I can hardly wait . I have'nt seen 4449 in nearly 20 years . I hope for even more locomotives .
Hi all, i just got an email about this yesterday and am very excited to see this loco! does anyone know what color scheme she sports now? is it the daylight one? i thought i saw something that said she had been painted black and gray. Also does anyone know if there is a chance that a Challenger or Big Boy might make an apperance? please let us know and thank you.
Chuck & Heather
The UP's web site lists 4 trips this year for #844 (the Northern)-- SF Bay area in April, Omaha in June, Denver in July and North Platte in September, but no mention is made of any trip for the Challenger. There is no Big Boy in operating condition.
I might try to see the engine when I go to Chicago this summer. Is Milwaukee Road 261 going to Owosso as well?
Milwaukee 261 is down for the federally mandated inspection/rebuild. Their last comment on progress that I saw indicated it was iffy that it would be back in time for its traditional fall colors tour of the Mississippi River bluffs, I think it highly unlikelty that it will be available to go to Owosso in July.
Darn, I wished 261 was going. I think that a 4449 and a 261 doubleheader would be an excellent idea. When 4449 reaches Minneapolis, I sure hope 4449 overnights in the same shed 261 is in.
Oh we are very happy! both my wife and i are looking forward to this very much! does one of these happen every year somewhere? like in differnt parts of the country?
Chuck & Heather.
when will she roll thrugh fargo?
I don't know, but if you do get a scheduled time through Fargo, make sure to plan a very generous allowence either way time wise, most schedules are obsolete by the time the ink on them dries.
May your flanges always stay BETWEEN the rails
You gave the route. Do you know dates of travel.
It has to go through Michigan City, In. and I will start sleeping on the tracks so I will not miss it.
the route she will take will put her though minot, grandforks, fargo, and a layover in minneapolis mn where she goes from there to owasso i dont know
Does 4449 travel Amtrak routes of just freight routes?
The most logical route (would/have to) travel through Michigan City or La Porte County Indiana.
Where can I find out the schedule of the route?
#261 may not be based in St. Paul for too much longer.
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Where is it going to be moved to then?
Yes this trainfest sounds excellent. I've signed up for a 1225 ride and am negotiating with my wife for a trip behind 4449. I visited Owosso 2 or 3 years ago with the NASG convention and rode behind Flagg Coal #75. 1225 was having an inspection done at the time. It was great to see it again since I last saw it at MSU back in 1972. Does anyone know what is going on with the Steamtown steam locomotives that were supposed to pull the train from Scranton to Stroudsburg on May 16th. I've booked a ride on that one as well as a couple of small rides in upstate New York with the Southern Appalachia RR.
rather see the SP&S 700....sigh
Doubleheadder anybody??
coborn35 #261 may not be based in St. Paul for too much longer.
Well it's actually based in Minneapolis...but why do you think it won't be in 'the cities' for much longer??
It's currently undergoing a major shopping in Mpls. We had one of the 261's top guys come speak to our club recently. According to him, the Friends of 261 own the land it's kept on, and have a great working relationship with the railroad that owns the adjoining trackage (I think BNSF). In fact I think they bought the land and some track which BNSF now uses sometimes, so BNSF allows 261 to do test / break-in runs on the BNSF mainline in return for the Friends of 261 allowing BNSF to use their trackage in return.
I wish I could make it up there the event, but don't I will be able to.
hi, 4449 is in its original daylight scheme--with small lettering--southern pacific lines--on the tender,as delivered brand new in 1941
It was my understanding that Friends of 261 operate, maintain and house 261, but it is not owned by that group. It is owned by a museum whose name escapes me at the moment, and leased from the museum to be operated by the Friends. Since the lease is up shortly, it is not hard to believe that either the museum wants to operate 261 themselves, or wishes to increase the lease payments. This probably will be a thread by itself in the coming months.
The 261 is owned by the National Railroad Museum in Green Bay and leased to the Friends of the 261, like the poster above mentioned. What I've heard (which, admittedly, is just rumor through the railfan grapevine) is that NRM wants to raise the price on the next contract for the 261, and the Friends are saying that they wouldn't be able to stay profitable (or at least break even) under the current terms of the new contract. It sounds like if things don't get settled the 261 might end up going back to NRM as a static display, though it remains to be seen whether that will actually happen.
Noah
Since the trip is under the Amtrak banner, it will run the route of the Empire Builder. It leaves Portland July 3 and travels about 400mi each day. I am planning to do the day ride between Spokane and Whitefish Mt on July 4th. The schedule I recieved for the trip shows travel from July 3 to July 9th with one day of layover in Havre Mt. July 6th. On July 8th the train travels from Minot to Fargo departing around 8 AM and arrives Fargo between 3:00 and 5:00 PM (this is the same schedule every day) On July 9th the Train arrives in Minn-St Paul where the 4449 is going to be stored for about 10 days. The private cars are going to be cut off and will head off to different places. I am not sure about the movement from there to the rail fest. I know the cars I will be riding on will be on a return trip back to CA. via Amtrak. Also then 700 and 4449 are also looking for a new home, the round house where they are currently housed could be demo ed soon to make way for an extension of our light rail system. They are trying to raise money to buy some land and build a building near the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI), which is on the same set of main line tracks as they are on now.
From the Twin Cities to Chicago, on July 18th 4449 is going to use the old Burlington route -- down the east side of the river through LaCrosse, East Dubuque and Savanna, then across northern Illinois. I'll bet the rail park at Rochelle will be packed.
On the return trip it is schedule for the Milwaukee RR route -- Chicago, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Dells, Portage, LaCrosse and so on.
any idea of the schedule through Nothern Indiana, Michigan City, In??????
Dakguy201From the Twin Cities to Chicago, on July 18th 4449 is going to use the old Burlington route -- down the east side of the river through LaCrosse, East Dubuque and Savanna, then across northern Illinois. I'll bet the rail park at Rochelle will be packed.
That's why I plan on seeing it in either Shabbona or Waterman.
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senshi Dakguy201 From the Twin Cities to Chicago, on July 18th 4449 is going to use the old Burlington route -- down the east side of the river through LaCrosse, East Dubuque and Savanna, then across northern Illinois. I'll bet the rail park at Rochelle will be packed. That's why I plan on seeing it in either Shabbona or Waterman.
Dakguy201 From the Twin Cities to Chicago, on July 18th 4449 is going to use the old Burlington route -- down the east side of the river through LaCrosse, East Dubuque and Savanna, then across northern Illinois. I'll bet the rail park at Rochelle will be packed.
It is going to be a challenge to catch the eastbound 4449 in good light. Somehow it always seems to work this way, doesn't it? East bound in the afternoons, westbound in the mornings, and the sun is exactly wrong all the time .... sigh.
Anyway, if Rochelle is packed (and it will be) one option is Chana a few track miles west of Rochelle on the BNSF. With a grain elevator as backdrop, there is a nice little park along the tracks and some nearby grade crossings to create whistle effects. Last time I was there there was a picnic table available. I can't recall if the detector is to the west of Chana for advance notice. The 4449 tends not to create the kind of "smoke signals" that make it easy to see if 261 is nearby.
Dave Nelson
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