This was posted in the General Discussion part
Aug 28 Out of MPS at 8:30 a.m. Due into Milwaukee 8 p.m. Aug. 29. Departing Milwaukee for Chicago at 10:30 a.m.
I'd try to be at Sturtevant between 10:15 and noon -- cause you just never know!
And just to be complete this was also posted in the General Discussion:
the schedule for the Sat., Sun., and Mon. round-trips.
Dep: Franklin Park, 10 a.m. - Arr: Sturtevant, NoonDep: Sturtevant, 1:30 p.m. - Arr: Franklin Park, 4 p.m.
Dave Nelson
Does anyone know the plan for Tuesday?
Departure time, service stops...
thanks
Later Bill
According to information I have that's about a week old now, the plan was to leave Franklin Park at 0800 and run to La Crosse to layover for the night. They have an hour stop at Portage scheduled from 1230-1330, my guess is to meet Amtrak and do any maintenance, and possibly take on water and fuel. It'll be interesting to see if they stay on schedule this time or not (on the way to Milwaukee they were early even).
Noah
OK, guys, on to the next big one -- the Sept. 15 Minn.-LaCrosse round-trip doubleheader. We're flying in from Rochester, NY, to visit family in Rosemount, and although I know "pacing" poses problems, that's my only choice. Anybody have a sense of morning departure time (and from where)? I assume the route is ex-CB&Q down the east side of the river? Thanks for indulging a newcomer from afar -- although a 50-plus-year TRAINS subscriber...
AlcoCountry
Your friendly neighborhood CNW fan.
AlcoCountry wrote: OK, guys, on to the next big one -- the Sept. 15 Minn.-LaCrosse round-trip doubleheader. We're flying in from Rochester, NY, to visit family in Rosemount, and although I know "pacing" poses problems, that's my only choice. Anybody have a sense of morning departure time (and from where)? I assume the route is ex-CB&Q down the east side of the river? Thanks for indulging a newcomer from afar -- although a 50-plus-year TRAINS subscriber...AlcoCountry
No, CP and Milwaukee engines stay on the "Milwaukee" side of the river!! It's the same Milwaukee-then-SOO-now-CP mainline the Empire Builder uses from St. Paul...west bank of the river til crossing over at Hastings, then along the west bank for about three hours til crossing over to WI for the lunch at La Crosse.
I just checked with the Friends of 261 on the phone - they sent me the tickets OK but forgot the schedule!! According to the guy on that answered the phones, the train "blasts off" at 8:30 a.m. Starts at the 261's home near "Minneapolis Junction", just north of DT Minneapolis. 401 Harrison St. NE. if you want to google it. About one mile due north of where the 35W bridge used to be.
I live in Cottage Grove and work in DT St.Paul so I take highways 10/61 every day to and from work, it follows the CP and BNSF mainlines, might be good for some pacing. I've actually seen 261 coming by Pig's Eye yard there - wasn't expecting it, just happened to be at the right place at the right time...no camera though!!
any idea when they will be leaving lacrosse headed back to Minneapolis?
i need to know if i have any chance of catching them on their return trip. due to my job and all
Here is the routing for the next two trips
Tommorow: The train will depart Soreham and head through New Brighton, Osceola, and head for Dresser before heading back to Shoreham through the same locations.
September 15th - Steam doubleheader!: The train will agagin be departing Shoreham, but will head the other way through St. Paul past Dayton's Bluff and Pigs Eye, then head down the Mississppi to the La Crosse/La Cresant area, then head back through the same points.
I don't have any times for these trips as that information hasn't been easy to come across.
wyomingrailfan wrote:Lord Atmo, why do you have a Autobot logo on a CNW SD40, and why is does the UP SD60 have its headlights and windows shot out?
that's an SD40-2, not an SD40. and the purpose is because in the transformers movie, none of the robots turned into trains. and that image is so far the closest thing we've gotten for a "trainformer"
second off, that's an SD60M, not an SD60. it's a pet peeve of mine when people call SD60Ms or SD60Fs SD60s. they may be from the SD60 series, but only the spartan cab hood unit is an SD60. they all have the same innards, but so do GP60s. and certainly nobody calls those SD60s. anyway, the purpose of that image is i put a face on the unit. because that's how i see them.
on topic: so no times at all? bummer. i'll have to guzzle more gas and just go to Lacrosse to see them
Wish I could help more on the schedule for the 15th, but I was apparently the only ticketbuyer not sent an itinerary. I did get two maps though.
