Where theres smoke.........

[Anonymous]

Theres Steam!!!! The Weekends report is a long one so bear with me folks. Friday started off with me leaving early for Des Moines to catch the 3985 on its trip west. I got tied up chasing an Iowa Interstate train that I was late getting into Des Moines but no worries.....The UP in classic form was late getting the 3985 serviced and on its was from town by 2 hours so i went north toward Neveda where the spine line and the overland route meet. Railfans everywhere!!!!! After cathcing her there i boggied tward Boone and got to pace her for about 10 miles. Neat seeing those 2 sets of drives doing there thing! When I arrived in boone the whole town was there. I had the pleasure of meeting Jeff Heggert (sorry jeff if i spelled your name wrong) and had a very pleasant conversation with him as well as my picture taken with Steve Lee. I then hauled off back toward Rock Island ill to catch the 261 arriving in from Galesburg. Of course it was already there by the time i got across Iowa but still got some good shots of it.
Saturday was spent at Galesburg Railroad Days (or whats left of it, but thats another can of worms id rather not open!) and had a good time at the model train show. Besides promoting my hobbystore i made several nice purchaces that my wife will be kept in the dark about!!!! lol I did make it back up to the Quad Cities so see the 261 and the riverboats that were in town celabrating the Grand Excursion. Really cool festival and i was glad to see the people turn out.
Sunday was the the best part. Wanting to ride the 261's train to Bureau Jct, i made my way to the boarding location early. Not wanting a seat but willing to pay for a ticket i set out to find a vetibule or even the tool car. No dice. " There are a few open platform cars in frist class" I was told by a crew member. So off i went to try to get a frist class ticket. Shortly after i boared the train the 261 sounded off and they shut the doors to the consession car. "Well its now or never....." so i went to pay for my ticket and they did not have correct change for me. All i needed was 10 bucks back but a gentleman who i beleve to be Steve Sandbergs dad Said for the 10 extra bucks ill upgrade you to priemium class. WOOHOO i was in. I ate a wonderful breakfast in the dome of the sierra hotel, and got to ride the whole trip on its observation platform, as well as some time in the Cedar Rapids!!!!! This trip was rare milage and i am glad to have logged it. If any of you chased it i was the young man with an Atlanta Braves hat on the second to the last car. I waved at everybody I could see and evnjoyed a long converstaion with Henry Possner Chairman of the IAIS as well as Bill duggan and Steve Sandberg. Thank guys for making this lasting impression on a young man like myself.
The trip was a wonderful one and the towns of Genneseo and Bureau made big events out of the ariving of the locomotive and train. Its nice to see in this day and age younger people out chasing this train and photographing it. It has given me a new faith in this hobby and industry in general. With the BNSF and UP running off fans and like ive said before, you can only see so many coal and intermodal trains with SD70's and -9's, This weekend was a refreshing example on how railroads and ralroaders can still put there best foot forward and show some class. LONG LIVE THE ROCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[locomutt]

COOL,
Wish I could have been there!

[daveklepper]

Thanks for marvelous trip report. I liked the details you gave.

[Anonymous]

Thank you Dave. One more thing anyone that has pics or video of this train in bureau jct please email me. i would like a copy.

[CBQ_Guy]

Here's a copy of a write up I did on my experience seeing the 261 in Bureau...


" I drove down the road a piece today, sat in the grass along the tracks and boarded up depot at Bureau Junction, IL, and watched the Milwaukee 261 steam excursion train turn around on the wye and stop to take on water. It was like a museum on wheels with at least a dozen passenger cars from many fallen flags: Pennsy, Burlington California Zephyr (Silver Larch), SP, UP, Milwaukee, Phase-1 Amtrak, and the Hiawatha tail car bringing up the markers.

http://grandexcursion.com/g5-bin/client.cgi?G5button=11&articleID=1718

Young kids either jumped around with excitement, or just stood in awe at the sight, sounds AND smells of the "living" machine of steam and metal. Old men, some with walkers, canes or in wheelchairs, watched with an almost stoic reverence at a once common site from their youth which they may never see again in their lifetime. More than one was observed quickly wiping an eye.
I also must mention the engineer didn't just "blow the whistle". It was if he was playing a very special musical instrument that he and a very small privileged and gifted few knew how to coax the utmost from. The experience of it all was just awesome and almost overwhelming at times for me on this perfect day.
Then I bought a couple hot dogs, checked out a model Rock Island train exhibit at the local school presented by NMRA, IVD Super Marion Brasher (IVD, District-3 Trainmaster, Ed Brown was in attendance as well), and drove home in a very serene state of mind.

Yes. it was a very good day..."

Then I took a nap...