Grand Excursion - Milw Road #261

[kschmidt]

Greetings All,

I have been seeing posting on other newsgroups and I thought I would pass this along to you all.

It seems that Milwaukee Road #261 is planning an ambitious early summer schedule in conjunction with the "Grand Excursion" on the Mississippi River.

The Grand Excursion will involve 7 riverboats including the steamboats Delta Queen and Mississippi Queen. This flotilla of river boats will be heading upstream in late June and early July. The big Milwaukee Road Northern will also running along the Mississippi River.

Here is the latest schedule that I have for Milwaukee Road #261

June 20 Minneapolis to Milwaukee One-Way (CP)
June 22 Milwaukee to Chicago One-Way (CP)
June 25 Chicago to Rock Island, IL One-Way (BNSF and Iowa Interstate)
June 26 Davenport, IA to Savanna, IL Round-Trip (IC&E)
June 27 Rock Island, IL to Bureau, IL RoundTrip (Iowa Interstate)
June 28 Davenport, IA to Dubuque, IA One-Way (IC&E)
June 29 Dubuque, IA to La Crosse, WI One-Way (IC&E , CP)
June 30 La Crosse, WI to St. Paul, MN One-Way (BNSF)
July 2 St. Paul, MN to La Crosse (BNSF) and La Crosse to St. Paul (BNSF)
July 3 St. Paul, MN to La Crescent, MN (BNSF)
July 4 Minneapolis/St Paul Round trips including Short Line Hill (CP, BNSF)

Those trips on July 2,3 & 4 conjunction with the NRHS National Convention being held in St Paul during that time.

For more information on Milwaukee Road check out www.261.com. They said that ticket information will becoming out in early February.

For more information on the Grand Excursion and river boat trips check out
www.grandexcursion.com

Also check out my webpage "The Powerton Report" at
www.geocities.com/kaschmidt626/index.html

Keith Schmidt

[Anonymous]

WELL I HOPE I GET AROUND SEEING IT AT JOLIET SO DO YOU KNOW WHEN IT WILL LEAVE CHICAGO

[eolafan]

Is 261 running through Naperville at all this year?

[UPTRAIN]

I hope I get to make a little trip with the boy and get to see it at Rock Island and around up there...I was in Galesburg last year for the Railroad Days.

[Anonymous]

As indicated in the original post, much information about where and when is posted on 261's web site (www.261.com).

Hopefully, as we get closer to June, someone can "leak" more detailed information on where the trips will be starting in the Quad Cities and around the Twin Cities. (Wink, wink...)

[Anonymous]

Yes it is going thru Naperville I'm going to see it in LaGrandge

[Anonymous]

On July 3, CP 2816 will be double heading with MILW 261 for a round trip from St. Paul to La Crescent.

[traingeek087]

I was at Galesburg rr days last year too. Didn't that really stink. I've heard it's going to show there this year.

QUOTE: Originally posted by UPTRAIN

I hope I get to make a little trip with the boy and get to see it at Rock Island and around up there...I was in Galesburg last year for the Railroad Days.

[traingeek087]

I looked on the #261 website and they didn't say that it was going to Galesburg for railroad days on the 28-29. but trains magazine said that it was. Does anyone know about this. I was thinking of going on it if it went to Galesburg for Railroad days.

[mikeyuhas]

QUOTE: Originally posted by traingeek087

I looked on the #261 website and they didn't say that it was going to Galesburg for railroad days on the 28-29. but trains magazine said that it was. Does anyone know about this. I was thinking of going on it if it went to Galesburg for Railroad days.

Can you tell me where Trains magazine said that, please?

[Big_Boy_4005]

QUOTE: Originally posted by dbld1218

On July 3, CP 2816 will be double heading with MILW 261 for a round trip from St. Paul to La Crescent.

As of today, there were only a couple of tickets left for this ride. The coach class tickets have been sold out for a while now. Personally, I would rather be on the ground chasing that day, than trapped on the train.

I bought tickets for the more interesting circle ride on the 2nd, which goes south on the BNSF, and returns on the CP. I have ridden the CP tracks a few times before, because that is where the Amtrak Empire Builder runs. But the BNSF tracks have seen virtually no passenger traffic since the days of the Zephyrs, prior to May 1971.[:D]

Thank you Keith!!!

if it hadn't been for your post I may not have figured it out in time to buy tickets.[^]

[traingeek087]

QUOTE: Originally posted by mikeyuhas

QUOTE: Originally posted by traingeek087

I looked on the #261 website and they didn't say that it was going to Galesburg for railroad days on the 28-29. but trains magazine said that it was. Does anyone know about this. I was thinking of going on it if it went to Galesburg for Railroad days.

Can you tell me where Trains magazine said that, please?

febuary: page 79 i believe.

[redflasher1]

I ordered two tickets via snail mail a couple of months ago. The check was cashed but no tickets yet...We are going on the July 2(Friday) trip

[kschmidt]

Your Welcome,

However I kind of forgot that I posted this and I should have kept it up to date. But it sounds like everyone has heard about the double-header on July 3rd. Glad I could help in getting the information about the trips. Should be a great summer of steam.

As far as Galesburg, on Friday June 25th #261 will be going through Galesburg on its way to the Quad Cities. But that Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th #261 will be running out of the Quad Cities.

Keith

[Anonymous]

On Sunday June 20, I heard 261 will make all Amtrak station stops between Minneapolis and Milwaukee. Does anyone know a schedule for this trip? What times it will make these stops? All i know is it departs Minneapolis at 10:30a and arrives in Milwaukee at 6:30p.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by dbld1218

On Sunday June 20, I heard 261 will make all Amtrak station stops between Minneapolis and Milwaukee. Does anyone know a schedule for this trip? What times it will make these stops? All i know is it departs Minneapolis at 10:30a and arrives in Milwaukee at 6:30p.

Using the start time, I would suggest getting the running times from Amtrak's Eastbound Empire Builder schedule and making some educated guesses.

As always, with any fan trip, much less any operation, scheduled times will vary.