Shots of Milw #261 steaming to Duluth, MN

[kschmidt]

Greetings,

Over the weekend I had the chance to chase Milwaukee Road #261 as it pulled an excursion train from Minneapolis/St Paul to Duluth, MN. This train was a fund-raiser for the Lake Shore Transporation museum in Duluth, MN. The train was SOLD-OUT. Unfortunately the weather didn't cooperate very well. But still the #261 put on a great show. Thanks to the crew of #261 and the museum people for a great weekend.

Now the photos.


Here the #261 northbound is about to pass under a highway bridge just south of Hinckley, MN.


Just a couple of miles from the shot above the #261 performed the cherished "Photo Run-By" to the delight of many of the passengers.


#261 crosses the Kettle River on a 764ft trestle just north of Sandstone, MN


#261 blows off steam as it steams out of Bruno, MN


On Sunday May 21, 261 blows off some steam as it prepares to back to the excursion train at the museum in Duluth, MN


#261 creates some of its own storm clouds as it heads southbound north of Holyoke, MN


#261 rumbles through a rural grade crossing where I was standing to zoom in and take the above photo.


#261 rounds the curve to pass under the highway bridge just south of Hinckley, MN

Keith Schmidt

[jeaton]

Thanks for sharing.

Jay

[Big_Boy_4005]

Great shots Keith!

[gabe]

Two comments:

(1) Man is she a smoker.

(2) I love steam excursions, and I will take them as is, but it really spits in the soup to see a diesel behind the steamer.

Gabe

[Anonymous]

Nice!

[emmar]

Nice pictures.Thanks for posting them, it is always nice to see steam power running.

[kschmidt]

Yes I agree the Amtrak Diesel behind #261 kind of messes things up. But since this was run as an Amtrak Excursion to help with insurance, I guess its something that is going to happen.

Keith

[jeaton]

Ah, we can always say it was dead in tow for the shop. I like the smoke. Those oil cans don't quite get it. 261 also has a very good bark.

Jay

[tmcc man]

nice photos, and oh how i love steam power.

[dknelson]

What is especially impressive about Keith's photos is that the weather was not cooperative -- not just cloudy, but dark clouds at that. He shoots digital -- I suspect my Kodachrome 200 slides will not be so sharp and clear because I had to lower the shutter speed too much. Plus the 261 is so shiny that it is hard to photograph in any light. That headlight and black paint drive your light meter nuts.
By the way the 261 is more than capable of running with relatively little smoke -- that smoke is for us fans. It sure helps to find the engine when you are driving on unknown roads and not sure if the train has passed by or not, that is for sure.
If Amtrak had the funds, which needless to say it does not, it could paint one of those Genesis engines all black for this kind of service and you'd hardly notice it.
When British Columbia's CP Royal Hudson toured the USA -- geez is it really 25 years ago? -- the engine had a couple of F unit B units behind it, operated from the steam cab (and unlike the 261 those F units actually did most of the work to conserve on fuel and water), and they were painted to match the passenger cars. You hardly noticed them. But in the tapes i made you sure hear them. In fact on a lonely crossing in the Lomira marsh, with the train miles away, probably around midnight, you heard the Fs before you heard the steam engine -- until it blew its whistle that is. Crickets, frogs, the occaisional nighthawk squalking in the dark, and the whisper of a light breeze, with a steam powered passenger train coming at you from miles away at track speed. A great memory.
Dave Nelson

[JoeKoh]

keith
thanks for sharing.
stay safe
Joe

[gabe]

QUOTE: Originally posted by dknelson

By the way the 261 is more than capable of running with relatively little smoke -- that smoke is for us fans. It sure helps to find the engine when you are driving on unknown roads and not sure if the train has passed by or not, that is for sure.

I know what you are saying, but, I have always thought of steam as an ambassador for railroads. Not just for rail fans, but an instrument to help the general public view railroads as a part of America and not just big business.

I have to think that at least one out of two Americans who know nothing about railroads, see that engine belching that much smoke and put the EPA on speed dial.

Gabe

[cherokee woman]

Keith, thank you for sharing the pictures with us. I do love to see and watch
a good ole steam engine "cho cho chooing down the tracks!!

[Mookie]

Great Pix.

[tatans]

What are they burning in the firebox? old tires? If I'm not mistaken, white and less smoke is what the crew strived for. Those pictures are great, just wish we could see more of this all over North America, good job.

[kschmidt]

Greetings,

Well I got an email from a couple of the guys on the #261 crew. Apparently they saw some of the pictures I posted. One of them said that the coal they were using on the trip tended to "pancake" pretty easy so they had to "overfire" to catch up. So a couple of times when there was alot of smoke it was because of a coal problem and the overfiring. But it sure looked great to the fans trackside.

Keith