Restoring Car #19 Gallery
There are many interesting and historic artifacts in the collection of the Lake Superior Railroad Museum. How they came to be here starts with the two railroads that turned Northeastern Minnesota into the world’s largest iron mine. Car #19 tells that story and is now in need of restoration.
To haul out the ore the Duluth & Iron Range Railroad and Duluth, Missabe & Northern Railroad were formed by separate groups of pioneer entrepreneurs. Later the lines were merged into the DM&IR and are now part of Canadian National (CN). Four of the five founders of the Lake Superior Railroad Museum had strong ties to the DM&IR. Leaving a legacy that told their story was one of the reasons the museum was started and the DM&IR History Car #19 is one of the original exhibits.
Because this was one of the museum’s first exhibits, it has become a tattered and worn piece of history. Car #19 remains in great shape, but the exhibit it holds and the stories it tells are in desperate need of a facelift. The carpets are threadbare, the wallpaper shows more wall than paper and the exhibit itself needs a fresh look.
Modern LED museum quality lighting fixtures, new carpeting and wall coverings have already been ordered and will be installed by the start of the summer tourist season. Improved exhibit signage and a more interactive approach to the display are also part of the upgrade.
Several previous fundraisers, and generous grants from the Missabe Road Historical Society among others, have funded over half of the anticipated cost of Car #19’s interior restoration. Your donation will be the dollars that reach the goal of fully funding this $24,000 project.
Some funding for this project has already been secured, but to finish all the work necessary your help is needed. Museum crews will be doing most of the work over the winter of 2024, and when finished we will have another beautiful and updated gallery car dedication to open the new display.
History of Car #19
Car #19 was built by Barney and Smith ca.1890 and found its way to the D&IR in 1907. It was once part of an experiment as a self-propelled gas motor car, which failed. It again became a coach, and later a sleeping car for the DM&IR’s maintenance of way crews, it was donated to the museum in 1975. Restoration of the car was done by volunteers from the Lake Superior Transportation Club.
Project Updates
As of 3/20/2024
