Finally, 261's relatively short 10-year service life meant that the engine's boiler is more pristine, meaning it would take less work to rebuild the engine.North Star Rail and the National Railroad Museum came to an agreement in November 1991 for a ten-year lease, which was renewed ten years later.

[1] The following year, 261 had an extensive season, including excursions on Wisconsin Central and the Twin Cities & Western Railroad.

The locomotive stayed in Scranton for the next year pulling numerous excursions, including rare-mileage trips, a rare snowplow run, and the engine's first steam doubleheader with New York, Susquehanna and Western 142.

Originally, it was supposed to doublehead with Pere Marquette 1225 from Michigan, through Canada and into New York State before continuing south.

261 found an alternative by taking CSX into Pennsylvania and heading to New York via the Buffalo and Pittsburgh Railroad.

The year of 1998 presented 261 with its biggest assignment yet, as it was the first steam engine to pull BNSF's Employee Appreciation Special.

The engine then led a long circle-trip over the Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range Railway as well as the North Shore Railroad System before heading back home.

The 2001 season had excursions out of Minneapolis and Montevideo over BNSF and TC&W tracks during June and July, with a complete set of Hiawatha passenger cars.

At this point, insurance rates were skyrocketing due to outside events, as well as new Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) guidelines.

The first team-up with Amtrak occurred in October 2003, with the engine's return to old Milwaukee Road tracks between Minneapolis and Winona, Minnesota.

It departed from Chicago, arriving in Rock Island, Illinois, to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the first railroad to reach the Mississippi River.

The train then traveled north along IC&E rails near the river, making overnight stops at Dubuque, Iowa, and La Crosse, Wisconsin.

In September 2006, 261 and its train visited Rock Island, Illinois, as part of RiverWay 2006, a Quad Cities celebration of the 150th anniversary of the first railroad bridge across the Mississippi River in 1856.

As part of the festivities, 261's train was coupled to a pair of Chinese-built QJ 2-10-2 steam locomotives 6988 and 7081 for a trip to Homestead, Iowa, on September 15, 2006.

The Friends of the 261 had helped the Canadian Pacific Railway plan 2816's return to the United States, as well as providing half of the consist 2816 led.

Following this, the engine was moved to Chicago for filming in Public Enemies, a movie based on the life of John Dillinger and starring Johnny Depp and Christian Bale.

The group provided several passenger cars for 4449's excursion from Portland, Oregon, to Owosso, Michigan, that started on July 3, 2009, as well as TrainFestival 2009.

The Friends of the 261 decided to end the lease with the National Railroad Museum, citing the high costs, and began looking for another locomotive to restore.

[4] The engine was supposedly to be sold to a California-based collector, who would have potentially let the Friends overhaul and operate 261; however, the transaction was never completed.

On May 11, 2013 (National Train Day), 261 ran on an excursion north from Minneapolis to Duluth, where it met Soo Line 4-6-2 No.

For two weekends, 261 operated out of St. Paul Union Depot pulling short trips decorated for this excursion.

It reprised its role as the locomotive for the "North Pole Express" at St. Paul Union Depot from 2015 to 2022, operating over two weekends each December.

On October 10, 261 pulled a daytime round-trip excursion to Boylston, WI, where it was wyed and returned to Minneapolis.

In October 2016, 261 operated three round-trips from Minneapolis on the Twin Cities and Western Railroad, running on former Milwaukee Road tracks.

[10] On September 8 and 9, 2018, Friends of the 261 operated two excursions for Fall Color and Gourmet Express where they operated west from Minneapolis to Glencoe, Minnesota, on Twin Cities and Western trackage, with a stop near Norwood Young America, Minnesota, for the gourmet food and wine and a photo runby.

[11] On September 22, 2018, for the 25th anniversary of the first excursion in 1993, 261 pulled a special train for the annual convention of the American Association of Private Railroad Car Owners (AAPRCO).

In May 2019, after an agreement made in January, Friends of the 261 acquired former Milwaukee Road EMD E9 #32A from the Wisconsin and Southern Railroad, which is owned by Watco.

[15] In June 2019, 261 pulled two excursions for the Milwaukee Road Historical Association convention being held in Minneapolis, called "261 Hiawatha".