2014 261 to Duluth

This Fall the “Friends of the 261,” in cooperation with Amtrak and BNSF Railway and Lake Superior Railroad Museum, will operate the Milwaukee Road 4-8-4 No. 261 pulling its excursion from Minneapolis to Duluth, Minnesota.

On Saturday, September 27th, the excursion train will depart Minneapolis Jct. at 9:00 a.m.* and travel BNSF Railway’s ex-Great Northern Hinckley Subdivision. Expected arrival in at the Lake Superior Railroad Museum in Duluth is at 3:00 p.m.* Minneapolis Jct is located at 401 Harrison St NE, Mpls, MN 55413, plenty of parking is available on sit

The trip will utilize BNSF’s ex-Great Northern Railway Hinckley Subdivision, which saw its last regular passenger service in 1985, when Amtrak’s “North Star” made its last run. The line boasts several large steel trestles, including the tall bridge over the Kettle River at Sandstone, Minn.

The destination for the trip will be the Duluth’s Lake Superior Railroad Museum, home of several locomotive displays, including Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range Railway 2-8-8-4 “Yellowstone” No. 227. The huge locomotive once pulled trains of iron ore from the Mesabi and Vermilion Iron Ranges to the yards at Proctor and Two Harbors, Minn. Every 20 minutes the 227 “runs” as its massive wheels turn, the running lights switch on, and the sound of the engine in service is piped out through hidden speakers.

September is one of the most beautiful months of the year in Duluth, with fall colors beginning to show and boat traffic on the increase as shipments are made before the long winter sets in. The popular Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center, adjacent to the famous Aerial Lift Bridge, displays shipwreck relics, a full-sized replica pilothouse and ship cabins, hardhat diving gear, photographs, charts, marine engines, and numerous ship models. The lift bridge is raised to allow boats to enter and leave the Duluth harbor, and visitors can view the boats up close as the pass through the entryway.

On Sunday, September 28th, our train will depart Duluth at 12:00 noon* with arrival in Minneapolis at 5:00 p.m.*

Passengers can book hotel accommodations in Duluth themselves. The Friends of the 261, Lake Superior Railroad Museum, and visitduluth.com have arranged for discount rates at the following hotels, call in and mention Friends of the 261 and get a discount rate