Oh, man, that has to be fun. Is it better to ride or to be standing out there as a rail fan?
I think I have ridden twice with them so far and they do a good with the food and schedule of the train. The crew is fairly attentive to keeping the train clean as well. Rode in the Superdome the last time, comfortable seats and the ride was smooth and quiet. I did not ride this train, specifically. Want to do the Skytop on a future trip
They do not do photo run bys the two times I have ridden like they used to do in the long ago past. Not sure why that is (too much track time maybe?).
I’ve asked myself that question many times.
For me, riding the train stretches into hours; watching it come and go takes only moments. And when I’m photographing a passing train, I’m really experiencing it through a viewfinder or the screen of my phone.
Years ago, it wasn’t unusual to stand in a car’s vestibule with the top half of the door open. That’s when I realized—it’s always better to ride than to watch.
Yeah, I agree, the thrill lasts longer when riding.
Rich
I was on the second trip, on Sunday. There was a run-by, but wasn’t shown in this video. The train ran through Glencoe, ran another 10-15 west, then backed up to Glencoe and stopped for us to get out and eat the BBQ lunch near the tracks. After that the train backed up and came charging through for a photo run-by, which of course prompted a pretty strong rain to start. Still was fun!
I wish they 
could still do the run down the Mississippi river like they used to, exceptionally scenic.
I guess I could say “we”, I’ve been one of the “Friends of 261” for quite a while now…