Lake Superior Railroad Museum facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Lake Superior Railroad Museum

The museum is housed at the Duluth Depot
Established	1973
Location	506 W. Michigan St., Duluth, Minnesota
Type	Railroad museum
Public transit access	DTA

The Lake Superior Railroad Museum (reporting mark LSRX) is a cool place in Duluth, Minnesota, where you can learn all about trains! It opened in 1973 and is located inside the beautiful old St. Louis County Depot building. The museum shows off the history of trains in the Lake Superior area.

The museum also runs the North Shore Scenic Railroad. This is a special train ride that uses old trains from the museum's collection. You can ride it from late May to mid-October.

Some of the amazing trains you can see include the William Crooks. This was the very first train engine to run in Minnesota back in 1861! Another giant is the Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range Railway Number 227. It's a huge "Yellowstone" steam engine, one of the biggest ever built.

Explore the Train Collection

The Lake Superior Railroad Museum has many different types of trains. You can see old steam engines, electric trains, and diesel locomotives. Each one has its own unique story!

Steam Locomotives: Giants of the Past

Steam locomotives were the first powerful trains. They used steam to move. The museum has several impressive steam engines.

Locomotive	Type	Built	Retired	Acquired	Status	Image
Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range #227	Class M-3, 2-8-8-4 "Yellowstone"	Baldwin, 1941	1960	Donated 1974	Static Display
Duluth & Northeastern #28	Class C-3, 2-8-0 "Consolidation"	Alco, 1908	1965	Donated 1974	Operational
Duluth & Northern Minnesota #14	2-8-2, "Mikado"	Baldwin, 1913	1966	Donated 1981	Static Display
Minnesota Steel Co. #7	0-4-0ST	Porter, 1915	1950s	Donated 1973	Display
Northern Pacific #1 "Minnetonka"	0-4-0ST+T	Porter, 1870	1948	Loaned 1975	Display
Northern Pacific #2435	Class T, 2-6-2 "Prairie"	Alco, 1907	1954	Donated 1978	Display
Soo Line #2719	Class H-23, 4-6-2 "Pacific"	Alco, 1923	1959	Purchased 2019	Display, awaiting overhaul
St. Paul & Pacific #1 "Wm Crooks"	4-4-0 "American"	New Jersey Locomotive & Machine Co. 1861	1948	Loaned 1974	Display

Electric Locomotives: Power from Wires

Electric locomotives get their power from overhead wires or a third rail. They are often quieter than steam or diesel trains.

Locomotive	Type	Built	Retired	Acquired	Status	Image
Hanna Ore Mining Co. #307	GE 60-Ton Steeple-cab	1928	1968	Donated 1974	Display
Milwaukee Road #10200	GE EF-1	1915	1974	Donated 1977	Display
Carris #530	Carris/Brill 508-531	1925	Unknown	Purchased 1978	Operational

Diesel Locomotives: Modern Workhorses

Diesel locomotives use a diesel engine to power them. They became very popular because they were more efficient than steam engines.

Locomotive	Type	Built	Retired	Acquired	Status	Image
Burlington Northern Santa Fe #1550 (GN 573)	EMD SD9-3	1954	2022	Donated 2022	Operational
Copper Range #200	BLW S-12	1951	1995-96	Donated 2017	Under cosmetic restoration
Defence Plant Corp. #1309	EMD 40-Ton	1941	2008	2008	Display
Duluth Missabe & Iron Range #193	EMD SD-18	1960	1998	Donated 1998	Operational
Duluth South Shore & Atlantic #101	Alco RS1	1945	2002	Donated 2017	Operational
Erie Mining Co. #4211	EMD F9A	1956	2001	Donated 2002	Operational
Erie Mining Co. #4222	EMD F9B	1956	2001	Donated 2006	Under restoration
Erie Mining Co. #7243	BLW S-12	1956	1992	Donated 1992	Awaiting cosmetic restoration
Fegles Construction Co. #171007	MTC 12-Ton	1931	1970	1973	Operational
Great Northern #192	EMD NW5	1947	1996	Purchased 1996	Operational
Great Northern #400	EMD SD45	1966	1984	Leased 2019-	Operational
Minneapolis Northfield & Southern #11	FM H-10-44	1946	2005	Donated 2005	Under cosmetic restoration
Minnesota Power & Light Co.	GE 45-Ton	1952	Unknown	2003	Operational
Northern Pacific #245	EMD GP9	1956	2019	Traded 2019	Operational
Northern Pacific #3617	EMD SD45	1967	1987/again 2007	Donated 2007	Operational
Oliver Iron Mining #900	ALCO HH1000	1940	1973	Donated 1974	Awaiting cosmetic restoration
Soo Line #320	EMD SW1	1939	2017	Donated 2017	Operational
Soo Line #700	EMD GP30	1963	2001	Donated 2001	Operational
Soo Line #2500	EMD FP7-A	1949	1986	Donated 1986	Operational

Diesel Railcars: Trains for Passengers

These special trains are designed to carry passengers. They have their own diesel engines.

Locomotive	Type	Built	Retired	Acquired	Status	Image
Alaska #712	Budd RDC-2	1951	2008	Loaned 2009	Operational
Chicago & Northwestern #9934	Budd RDC-1	1950	Unknown	Loaned 1996	Operational, Painted as NSSR #9169

Passenger Cars: Riding in Style

The museum also has many different passenger cars. These are the cars where people would sit and travel. Some are very fancy!

Cabooses: The End of the Train

Cabooses are special cars that used to be at the very end of freight trains. They were like a small home for the train crew.

• Burlington Northern #12410
• Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range #C-9
• Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range #C-12
• Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range #C-205
• Duluth, Winnipeg and Pacific #76923
• Great Northern #X-452
• Northern Pacific #1311
• Soo Line #1
• Soo Line #99017

Other Cool Equipment

The museum also has other interesting railway equipment. This includes special cars for maintenance and snow removal.

• Burlington Northern Motor Powered Wrecker #D-161 - Built 1915
• Erie Mining Co. #8440 Pontiac Hy-rail Inspection Car - Built 1957
• Northern Pacific Rotary Snow Plow #2 - Built 1887. This snow plow is the oldest one of its kind still around! It was recognized as a special historical machine in 2015.
• Northern Pacific Wedge Snowplow #19 - Built 1907
• Northern Pacific Steam Powered Wrecker #38 - Built 1913
• 1920 McGiffert log loader

See Also

• List of heritage railroads in the United States