"Duluth River Train" Track Maintenance
A nonprofit fundraiser supporting
Lake Superior and Mississippi Railroad CompanyThe Duluth River Train is an excursion railroad which travels along the St Louis River in Duluth, Mn
$1,770
raised by 19 people
$15,000 goal
3 months left
This "Duluth River Train" was established as the Lake Superior & Mississippi Railroad Excursion Train in 1980. (The LS&M was the name of the original railroad into Duluth, completed in 1870.) And today, the "Duluth River Train" remains an all-volunteer excursion which travels along the National Water Trail of the beautiful St. Louis River Estuary .
The focus of this year's fundraiser is Track Maintenance. The work is currently performed by LS&M volunteers. This equates to maintaining 5 miles of track - there are approximately 15,000 railroad ties to maintain, of which 200-300 are replaced each season; 200 cubic yards (300 tons) of ballast ,small rock, is used per year is spread for leveling and straightening the track. Rip-Rap, a larger rock, is also used to bank the water's edge along the track.
A fundraiser goal of $15,000 has been set by the railroad to bring in a contractor with equipment to help our volunteers install our ties for 2024.