Western Railroad Discussion > Minnesota Zephyr

It has been reported that the Minnesota Zephyr F units are on the move.

Last March I saw this car and another in Alamosa that look like they were part of the Minnesota Zephyr consist. Not familiar enough to know.

Can anyone add dimension to the Minnesota Zephyr story?

Thanks!

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From earlier today:

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,3619962

- Jeff Carlson

Jeff, thanks for the link, but what I am asking about is the train itself. What was the Minnesota Zephyr?

Thank you for including the photo of the dome car. The former MoPac Pullman-Standard built car operated on the Texas Eagle (and possibly the Colorado Eagle at times) as a "planetarium" car (Missouri Pacific's promotion of the car's feature vs. Vista Dome, Pleasure Dome, et.a.). The car later operated on the Illinois Central.

Another car in the consist was an ex-SP 3/4 length dome car. The Panama Canal Railway currently operates one of these cars.

I am sorry I did not note the other cars which were also in the consist. I enjoyed lunch on board a round-trip from Stillwater, MN in the late 1990s.

Perhaps others may note what other cars were in the consist.

Jeff Geldner
Yosemite National Park, CA

Here are the cars as they sit in Alamosa
Photo 1: Baggage car
Photo 2: Ex SP 3604
Photo 3: Lake Winds

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Photo 4: Northern Winds
Photo 5: St Croix
Photo 6: Stillwater

Sorry, don't have any more info on heritage of these cars beyond what has been mentioned above

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This was a dinner train that operated from Stillwater, MN for many years, and shut down about 5 years ago. I think the rails are now a path.

Thanks to everyone for the information. I like the description as "Planetarium Car" for the regular dome. That 3/4 dome SP car was over at the shops when I visited.

Thanks again!

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The MN Zephyr was one of the original dinner train operations. It ran on ex NP tracks out of Stillwater, MN, east of St. Paul. The line was also used by the Minnesota Transportation Museum until some of the NIMBYs started complaining. The MTM eventually moved across the river to Wisconsin. The Zephyr ran until the end of 2008, I believe. The owner sold the line to the state and they have been redeveloping it into a trail, including a big bridge over one of the busier roads put in this year. The line was isolated by the end as the UP (C&NW) line from the south had also been cut back. I am going to run down to Randolph after work today and see the engines are still there. I do not know much about the lineage of the equipment other than one of the coaches looks like an ex C&O car.

The two units are loaded on flatcars without their trucks. The 4 truck sets are loaded on another flatcar. All three are complete, just waiting for the open top load inspection and clearance paperwork to be completed. Expect the units to depart Tuesday 1-6-15 at the earliest.

Joe
CVRC RR

The train consisted of F7A 788 {ex Northern Pacific}, Baggage {ex Milwaukee Road}, Dome Coach {ex Missouri Pacific} named St Croix, Table Car {ex C&O}, Table Car {ex Denver Rio Grande}, Table Car {ex C&O}, and the Grand Dome {ex Southern Pacific} and F7A 787 {ex Northern Pacific}.

Chris

This is the status of the Minnesota Zephyr engines as of this afternoon. They are loaded up and tucked back safely in the small yard there.

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First picture is a view looking north up into the yard. Second picture is a grain train loading at Randolph. Third is a southbound potash train, on the mainline south of Castle Rock, MN.

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the bag car looks to be ex-NP
not sure on the coaches but I don't think any ran on the D&RGW

The baggage car has been converted to a HEP power car.

Todd Greenberg
Round Rock, TX



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/03/15 05:42 by reeb88.