Wondering if anyone might have some info..

In the early 60's, there was a steak house/lounge in downtown Rochester MN. If memory serves correctly, it was in the southeast part of the downtown area, maybe 3/4 mile from the Mayo Clinic.

The restaurant had a steam locomotive, tender and at least one passenger car, on a piece of track alongside the building. I beleive the restaurant or perhaps the lounge area extended into the passenger car.

The last time I saw this set-up was about 10-15 years later, call it about 1980-82, the building and train were still there, put painted in a hideous pink and the building/complex housed some sort of antique (read junk) store.

Anyone know/remember this place ?
Is it still there ?
If not, what was the disposition of the train ?
What was the origin of this equipment ?

Any info greatly appreciated. These are recollections I have from visiting relatives at age 5-8 (1965-68), and then a last trip at roughly age 20.

Thanks in advance
John

Soo Line 0-6-0 346, reported by J. David Conrad's book as still in Rochester. More on the loco from the excellent Park Engines site:

"Soo Line B-4 class 0-6-0 no. 346 was one of the last steam locomotives in regular service in Minnesota. This engine and sister no. 353 were sold to Koppers Coal & Coke in St. Paul, where they operated until 1965. After that, no. 346 was taken to Rochester, Minnesota to become part of a railroad-themed restaurant. The engine's cab and tender, and a pair of old Northern Pacific passenger cars, were partially enclosed within the building, and tables were installed inside the cars. The fake balloon stack and cowcatcher were added at this time, and the engine was given a rather gaudy paint scheme, lettered as "C&NW no. 9". After the restaurant closed down, the building was used for several years by the Salvation Army, with the train still embedded in the wall. In the early 1990's however, the building was demolished and the train removed. The engine was taken to Tracy, Minnesota for display at the Wheels Across the Prairie Museum. She has been painted black and lettered "DME" (presumably Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern), but she still retains the big stack and cowcatcher and fake number 9 from her restaurant days in Rochester. Sister engine no. 353 also survives, offering train rides to visitors at the annual Western Minnesota Steam Threshers Reunion in Rollag, Minnesota. Photo by George Thelen, June 5, 2000 "

http://parkengines.railfan.net/MN/content.shtml

The name of the restaurant was "The Depot House Restaurant", and the locomotive was Soo Line 0-6-0 No. 346. The locomotive was sold to Koppers Coke in Minneapolis in 1955 and worked their yard well into the 1960's. When Koppers disposed of it it went via an intermediary to the restaurant, and when the restaurant closed, it was sold to the End O Line Railroad museum in Tracy, MN, where it was tarted up with a weird "cowcatcher" and a fake balloon stack that appears to be about ten feet tall. Here's a photo off of our website:



You can also visit our page for this lcomotive at:
http://www.steamlocomotive.info/vlocomotive.cfm?Display=687

Regards,
Doug

ugh..why do people insist on putting those awfull fake stacks and cowcatchers on otherwise fine looking locomotives?! :(

here is another example of the "the ugly treatment" (as opposed to the beauty treatment) in Palmer mass.

http://parkengines.railfan.net/MA/images/pages/102.html

Scot

Another "authentic" Civil War locomotive, this time for a truly forgettable "Hallmark Hall of Fame" TV movie. The Showalters were well paid, however.........http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=47294

I'll never forget Jack telling the story about what the movie company wanted the stack to look like. Apperently the desginers father had worked for the ICRR and what she drew up for them was 'exactly like what he fathers locomotive looked like'. Aside from the fact that it wouldn't have cleared the pedestrian bridge it would have been pretty awful looking. you can see the modest compromise was some what better, but still not wonderful......I think Jack still has it some where though....


Ben

The first fake stack was applied at Rochester, it had rusted out by the time the loco was moved to Tracy. The museum spent several hundred dollars to have a metal shop build a replacement. Several years ago I stopped in there, and the ladies wouldn't believe that the loco was never built with or had that stack during its working life. They really belived it was authentic.

Also the End O the Line Museum is down the road in Currie.