According to the Milwaukee Road #261 webpage http://www.milwaukee261.com/ the following International Steam event is coming this fall.
INTERNATIONAL STEAM EXCURSION FEATURING CANADIAN PACIFIC 4-6-4 # 2816 AND MILWAUKEE 4-8-4 # 261 AUGUST 17, 2007 TO SEPTEMBER 22,2007
SPONSORED BY THE FRIENDS OF THE 261 AND CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY
August 17-22,2007( PASSPORT REQUIRED) One way positioning move. Powered by CP 4-6-4 “Hudson # 2816 we depart on August 17 from Calgary, Alberta and journey across the Canadian prairie on what was once the route of the CP’s famous “Canadian” streamliner. Ride in luxury premium class in the Milwaukee Road Super Dome #53 or Skytop Observation “Cedar Rapids”.Comfortable Coach seating will also be available. Overnight stops will be made in Swift Current and Broadview,Sask. and a one-day layover will be made in Winnipeg. Then our train moves on to the former Soo Line main line, the route of the” Winnipeger". After an overnight stop in Thief River Falls,MN you will arrive in Minneapolis at CP Shoreham Shops on Aug 22.
Hotels are not included in the price of the ticket however, Hotel information will be furnished. It will be the responsibility of the passengers to make their own reservation.
**August 29 - 30, 2007 (One Way positioning moves)**2816 will journey on the main line that was once the route of the famed Milwaukee Road Hiawathas between Minneapolis and Chicago. On Aug.29 view the scenic Missississippi River Valley from the comfort of the train and pass through the famous bore at Tunnel City. After an overnight layover in the “Beer City”, Milwaukee,WI ,ride the high-speed double track mainline into Chicago Union Station. Choose from Luxury Premium, First Class or
Sensational news, Keith! Wish I were in a position to see the doubleheader, but will look forward instead to at least seeing the CP engine on this end on Labor Day or the day after.
Wow!! Hope the tickets on the Minneapolis/Soo Line parts aren’t too pricey. If nothing else, those runs (including the doubleheader along the Mississippi) will only be a few miles from my house so I can get some pics/video. Wow !![:O][:D]
I also hope the weather will be nicer than 2004. Luckily we left the chase at Dakota, MN with train northbound. I understand not long after that the rain came in buckets.
According to 261 webpage, tickets should be available sometime this week. Nothing yet.
Here are some photos from the 2004 edition of the #2816/#261 doubleheader
Southbound north of Minnesota City, MN on July 3, 2004
hmm marking calendar…talking to boss…havent seen my niece in wisconsin for awhile.also want to show mamma the chicago version of 2 toots with carl and pat.maybe get to see bergie&company too.thanks for the information.hmmmmmm
Don’t blame CP for the Genesis! 2816 often runs alone as evididenced by the pictures on another reply. It is usually accomanied by a Tuscan and grey GP-38-2 or a pair of restored F units in vintage paint on long runs away from home.
I’ve been trying to figure out whether the trips will have a Amtrak Loco or not. I know what you mentioned Dave is how the 261 trips run, but I was looking at a few photos from the last time that the 2816 was to Milwaukee a few years ago, and in them it would appear it ran without a Genesis. I wonder if the Genesis will be only on the double header, perhaps because the 261 is going to be long.
Either way I’m looking forward to the trips! A friend and I are already making plans to try and chase from Winona, MN to the Portage/Columbus, Wi area, and then go back and chase the double header from Winona to La Crescent a few weeks later. It seems like this should be a good couple of weeks!
Well the “Big Bonus” is the doubleheader with Milwaukee #261. I am also wondering about the Amtrak unit. If this is a railroad sponsored event the Amtrak unit might not be needed. I think most of the “Friends of the 261” equipment has its own generators. No Amtrak Genesis would be great.
The Hiawatha trains run from Milwaukee to Chicago and back on the CP tracks. They stop in Sturtevant (where the wye is to turn #2816) and Glenview.
