page_title: Two Harbors, Minnesota
section_title: Railroad
hierarchical_section_title: Two Harbors, Minnesota / Railroad
caption_attribution_description: English: Duluth Mesabi &amp; Iron Range 2-8-8-4 'Yellowstone' No. 229 at Two Harbors, Minn.
context_page_description: Two Harbors is a city in and the county seat of Lake County, Minnesota, United States, along the shore of Lake Superior. The population was 3,745 at the 2010 census
  Minnesota State Highway 61 serves as a main route in Two Harbors. Gooseberry Falls State Park is 13 miles to the northeast.
context_section_description: Had it not been for the discovery of nearby iron ore, Two Harbors would not exist. The Minnesota Iron Company bought 17,000 acres (69 km²) of land in order to build their railroad. In Agate Bay (Two Harbors) most of the land was bought from Thomas Sexton, who by that time had owned the land for twenty years.
  Although different locations were considered for the railroad terminus and shipping port, Agate Bay was chosen because it was closer to the iron ore site and provided a clay bottom bay, while most others were rocky.
  At time when the track was being developed the main transportation route was Lake Superior. This proved difficult when heavy loads such as railroad engines nearly sank the scows, or tugs, that carried them. The contractor, John. S. Wolfe, was told he would receive a bonus of $50,000 if the railroad was completed by August 1st 1884. Because the first of August was to fall on a Friday, and construction workers had strong superstitions about Fridays, it became important that the construction be completed by Thursday, July 31st. On that day, the first iron ore cars left Agate Bay early in the morning, along with a caboose for President Tower to ride in on the return trip.
  The completion of the railway between Duluth and Two Harbors did not occur until 1886.
  The North Shore Scenic Railroad operates a six-hour excursion starting in Duluth which has a two-hour break in Two Harbors.
  A 2-6-0 Mogul class steam locomotive with the first style of ore cars and caboose are on display by the historic Duluth and Iron Range depot.
  A 2-8-8-4 Yellowstone class steam locomotive is on display at Two Harbors. It ranks among the largest steam locomotives ever built.
caption: A tourist views Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range Railway 2-8-8-4 "Yellowstone" preserved at Two Harbors station (2004).
exif: {}