| Two working F9A units. Trucks removed for transport.... Waiting for a new owner... The track the Minnesota Zephyr ran on was the former Burlington Northern (ex-Northern Pacific/St. Paul & Duluth/Stillwater & St. Paul) White Bear Lake to Stillwater branch, which was disconnected from the BN at the White Bear end soon after BN discontinued service on the line around 1981. When the line was given to the Minnesota Transportation Museum, it only included the last six miles or so into Stillwater, as the first four miles out of White Bear ran through some wealthy communities who were opposed to re-opening the line through there. The line remained connected to the outside world at the Stillwater end via the Union Pacific (ex-Chicago & Northwestern) branch from Bayport. The Bayport-Stillwater line was abandoned in recent years and torn up by the UP, opening up the former rail yard area in Stillwater for redevelopment, and isolating the Minnesota Zephyr. |