Repair Work on Railroad Tracks Ongoing

DULUTH, MINN. — The North Shore Scenic Railroad is getting a major upgrade with train tracks being rebuilt.

A couple of years ago the railroad company noticed the main line into the St. Louis County Depot was starting to sink. It turned out water was seeping underneath, and the sub-structure was slowly giving out.

Now, the St. Louis and Lake County Regional Rail Authority who own the tracks are putting in the new upgrades. That will include panels that can be removed so crews can work on them and put them back.

“These are the same kind of panels that you’d see at a railroad crossing on a street. And what happens is they allow the water to run through as opposed to pool up,” said Ken Buehler, General Manager of the North Shore Scenic Railroad. “So, what happens there is the ties don’t rot. A lot of the ties we pulled out of here were nothing but sawdust. So, we were able to make some great improvements to the infrastructure.”

It will take a total of 2 years to finish the entire rebuilding project, as other parts of the railroad are getting rebuilt too. But the good thing is the North Shore Scenic Railroad is a family attraction and kids love both trains and big construction machines!