Milwaukee Road 261 Excursions & Other Action on the CP Main 8/16/2008 Part 1

On Saturday and Sunday, August 16 and 17, 2008; Milwaukee Road ALCo S3 4-8-4 No. 261 ran excursions from Milwaukee to Wisconsin Dells. Then the train ran to New Lisbon to turn on the wye formed by the junction with the CN Valley Subdivision, and returned to Milwaukee.

I finally caught up to the train as it was pulling onto the Valley Sub for the wye move at New Lisbon, after playing catch-up all the way from Portage. The wye move and a subsequent switch problem held up Amtrak #8, the eastbound Empire Builder, which can be heard blowing for crossings on the mainline now that the excursion has finally cleared.

We next see the train passing under the Interstate and crossing 60th Street just northwest of Wisconsin Dells. A stop at the station in town allows for another shot at Peterson Road east of the Dells, just west of Lewiston Siding.

The excursion meets Train 883, westbound coal empties powered by BNSF 8940, 9555 and 8256 there; which gets going shortly after the steam train clears.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• train
• railroad
• railway
• railfan
• Milwaukee
• Road
• 261
• 4-8-4
• steam
• locomotive
• MILW
• CMStP&P
• Burlington
• Northern
• Santa
• Fe
• BNSF
• Canadian
• Pacific
• CP
• Rail
• EMD
• SD70MAC

[bnsf4]

what was that one orn in the background?

[HighIronofWisconsin]

Amtrak #8 going through on the main.

[Weiberts]

How long did 261 sit on the crossing? The cars, unless railfans, probably hated it.

[kraigkasten]

me and my son got to ride the BNSF mainline from La Crosse Yard to Minneapolis behind the 261, for his 4th birhday in 2004. many people on the train said it was rare for BNSF to have excursion trains on their line. great time and great scenery along the way.