First class by rail

By Josh Miller

The golden age of railroading isn’t just remembered here… its back again!

The railroads have a long history of delivering a firstclass experience for their passengers. Throughout the generations, guests have been treated to fine dining, deluxe sleeping accommodations, and exquisite service. At the North Shore Scenic Railroad, I’m proud that we can offer at least a small taste of this legacy from the golden-age, first class experiences.

We are excited to be offering first class service options on almost all of our trains this summer. This includes our Dome Car seating, lounge space, fine dining experiences, and some extra service options for those interested in paying just a little more for a unique experience.

Later in August, guests can ride “first class” on the evening train, and have a fine dining four-course meal prepared by the best chefs Duluth has to offer, all while enjoying moving scenery out the window. The Elegant Dinner Train runs Fridays and Saturdays throughout late summer into fall, and gives guests a unique dining experience found nowhere else in the Twin Ports.

These are just a few of many options for excursions on our railroad that make it a truly unique attraction here in Duluth. We hope you will come back later this year or in the years to come and try one of our many excursion options.

By Ken Buehler

Did you ever get the “old runaround?” Maybe you were “side-tracked.” It’s noon and “we stopped for beans.” He wanted to be an “ash cat” but all he could do was be a “baby lifter.”

It’s like railroaders have their own language. They do.

The “old runaround” is when the engine is moved from what was the front of the train, along the side of the train to the back of the train making the back of the train now the front of the train and what was the front of the train is now the back as the train heads back to the station. A lot of hustle but nothing gets accomplished — the “old runaround.”

“Going for beans” means parking the train and taking a lunch break at a trackside diner. The “ash cat” is a fireman on a steam locomotive and the brake operator on a passenger train is a “baby lifter.”

A “gandy dancer” is a railroad laborer. The long steel poles that trackmen used to shift rail were famously made by the Gandy Tool Company of Chicago. When a team of workers moved rail with the metal poles they worked in unison as if dancing.

When a hobo hitched a ride in an open boxcar he feared the “cinder dick,” a railroad detective. The “brass hat” never had to worry about being thrown off the train. He was a railroad executive.

Today we know a “B&B” as a bed and breakfast lodging establishment. But if your job was on the railroad, the “B&B” would mean you’re working in the Bridge and Building Department.

To “janney” means coupling two cars together. That’s because Eli H. Janney invented the knuckle coupling system in 1873. With little changes it is still used today.

Now you can talk like a railroader!