Milwaukee Road 4-8-4 type Steam locomotive # 261. Galesburg Illinois. June 1998.

Milwaukee Road 4-8-4 type Steam locomotive # 261. Galesburg Illinois. June 1998., a photo by Eddie from Chicago on Flickr.

I took this photo back in June of 1998.

Seen here practically "Limping" in to Galesburg Illinois, is recently restored Milwaukee Road Alco 4-8-4 steam locomotive # 261.

I rode a chartered mainline steam excursion to the Galesburg Railroad Days festival behind this heavy World War 2 era steam locomotive, but had ran in to mechanical problems enroute. We had several freight train meets in the cornfields, and had to fequently stop to service the hot running # 2 right side main axel bearing. We limped to Galesburg Illinois at slow speed, and arrived too late to enjoy the cittie's celebration and events. An old former Burlington Northern Railroad EMD SD 9 pulled our train back to Chicago a little over an hour later.

Oh Well. Sometimes mechanical problems occur on mainline steam fantrips.

Thanks.
Eddie K.