Leaving MPLS at 8:30 a.m. should get us into LaCrosse/LaCrescent about noon-1PM, which would seem to be confirmed by them having a barbeque lunch there. So I'm guessing we start going back north around 1:30-2PM and should get back to MPLS maybe 5:30-6PM??
good enough for me. i'll hopefully be arriving in winona around 2:00 or 3:00 PM and wont have missed the train go through
unless...er....anyone know how long it usually takes for CP trains to go from Lacrosse to Winona
stinkin' 8:00 AM-1:30 PM work shift....
I went back and looked at the times on my photos from previous 261 turns to La Crescent. Then it was about 1pm into River Junction (which was behind schedule because they'd been hosed for a couple of meets), and about 2:15 out of River Junction headed back North. That included a water stop and turning the train, and I think they had to wait a few minutes to meet a couple of freights as well. So I'd think what Stix said should be about right on.
Should be about a half hour to 45 minutes from River Junction to Winona, though it could be longer if they get put in the siding for a freight train, or less if they get right out there and get a clear track ahead of them. When they were down here a few weeks ago they were taking full advantage of tracks speeds...
Noah (who's looking forward to chasing the doubleheader).
thanks for that. my route to get to the line will allow me to get on the CP side at Wabesha (spelling? it's that city across the mississippi from nelson, WI) allowing me more time to catch the steamers
then it's a fun-filled day on the BNSF. BOOYAH TO THAT!!!
an afternoon on the BNSF is like a month on the adams line. heh heh heh
"Wabasha" like "Wabash" with an extra "a" tacked on the end, though not pronounced that way. (i.e. it's "WAH-Ba-Shaw" not "Wah-BASH-ah".)
BTW weather should be nice but bring a jacket, right now (8:22 a.m.) it's clear, sunny and 46F.
"An optional BBQ lunch will be served at trackside at La Crosse." says the Friends of 261 website, and that's about it. Don't know why they don't post the schedule?? Course as I pointed out I have tickets and I didn't get one so maybe the Dept of Homeland Defense told them to keep things quiet for national security reasons...
I seem to remember reading somewhere that the train would turn at LaCrosse via a wye??
The only wye on the CP (and I don't think the BNSF has any at all) in the area is in LaCrescent, MN, just across the Mississippi River from La Crosse. It's formed by the ICE lines and the CP line intersecting at River Junction. With the 261's previous runs, while the trip is advertised to La Crosse, they really only went as far as the river bridge after using the wye at LaCrescent, and never made it into Wisconsin or La Crosse. They came in straight down the ICE main (south), stopped by a hydrant to take on water, then backed around the wye to the east onto the CP again and out on the Mississippi River bridge before running back up river on the CP. But if you billed it as being to LaCrescent, most people would probably respond with "where?"
I can't really think of any places that would make great trackside locations for a BBQ here, but there are a couple of lots where they could set up a tent and some tables ahead of time I suppose (and I might just be missing something too).
My guess is they'll pull down, unload passengers for the lunch somewhere, take on water, back around the wye onto the CP main, pull past the other wye switch, back down the ICE main, load the passengers, and then head back North whenever the CP dispatcher will take them. (That's just and educated guess on my part though, I really don't know for sure, so take my speculation for what it's worth) I suppose theoretically they could wye the train and then back into La Crosse for Lunch there somewhere, or go to La Crosse and then back over the river to wye the train before leaving, but that would seem like a lot of backing up and extra steps.
I'm suprised an offical schedule hasn't been posted either, as usually there is one given away with the tickets that makes it's way around the railfan world. Sure would be helpful...
no kidding. but at least i can still see lots of BNSF action if i miss the steam
I finally thought to check one of my resources in the MNrail yahoo group, which is usually a pretty good source of info. Reports on there made tonight do have them doing things different from usual, and that they are supposed to be going across the River to La Crosse to unload the passenger at the depot for a lunch at the BBQ cafe near by (which is good food from what I am told). When they'll turn the train is anyone's guess though. I don't know if they'll leave while the passengers are eating and go to La Crescent and then back across the bridge for loading, or if they'll wait till everybody's back on board before heading over to La Cescent to turn the train. Logic would say more likely the latter though, as that way they don't have to make and extra trip over the River.
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