35mm slide camera 📷 to take photos from the car window. But unfortunately he moved away? Thus I have NEVER SEEN THE SLIDES!!! WHAT A BUMMER!!!!! AND PLUS...the day of 261 being moved was also a game day for the GREEN BAY PACKERS FOOTBALL TEAM. And there was a private car excursion also going North on the Old SOO LINE that had to meet and pass 261. But the only track available was an old dirty side track and when 261 was towed onto that siding it was leaning Easterly on the fireman's side at a very steep angle. Plus in addition to letting the Private car excursion run past, also a unit coal train was going to the Green Bay Pulliam electric power company. Then yet another freight. Finally 261 was Free to continue to Neenah. And switch over to the Steven's Point SUB. But due to the arrangement of switches, the 261 was towed in reverse the rest of the way to the Minneapolis area. When at the Northstar repair shop, the workers and volunteers and donors worked for almost 22 months, to repair the 35 years of rusting damage 💔 😢. And change 261 into a classic Beauty of a 1944 ALCO Steam Locomotive 4-8-4 Northern. Plus+, adding in many new and modern items like a new style air brake system. And many oil pipes to carry oil lubrication to many points. Finally 261 was READY TO ROLL in 1994, and proceeded to run excursions all over the Midwest. With some of those trips back in Green Bay to Appleton. (But, although it suffered a small derailment of one of the driving wheels when backing up over some old tracks of the old CNW that WC didn't repair and the ground was wet because of a thunderstorm on Saturday evening. But just before 261 was ready to leave back to Minneapolis there was a strike, so 261 was stranded in Green Bay until the Strike was settled and 261 was finally able to go back to its new home. Thus as of now in 2022, the 261 has traveled Thousands of Miles to dozens of states and given excursions to thousands of riders, and seen by millions of fans along the tracks for the past 30 Years!! Thus 261 has run on excursions for far longer than in regular service for barely 10 years on the Milwaukee Road. Because 261 has traveled over many tracks that never had a large 4-8-4, but maybe 2-8-2 like the GBW. BUT from 1992 to now in 2022 a lot of track has been rebuilt to carry the larger diesels and heavier freight cars. Thus 261 can travel to many different places. Hopefully some day 261 can run North to either Escanaba, and Iron Mountain, and many small towns all over America 🇺🇸 . GOD BLESS THE U.S.A.!!!!! ALLELUIA!!!!! AMEN 🙏!!!!! HAPPY TUESDAY...2's-day in February, 2-22-22 A.D., AT 22:22 G.M.T. LOL 😆 🤣 😂 😹!!!!!

[@clintgates7526]

This must have been a week or 2 after its visit in the New River Gorge that year.

[@brianfalzon6739]

What a great excursion lashup!

[@timper4326]

It's sad they didn't keep any of the streamlined locomotives.

[@Petemonster62]

The video quality looked fine on my computer's display. Saw one of those Milwaukee Road switch stands, near the end, with the " arrow " target! I heard the turntable at Montevideo has been restored to operation. That turntable is probably too short for 261, but could it turn the E9?

[@Scrat-hp2wl]

10:46

[@arunbhoopathyt6503]

Vaparish tooonish roolish 2 good luck