Friends of the 261 has completed extensive restoration work on Skytop "Cedar Rapids" at their Minneapolis Junction, MN, shop. The car will make its public debut on the Minneapolis to Duluth roundtrip on Saturday and Sunday, September 27 and 28.

The parlor section of the car had all of the woodwork stripped and refinished, a new wooden veneer on the ceiling, new carpeting and each parlor chair was disassembled, stripped, cleaned and reassembled after repainting. New upholstery was applied to the chairs along with newly covered arm rests. New Formica was made based on the pattern and color of the original and installed below the windows and on the surface of the folding tray tables. It was decided to change the color of the upholstery from a turquiose blue/green to a rust red/brown.

The exterior received bodywork and was repainted and relettered. New window glass and gaskets were manufactured and installed in the car. R&W Machine of Bedford Park, IL, received the wheel sets and did the work to certify them for continued Amtrak service (wheel and axle ultrasound testing).

Friends of the 261 hopes that our patrons enjoy the work that has been done to keep the car in top shape. The attached photos were taken on Saturday, September 13. If you are joining us on September 27 and 28, we would appreciate hearing your comments.

Don C.