2018 Car Shop Report Fall

2018 has brought big changes to the fleet of the Friends of the 261. 2 new domes and a complete overhaul on the Fox River Valley, former Henry Hudson. New Gaskets and windows are on their way for the Silver Palace, former Western Pacific coach dome. Custom carpet is...

2018 Car Shop Report Summer

In December 2017 the Friends of the 261 purchased two dome cars from Canadian National. The cars are former Western Pacific California Zephyr dome coach Silver Palace and Algoma Central dome coach observation. The cars were last used on CN’s Algoma...

Cedar Rapids Restoration

[Show thumbnails] Steve Glischinski Shoreview, MN MINNEAPOLIS – Milwaukee Road 4-8-4 No. 261 was steamed up Sept. 13 for the first time since October 2013. Friends of the 261 Chief Operating Officer Steve Sandberg told Trains News Wire the engine was being steamed to...

Lamberts Point Project

Over the last few months, Friends of the 261 employees and volunteers have been busy working on the business car Lamberts Point. The car was always ‘ready to roll’ and was kept up to Amtrak standards, but the Friends decided 2012 was a good time to finish updating the...

2011 Winter Project

This summer the Friends of the 261 completed work to upgrade coach No. 203, the Nokomis, to full Amtrak compatibility. This car has a fascinating history, both when it was built and when it came to the Friends. American Car & Foundry constructed the car in 1947...