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Lake Superior Railroad Museum

Do you remember when we were young, when trains were among the most interesting things in the world—the anticipation and excitement of hearing that horn blast in the distance? A train rolling through our neighborhood was a childhood event. We all gathered and waved, hoping that the man in the caboose would wave back. The Lake Superior Railroad Museum has captured some of that magic, allowing us to share it with our grandchildren.

The museum is located on the lower (track) level of the old Duluth Depot, an architectural marvel that serves as home to the children’s museum, as well as a repository for one of the great railroad collections. It is significant that the museum is so close to the docks and lift bridge because this is where railroads and water shipping came together mid-continent.

Walking into the high-roofed museum is an amazing experience for you and your grandchild. It does not seem possible to get so many railroad cars in one place, but here they are! A Soo Line caboose from 1886 is the oldest in the collection of red cabooses (and an orange one). Each is distinct and part of the romantic image of the railroad: the black engine roaring in from the distance, the bright red caboose inviting travel and adventure as the train chugs into the horizon.

But as colorful as the cabooses are, it is the collection of engines and small trolleys that will really impress your grandkid. The bulk and the massiveness of the engines can’t help but affect any onlooker. In some instances, you and your grandchild can even climb into the cab and feel what it must have been like for an engineer to put his hands on the throttle of such a beast.

What did they do about snow? You’ll find locomotive snowplows too. There are many more implements that tell us stories, such as the massive timber loader that cleared some of the forests around Crater Lake in Oregon or the steelworks ladle car that moved molten steel.

There are passenger cars, mail cars and cars of all types, open for your family to step into and discover. Signs help you interpret the past, and models reduce the scale so you can see the big picture of railroading. The models also help the children visualize railroading and are important to their experiences. When it comes to trains, this museum truly has it all.

Bonding and bridging:

It’s hard for children to realize how important the railroad was in opening the West and in the commerce of Minnesota. Towns survived if the railroad came through and collapsed if it didn’t. This presents an opportunity for you to discuss actions and consequences. There are consequences for most things a grandchild does. Some consequences are good—such as getting an A after studying for a test. Some consequences are bad—like getting an F if she blows off her homework.

Discuss examples of good and bad consequences your grandchild has experienced recently. Ask her what she would’ve done differently in those situations and how the consequences may have changed. When you do, you’ll help her learn to consider consequences before she makes important decisions.

A word to the wise:

Walk the avenue of Depot Square, where the Duluth community of 1910 is recreated. Window shop in the old Duluth Tent and Awning Company, J.L. Tronsdal Meat and Fish, and many more Main Street businesses. This is a wonderful look back at the turn of the century.

Age of grandchild: All

Best season: Summer (when you can walk outside and visit the harbor), but the Holiday trains are exciting for children as well.

Contact: Lake Superior Railroad Museum, 506 Michigan Street West, Duluth, MN 55812 • (218) 727-8025 • www.lsrm.org

Also check out:

End-O-Line Railroad Park & Museum, Currie; (507) 763-3708; www.endoline.com

Minnesota Streetcar Museum, Minneapolis; (952) 922-1096; www.trolleyride.org

Minnesota Transportation Museum: Jackson Street Roundhouse, St. Paul; (651) 228-0263; www.mtmuseum.org

Minnesota Transportation Museum: St Croix Valley Rides, Osceola, WI; (715) 755-3570

Few things are more delightful than grandchildren fighting over your lap. DOUG LARSON