UPDATE: Plans to Move Minnesota Zephyr from Bayport to Hudson are in the Works
The "plans and suppliers are in order to start the process," Paradeau told the Pioneer Press. The Zephyr will be moved to a secure location in Hudson "as soon as possible, certainly before March 1."
Hours after a public auction to sell six of the Minnesota Zephyr diner cars was canceled, David Paradeau told the Pioneer Press plans are in place to move his once-famed railcars to Hudson.
The "plans and suppliers are in order to start the process," Paradeau told the Pioneer Press. The Zephyr will be moved to a secure location in Hudson "as soon as possible, certainly before March 1."
UPDATED FROM:
A public auction for six of the rail cars was originally scheduled to happen Wednesday morning in Bayport, because Paradeau owed Andersen Corporation upwards of $250,000 for storing the rail cars on thier tracks.
That sale was canceled.
"Andersen Corporation has reached an agreement with Mr. Paradeau, which will resolve the storage fees and allow him until March 1 to remove the Zephyr railcars from our property,” Laurie Bauer, a spokesperson for Andersen Corporation said Wednesday morning. “As a result, we are cancelling the public auction of the six Zephyr railcars that was scheduled for today."
This summer, Andersen agreed to let David Paradeau temporarily store six of his train cars on Andersen’s property while details of an out-of state sale were being worked out.
Paradeau’s potential sale fell through, and the Minnesota Zephyr hasn’t moved.
"After five months, the cars have become an impediment to our business and must be removed," Bauer told the Pioneer Press on Tuesday. "We've been very patient and have tried to help out, but, unfortunately, it's just been too long."
Paradeu reportedly owes Andersen upwards of $250,000 for storing the rail cars on Andersen’s tracks.
Last month, the city of Stillwater hired a crew to move one of the Zephyr locomotives from city property back onto property owned by Paradeau. That cost was specially assessed to Paradeau.
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jmh
12:34 pm on Wednesday, January 23, 2013
It's a shame to see them go, but either sell them for scrap or just give them away to anyone willing to pay the cost of moving them. Unfortunately in this economy there just isn't a market for old rail cars. Maybe he's asking too much, I don't know. Just look at the hassles and bad feelings he's created with govt/business in two communities and the money he has wasted on storage and moving them around.
HHF34
12:31 am on Friday, January 25, 2013
Agreed, hindsight is 20/20 he'd have probably been money ahead to just leave them where they were to rust...
Carbon Bigfuut
9:58 am on Thursday, January 24, 2013
I would think might be able to get some sort of tax write-off if he donated the cars to the museum group that operates the train in Osceola, or down in New Freedom (near Baraboo, WI). It sure beats scrapping the cars.