Friends of the 261’s Frank Sandberg dies NEWSWIRE

SHOREVIEW, Minn. – Frank E. Sandberg Jr., an early activist in rail preservation and father of Friends of the 261’s President and Chief Operating Officer Steve Sandberg, died June 13 of complications following a heart attack. He was 77. An early advocate of rail preservation, he and his late wife Judy were founding members of the Minnesota Transportation Museum in 1962, which preserved and operated Twin City Rapid Transit Co. streetcar No. 1300. He was also a founding member of the Tourist Railway Association, and went on to serve as museum president during the 1980s, where he spearheaded the rebuilding and return to operation of Northern Pacific 4-6-0 No. 328.

Born Sept. 2, 1941, Frank E. Sandberg Jr. was his given name, but for those who knew the Minnesota native well, it was “Sandy.” He was born into a railroad family: his father, Frank Sr., was an engineer for the Milwaukee Road for 53 years, running trains between Minneapolis and La Crosse, Wis. His father often took his son to work, and he got to ride several classes of Milwaukee Road steam, including S3 class 4-8-4s such as No. 261. As he grew older his interest in railroading increased, and with his high school sweetheart Judy Casey they photographed steam locomotives around the country, with Judy driving the car while Frank made photographs. After their marriage daughter Cathie and son Steve were born, with Steve picking up his father’s interest in railroading.

Sandberg is probably best known for his work with the Friends of the 261, the non-profit organization which owns and operates Milwaukee Road 4-8-4 No. 261. In the early 1990s Steve and several private investors formed North Star Rail Inc. to restore No. 261, which was on display at the National Railroad Museum in Green Bay, Wis. The engine was moved to Minneapolis for rebuilding, and Frank served as a sounding board and mentor for his son as the rebuilding process went forward. The Friends was formed by Frank and Judy to serve as a support group for 261 operations, and in 1995 took over direct marketing and operation of the 4-8-4. The group purchased the locomotive from the museum in 2010.

The Friends was based out of the Sandberg’s home, where a special telephone line was installed so passengers could call in to ask questions and order tickets. A mechanical engineer by trade, Sandberg would hand draw passenger seating charts for excursion trains, and Frank and Judy would organize and mail out tickets for each excursion. He was aboard virtually every 261 trip, frequently riding in the cab. “He loved riding in the jump seat behind me as I ran the 261, one time leaning over my shoulder at 75 mph and whispering in my ear ‘I told you she likes to roll,” Steve Sandberg said. “We both smiled and didn’t say another word.”

Friend Robert M. Ball recalled a number of conversations with Sandberg about family and children. “One day when the 261 was first steaming up I said to him ‘You must be really proud of Steve’ and he said with real fervor “Everyday!” We proceeded to have a good talk about family and I knew from that conversation he really loved them all,” Ball said.

Friends of the 261 trips were Sandberg family affairs that included Frank, Judy and Steve, daughter Cathie and various grandchildren and in-laws working in the concession car and providing first class service. Cathie caught the railroad bug as well: she works for railroad maintenance equipment and services provider Loram Maintenance of Way Inc.

A successful businessman, Sandberg began his career as a draftsman and moved on to be a design engineer for Remmele Engineering in St. Paul, Minn. In 1983 he and fellow Remmele employee Darrel Johnson started engineering and manufacturing company Con-Tek Machine, which grew rapidly. Sandberg would work with his son on engineering and machinery issues that would come up with No. 261, and parts and even boiler tubes from No. 261 and other steam locomotives were sometimes stored at Con-Tek. Sandberg retired and sold the company in 2015.

Sandberg helped support restoration projects for railroad heritage organizations including Minnesota Transportation Museum; the Minnesota Streetcar Museum, a spin-off created in 2005 where he was member No. 3; the Lake Superior Railroad Museum; and, of course, Friends of the 261.

With the success of his business, Frank and Judy (who died in 2014) were able to travel the world, riding trains on several continents, often bringing their children and their families along. An avid wine collector, he maintained an extensive collection of wine at his home.

Sandberg’s railroad legacy is large, but if you asked what he was most proud of, he would say “family.”