Jon Searles' photos with the keyword: 261

This was....the wrong bus. No, actually that German tourist trying out the driver's seat was fiddling with the crank that changes the headboard. :-) This was actually the bus that was supposed to take us back to the hotel in Lancaster after the Milwaukee Road #261 trip during the 1995 NRHS Convention. That's why I've put a bus photo in my rail photo archives, and the only reason. :-)

As with all classic American train shows, the Steamtown Grand Reopening had to have a "Parade of Steam" featuring everything steam that could turn a wheel. Here's 261 doing its runby.

This shot is the best that I could get in this situation, unfortunately, as the crowding at the Grand Reopening of Steamtown was the largest that I had ever seen at a rail-related event up to that time, and still rivals anything that I've seen since. Even given that it was my best, I still ended up with a guy with a tripod. Notice that he's taking a video of a stationary object. Right.... I also had to crop this to hide a stain on the print that I scanned this from. Anyway, Reading, Blue Mountain, & Northern 425 is also visible in the background on the right.

Here's a final shot that I got of 261 as it departed Pocono Summit in a runby.

This is the second shot that I took of 261 on its farewell runby out of Pocono Summit.

Here's 261 doing a final photo runby on its departure from Pocono Summit, PA, which it backed up for to maximize the effect. Notice all of the tour buses, as the NRHS was regrettably forced to resort to bus transport in a country without an effective intercity rail passenger service!!

The 1995 NRHS Convention Special out of Steamtown terminated in Pocono Summit, but we were given a few farewell shots of 261 as it sat in Pocono Summit awaiting departure, which was done in the form of a runby.

Here's a detail shot that I got of 261 as it awaited its final departure from Pocono Summit. Although I don't remember for certain, the children protecting their ears on the right suggest to me that 261 was blowing its whistle at the time, perhaps in preparation to leave.

Here's 261 on its second runby a few seconds after Picture 5. It wasn't breaking any speed records, but it was doing a good clip for such a short running start. Again, kudos will go to whoever can figure out the correct location for me, as "Pocono Summit" is really a placeholder, and probably not accurate.