perform a majority of excursions, including an excursion to Duluth that was supposed to take place in June of that year. On September 8 and 9, 2018, Friends of the 261 operated two excursions for Fall Color and Gourmet Express where they operated west from Minneapolis to Glencoe, Minnesota on Twin Cities and Western trackage, with a stop near Norwood Young America, Minnesota for the gourmet food and wine and a photo runby. On September 22, 2018, for the 25th anniversary of the first excursion in 1993, 261 pulled a special train for the annual convention of the American Association of Private Railroad Car Owners (AAPRCO). In May 2019, after an agreement made in January, Friends of the 261 acquired former Milwaukee Road EMD E9 #32A from the Wisconsin and Southern Railroad, which is owned by Watco. First showcased at Union Depot Day from May 31 to June 2, it pulled its first excursion on June 22, still painted in Wisconsin and Southern colors minus the former lettering. The E9 locomotive has since been repainted into Milwaukee colors and debuted in its new paint scheme on May 12, 2021. In June 2019, 261 pulled two excursions for the Milwaukee Road Historical Association convention being held in Minneapolis, called "261 Hiawatha". On June 22, 2019, the train operated from Minneapolis to Brownton, Minnesota on the Twin Cities and Western. On June 23, 2019, the train traveled between Minneapolis and Norwood/Young America on TC&W, then from Norwood to Winthrop on TC&W subsidiary Minnesota Prairie Line: a rare-mileage trip for 261. On September 21 and 22, 2019, there were two excursions for the Gourmet Express. On March 11, 2021, a $200,000 proposal was made to convert No. 261's firebox from burning coal to oil. However, this is not the first time an S3 class was converted to oil, as Nos. 262, 263, 267 and 269 were converted to oil during their revenue careers. References Further reading External links Friends of the 261 Steam Locomotive Information Photo Gallery Excursion Archive Steam Diary 261 ALCO locomotives Individual locomotives of the United States 4-8-4 locomotives Railway locomotives introduced in 1944 Standard gauge locomotives of the United States Preserved steam locomotives of Minnesota Passenger locomotives Freight locomotives