Donations and Supporters

Thank You to our Supporters!

The Andrew Webb Estate

The LSMR acknowledges the legacy of Andy Webb as a longtime president of the railroad, who donated funds towards the repair of Locomotive 46. Our vintage coach was named in his honor.

The LSMR thanks LORAM for the donation of a hi-rail truck for track work.

Burlington Northern & Santa Fe Railroad

A big thank you to the BNSF for helping us move our Loco 42 out for repairs and to bring in a leased locomotive from the WGNR so we could run in 2023.

Union Pacific Railroad

Thanks to funding from the UP, we purchased and installed ties and ballast to keep our train safe and steady on the tracks.

Enbridge

The LSMR is grateful to Enbridge for funding the purchase of materials and providing employee volunteers to help rebuild the safari car.

John H. Emery Rail Heritage Trust

The LSMR is grateful to the John H. Emery Rail Heritage Trust for funding a part of the project to rebuild Locomotive 46 side-rod truck assembly.

Canadian National Railroad

The LSMR greatly appreciates that the CN compensates the time that employees and retirees service on our railroad.

North Shore Track Services

The LSMR depends on North Shore Track Services to handle track and right-of-way maintenance that are too big for our volunteer crews.

McHugh Locomotive & Equipment

McHugh Locomotive and Equipment's generous discount for repairing the #46's wheels and trucks made completing this major project possible.

Vic's Crane & Heavy Haul

The professionals at Vic's Crane twice lifted our locomotive 46 and made the wheel and truck restoration possible.

Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation

The LSMR greatly appreciates funding for the Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation that helped us upgrade our sound system.

City of Duluth

The LSMR has used grants from the City of Duluth to maintain the city-owned track and right-of-way and to promote the Rails & Trails Experience along the St Louis River.

Duke Boys Towing

The Duke Boys of Duluth helped the LSMR install temporary wheels and trucks under locomotive 46 during the locomotive restoration project.

Kim Culp

Kim Culp, a LSMR Board Member and Supervisor of Locomotive Engineers, donated a hi-rail truck for track work.

Wisconsin Great Northern Railroad

The Wisconsin Great Northern Railroad has long been our partner. Their Loco #41 allowed us to resume operations in 2023 and now is a backup to our Loco #46.

CPKC grant for AEDs and First Aid Training

A grant from the CPKC enabled us to refurbish 2 donated AEDs and train 30 volunteers in their use, CPR, and first aid.

These are some of the projects completed with the generous support of donors and hard working volunteers.

Locomotive 46

Locomotive 46 is a General Electric Center Cab 50T Type Industrial Switcher built in 1946. In 2024 we completed a major project to replace its wheels and rebuild the trucks.

Coaches

Coaches 29 & 85 were built in 1912 for the Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range Railway. The coaches receive tender loving care with constant cleaning, painting and window repairs. Brake systems have been updated and are regularly inspected.

Safari Car

A flat car built in St Paul MN in 1928 for the Northern Pacific Railway is now the Safari Car for Duluth River Train. It was recently rebuilt from the frame up with help from a grant from Enbridge Energy and Enbridge volunteers. The Safari Car is a safe and comfortable place from which to enjoy the sights and sounds along the St Louis River. estuary.

Track Repair

Our tracks include a segment of the original 1870 route of the Lake Superior and Mississippi Rail Road into Duluth. The tracks and railbeds need ongoing maintenance. Our volunteers repair damage from storms, erosion, and beavers, and remove brush. We aim to replace 100-300 ties per year.

Station and Shop

The Lake Superior & Mississippi Railroad owns a shop and ticket office along BN track in western Duluth. The shop is large enough to store 2 locomotives, 2 coaches, and various track maintenance machines. Many tools, 2 hirail trucks, and repair machinery have been donated.

The LSMR is a 100% volunteer organization. All rail operations, track work, and repairs of our vintage coaches are done by volunteers. All donations go directly towards providing a safe, enjoyable, and informative rail excursion along the St Louis River.