Repairs on Engine 46

Historic 1946 GE Engine to Receive Major Upgrade

The Lake Superior & Mississippi Railroad had to suspend operations for 3 years (2020-2022) because of the Covid-19 pandemic and then for the Spirit Lake/US Steel clean-up project along the St Louis River Train excursion route.  Our all-volunteer railroad stayed active repairing track, and rehabbing locomotive 46, the safari car, and coaches. 

During the downtime of these 3 years, the volunteers have been working at restoration of operating equipment as well as performing maintenance on the tracks and right-of-way. Monday, May 16, 2022, the wheels and running gear (trucks) of the GE 44 Ton Engine #46 were “lifted” by crane onto a flat-bed semi-truck for shipping to Pennsylvania to be refurbished. The locomotive restorative work is essential to our excursions to return to full operations in 2023. Once all the pieces come back together, we will have a set of virtually new trucks to carry the 46 for many years. At this time the work is expected to take 8 months.
The Engine was built in 1946 and spent it’s beginning decades as the primary switching locomotive for the Flambeau Paper Plant in Park Falls, Wisconsin. LS&M RR acquired the engine in 1985 and has spent more than 40 years operating Minnesota’s first tourist railroad, beginning along the right-of-way of the original Lake Superior & Mississippi Railroad that worked it’s way into Duluth in August of 1870.

​After nearly 70 years of service, this venerable locomotive is in need of care to insure it’s operability for the LS&M RR.

People who supported us

  • Andrew S. Webb Estate
  • Vic's Cranes
  • Duke's Towing
  • CN, Canadian National Railroad
  • Lake Superior Railroad Museum
  • McHugh Locomotive
  • Shuttered Venue Operator's Grant
  • John Emery Railroad Heritage Trust
  • GiveMn Fundraiser
Preparing to lift the locomotive off it's trucks
Preparing to lift the locomotive off it's trucks Lifting the locomotive
Note the trucks below the Locomotive.
Trucks are lifted on to a semi- trailer and tied down for transportation to Pennsylvania for reconditioning
Trucks on the Truck Trailer

Time lapse video of the engine lift of LS&M Railroad #46 50 Ton Engine

This was done in order to remove the trucks for shipment to McHugh Locomotive in Pennsylvania for rebuild/refurbishment.

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Lake Superior & Mississippi Railroad Statement of Non-Discrimination & Inclusiveness

In keeping with the LS&M’s mission to share the early history of the railroad and the rich nature of the St. Louis River, the LS&M strives to provide an inclusive environment which respects the value of each individual, whether they are volunteers, passengers or the general public. LS&M leaders recognize and appreciate diverse perspectives for group decisions to achieve effective collaborative compromise.

Volunteer assignments will be made without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, public assistance status, disability and familial status. Given the safety and regulation driven nature of the railroad industry, equal access will be allowed to potential railroad volunteers to perform preferred tasks for which they are able to meet Federal Railroad Administration requirements.

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