Steam & Excursion > Chocolate City Express - May 1994

May in May of 1994, in conjuction with Chocolate Days in Burlington, WI, a group ran a Fan Trip call the Chocolate City Express from Chicago to Burlington, WI to Fond du Lac, WI and back on the Wisconsin Central.  Powering the train was the then recently restorted Milw Rd S-3 261.  I rode the train on May 14th and chased it on May 15th with a group of friends.  Here is some video footage of that chase.

Darin Umlauft
A WC, SOO and GBW fan in Slinger, WI



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/19/20 09:28 by wictl.

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Very nice....thanks for sharing..........

Great video!! How fast was the train wheeling, 45 to 50. Thanks for sharing, and post some more.

Posted from Android

I remember these trips well. I was the Northbound engineer from Chicago to Fond Du Lac and Steve Pahl was the engineer on the Southbound legs. I flu in on Friday from the my job at the Grand Canyon as CMO and ran the train Saturday and Sunday and flu home on Monday. Steve Sandberg ran the dead head trips getting the engine and train in and out of Chicago.

Our pilot was Dave Taylor with the WC. I asked him what the track speed was and he said as fast as you can make this engine run. We ran 55 to 60 MPH going Northbound and Steve Pahl an Amtrak engineer on his regular job had the mostly down hill faster run back to Chicago. Steve P had her up to 65-70 MPH in spots on the return trips.  

These were the first public trips out of the Chicago area for the 261 after her big rebuild. Hard to believe that was 26 years ago. 

Robert Franzen
www.steamservicesofamerica.com
www.potomaceagle.com

I believe the 65 to 70 on the return trip.  After the meet on Sunday at Bryron.  I had to go like hell to Slinger, hence the hand held shot at Hillside Road as my truck was barly stopped when I baled out with the Camera.

Darin Umlauft
 
RobertFranzen Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I remember these trips well. I was the Northbound
> engineer from Chicago to Fond Du Lac and Steve
> Pahl was the engineer on the Southbound legs. I
> flu in on Friday from the my job at the Grand
> Canyon as CMO and ran the train Saturday and
> Sunday and flu home on Monday. Steve Sandberg ran
> the dead head trips getting the engine and train
> in and out of Chicago.
>
> Our pilot was Dave Taylor with the WC. I asked him
> what the track speed was and he said as fast as
> you can make this engine run. We ran 55 to 60 MPH
> going Northbound and Steve Pahl an Amtrak engineer
> on his regular job had the mostly down hill faster
> run back to Chicago. Steve P had her up to 65-70
> MPH in spots on the return trips.  
>
> These were the first public trips out of the
> Chicago area for the 261 after her big rebuild.
> Hard to believe that was 26 years ago. 
>
> Robert Franzen
> www.steamservicesofamerica.com
> www.potomaceagle.com

Great stuff!
Like the rainbow of passenger cars too!

Jim Baker
Riverside, CA

Thank you for the video; well done.  Brought back some good memories.

Southbound from Fond du Lac

 

 

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Looks like the the Saturday trip as it as a cloudy day.  That was the day that I rode the train.  Nice photo at Lost Arrow Road.

Darin Umlauft
A WC, SOO and GBW fan in Slinger, WI