2016 Milwaukee 261 to Duluth

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

On Saturday, June 4th, 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 site

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.

Have fun in the summer sun along the shores of Lake Superior, visit the popular Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center, adjacent to the famous Aerial Lift Bridge, which displays shipwreck relics, has 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.

For a rest full nights sleep, the Friends have worked with the following hotels to offer discounted rates for our weekend visit

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