Cliff Buchan
News Editor

The Bumble Bee is back in action on the rails. After an inagural summer in 2006 that saw more than 1000 rail fans come to ride the Bee, the excursion train season is open once again.

The attraction can be found on the grounds of the Iron Horse Central Railroad Museum north of Bone Lake in Scandia and south of Chisago City.

Owner and operator Erik Thompson kicked off the 2007 Bumble Season season on June 1.

Regular summer hours at the Iron Horse Centrail Railroad Museum are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday, Friday and Saturday and by reservation.

The cost is $6 for adults, $4 for children and $4 for senior citizens 55 and above.

Special rates are available for groups of 20 or more. Birthday parties, family reunions and club meetings can be accommodated at the museum, Thompson says.

Guests are wecome to use the picnic grounds.

The Bumble Bee will make two passes over the three-quarter mile oval-shaped rail line that rolls through the woods and prairies of the Iron Horse Central Railroad Museum.

The Bumble Bee’s two passenger cars can carry 30 people. The train is pulled by a new gas-powered engine decked out in the yellow and black “Bumble Bee” theme colors.

Much to see, do

Along with the train ride, visitors are also welcome to tour the grounds, take museum tours and learn railroad history from the early days of the Forest Lake area.

The museum is home to more than 20 historic rail cars and features an 1895 St. Paul & Duluth Railroad station that was moved from Groningen, located 10 miles north of Hinckley.

The depot serves as the museum headquarters.

Visitors can also see the latest aquisition by the museum — old Northern Pacific shop locomotive No. 10. The steam locomotive was purchased in 1896 by the Saint Paul & Duluth Railroad and used in St. Paul until 1929 when it was sent to the Brainerd yards to be used as a switch engine.

The engine was taken out of service in 1955. Thanks to a railroad union and the city of Brainerd, the locomotive was saved from being scrapped.

The Northern Pacific donated the engine to the city of Brainerd and it was a display piece at Lum Park in Brainerd from 1961 until last fall when Thompson and his father, Richard, purchased the engine and moved it to the museum grounds.

The Iron Horse Central Railroad Museum is located at 24880 Morgan Ave., Chisago City.

To reach the museum from Forest Lake, take TH-97 six miles east to CR-1 (Lofton Ave. N.). Go north three miles to N. 238th St. and turn east. Follow 238th Street one mile to Morgan Ave. At Morgan Ave., turn left and go one mile to the museum.

For more information, call 651-336-4531 or go online at www.ironhorsecentral.com.

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