Northern Lines
ArchiveInformation about the Milwaukee Road Northern Steam Locomotive #261, Milwaukee Road #32A, and Passenger Fleet from the Friends of the 261
2025 Northern Lines
2026 Annual Dues NoticeAs we approach the end of the year, it’s time to look ahead—and that includes renewing your Friends of the 261 membership. Before anything else, we want to extend a sincere thank-you. Your ongoing support has kept the 261 steaming forward and...
2024 Recap
It’s been a bustling summer at the Friends of the 261's Minneapolis shop! From building a new workbench and adding a small extension to the shop, to soundproofing improvements and tackling the ever-present question of “what does this do?” our dedicated crews have been...
2024 Northern Lines
2025 Annual Dues NoticeAs the year draws to a close, it’s time to renew your membership with Friends of the 261. But first, we want to express our heartfelt gratitude. Your generosity has powered our efforts over the years, keeping the iconic 261 in operation and...
2023 Northern Lines
Things may have seemed quiet over the summer for the Friends of the 261, but they have been quite far from that. Many things have been progressing in the shop of the 261.Friends contracted by MTM for A18Back in 2021, MTM (Minnesota Transportation Museum) contracted...
2020 Summer Northern Lines
Restoration, upgrades to Milwaukee Road E9 32A near completionVolunteers and employees of the Friends of the 261 are making great progress with the restoration and upgrading of Milwaukee Road E9 32A. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, crews have been practicing social...
2019 November Northern Lines
North Pole Express on the ready track 2018 North Pole Express at Union Depot in St. Paul. The 2019 trips will operate Dec. 6-8 and Dec. 12-15. ©Steve Glischinski The 2019 North Pole Express is on the ready track to spread holiday cheer at Union Depot in St. Paul. The...
2019 Spring Northern Lines
Friends of the 261 now proud owner of Milwaukee Road E9A No. 32A By Don Crimmin Through the hard work of long-time members and volunteers Dr. Robert Schoeder and Mary Walters and the generosity of the Wisconsin & Southern Railroad and WATCO, the Friends of the 261...
2018 September Northern Lines
Frank E. Sandberg, Jr. 1941-2018 One of the founders of the Friends of the 261, Frank E. Sandberg Jr. passed away June 13 at age 77. Together with his wife Judy (who died in 2014), Frank founded the Friends of the 261 in the early 1990s as restoration of Milwaukee...
2018 Northern Lines
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...
2016 Spring Northern Lines
261 heading to Duluth in June On Saturday, June 4, Milwaukee Road 261 will kick off the 2016 excursion season when its steams north from Minneapolis to Duluth, Minn. over BNSF Railway. The Duluth trip has become a tradition for Friends of the 261 excursion riders, and...