Town forces abandonment, how can they do that?

[Boyd]

Here in Stillwater Minnesota, the Minnesota Zephyr tourist train runs out of town to the west, then back. The west end stops and there it begins to be a bike path. The other end of their line connected with the UP in Oak Park Heights. This other end going through Stillwater and south towards Bayport hadn't been used since 95 when a steam engine visited town (I saw it leave). The track had not been kept up, some sections had damage from rain runoff and trees are growing up in the tracks southern most 1000 feet or so. In 2005 all the track in town south of the Zephyrs depot was ripped up to just south of downtown. I talked to an upper level employee at the Zephyr and he said the city of Stillwater strongarmed them into abandonment of some of their track. Stillwater councill isn't that friendly when they are determined to do something. Also in play was/is a planned new bridge over the St.Croix river which in one of the plans would go over the Zephyr track south of town. So as of now the Zephyr is isolated. Not that their F9s are gonna wear out that fast,, but what if they wanted to buy some nicer cars?

[Limitedclear]

You need to know a lot more facts before jumping to conclusions. For example, who owns the tracks? If it is the city and there is no freight traffic they can abandon the track. Even if they don't own it they have the power of eminent domain, especially where a highway project (the bridge) is involved.

Sounds like the tourist RR is SOL.

LC

[Boyd]

The tourist train owns all of the tracks.

[Limitedclear]

The tourist train owns all of the tracks.

Probably eminent domain then. City paid the tourist train operator for the track...

LC

[Boyd]

That would be no surprise. In the last 2 years the city abused eminent domain and took several buildings on 2 sides of main street and they were developed into condos. Minnesota tightened its restrictions on eminant domain in 2006 and Stillwater probably wouldn't be able to do that same thing today.

[mudchicken]

The process is called "Adverse Abandonment" within the ICC/STB. If not approved and a decision rendered at that level, it is not abandoned. In recent history, similar dumb stunts by local yokel politicians have been tried at Lincoln, NE (city land grab for a sewer), Napoleon, OH (City road widening of US-24), East St. Louis, IL (Highway re-allignment), Yuba City, CA (street widening) and Creede, CO (city opposed to re-activated rail line/ tourist train). Federal rule trumped local ego in these cases involving main line tracks or former main tracks ....sidetracks and backtracks are governed by a the state PUC or Railroad Commission and tend to be fickle in judgement(s)...

http://www.stb.dot.gov/stb/public/resources_abandonment.html

Not enough data to comment on your local situation, but cannot find MN or the locals filing for adverse abandonment or adverse discontinuance at STB

Minnesota Commercial or BNSF in Washington County?

COULD IT BE THIS:

http://www.stb.dot.gov/decisions/ReadingRoom.nsf/6c810114c3d629ef852571fd0077ee71/4be32dd73421c82c85257196006793c9?OpenDocument

Minnesota Commercial quit running on 1 mile (MP 11.81 to MP 12.80)of trackage rights over BNSF in 2005 (AB 882 2_x) but the line itself was not to be abandoned...BNSF wanted to abandon under AB-6-413X in 2005, but deferred to MNNA(Minnesota Northern/Minnesota Commercial)...This line runs along the St Croix river from the Interstate Bridge to about 1 mile north. With MNNA bowing out, they are going to abandon after meeting environmental action statement items (1/1/2007 after BNSF asked to extend the abandonment date?) The line was Ex NP/Stillwater Union Depot & Transfer/BN....where are you looking at?

[Boyd]

That must be the one. Only the track through downtown was ripped up. At the crossings the flangeway was filled in. I guess one mile of track through downtown was owned by BN. I think BN pulled out of Stillwater in the early 90s. I talked to one of the local long time railbufs and he said its not too late to re-lay the track to connect with the UP. But the track along the river going south of downtown is in really rough shape with a few spots where the roadbed has partially washed out from under the track.

[beaulieu]

That must be the one. Only the track through downtown was ripped up. At the crossings the flangeway was filled in. I guess one mile of track through downtown was owned by BN. I think BN pulled out of Stillwater in the early 90s. I talked to one of the local long time railbufs and he said its not too late to re-lay the track to connect with the UP. But the track along the river going south of downtown is in really rough shape with a few spots where the roadbed has partially washed out from under the track.

No, the line covered by the BNSF/MNNA is the bottom end of the same line, but the middle has been gone for a while. The south end isn't needed north of the Excel Energy, Allen S. King powerplant at Bayport, which receives coal via either the BNSF or UP both of which use the same line. The UP Altoona Subdivision to Lakeland Jct. and then the BNSF branch to the powerplant. The Minnesota Zephyr is running on the former BN Stillwater branch which was transferred to, and may still be owned by the Minnesota Transportation Museum. The Museum moved to the CN Dresser Sub. after to many NIMBY complaints about running the NP 328 steam engine past their million dollar homes in Mahtomedi. Now only the Zephyr uses the tracks. I think that the City of Stillwater wants to push the Zephyr west of the low overpass on the north side of town. I am not sure if the switch to Anderson Millwork might be north of the switch to Excel Energy, but one or the other is as far as the go.

[Boyd]

The power plant is just north of the Andersons Windows plant. They use the line yet northward of the power plant for switching coal cars. I have seen them backed up within 200 feet of the entrance to Sunnyside Marina. The line that the Zephyr is on is only about 7 miles long. It doesn't get anywhere near Mahtomedi. If it did in the past,  I don't know. Where the Zephyr stops is at a place where the bike path is now.

[Trainmaster.Curt]

Down here in Manitoba, the Prairie Dog Central actually owns all their track on an ex CNR subdivision. They do most of the track work themselves, and they are registered as a Manitoba shortline railway like the CEMR. By next year their 126 year old 4-4-0, Old No.3 should be completely restored with a brand new boiler from Saskatoon Boiler.

http://www.pdcrailway.com/video_clips.htm