The event takes place September 14-17 in the Quad Cities.
The 150th anniversary of the first railroad bridge across the Mississippi River is called Riverway 2006. The celebration offers train and boat rides–you can take day trips on the 261 and/or the Celebration Belle riverboat.
Trips are scheduled to neighboring towns, including a special Sunday rail-river expedition from Rock Island, IL to Muscatine IA. Some rail trips cover the same track that carried the first Rock Island Line train across the Mississippi Bridge in 1856. You can also participate in special captain’s dinner cruises.
Actually, if all goes as planned this trip will be pulled by the two QJ Steam locomotives that are now in the states, if they get clearance from the FRA. The Freinds of the 261 are only planning to operate their coaches and actually run the excursion; the 261 is not scheduled to make an appearance.
But, there is a rumor going through the mill (which was started by someone in the 261 group), that the 261 may still put in an appearance at the event. Apparently the group is having a hard time gettting a local Twin Cities railroad to loan them a diesel to get the consist down to the quad cities for the weekend. The 261 will be “hot” from an excursion it is doing I believe the weekend before, and so there is talk that the 261 may take the equipment to the Quad Cities itself, even though it would not actually pull the excursion trains. Whether or not this happens, we’ll see I guess…
261 is sitting under the Centenial bridge as we speak. Talked to the con of our second trick local here in RI and he was trying to figure out how they spun the 261 seeings they didnt do it on the wye off the crescent bridge. All we could think is that they spun the Government bridge with her on there, or went to Nahant yards turntable. Still was neat to stand there sucking in the coal smoke watching them wash her down.