Goodbye to the 6th Ave Road Bridge’s Remnants
By Josh Miller
An interested Duluth history fan can find many remains of “old Duluth” around town. A few years ago, PBS/WDSE made a great series called “Lost Duluth” with contributions from Historian Tony Dierckins’ book of the same title. In the book and show, they walk locations such as 7th Street West, to look for remnants of the old Duluth Incline Trolley. Barely can you find much beyond the steps, but the steps themselves are a clue that the Incline was once there.
Another such location, not mentioned in either of the above, is located along the Duluth Depot platform. Anyone with a front view from the train, or looking out the back would notice a very odd “swerve” in Track 1, along the Duluth Depot’s 1600 ft platform.
In the photo here from the 1980’s when Amtrak was around, from the collection of Dave Schauer, you can see the curve very clearly, and every new conductor or traincrew on the North Shore Scenic Railroad always ask about it. It is the remains of a road bridge that once crossed the Depot’s yard.
The 6th Avenue West road bridge once crossed the train yard here. Its abutments to hold the bridge up reached down to the train yard. Somewhere along the way, they lined up so that Track 1 needed more clearance, and thus a slight curve was added. When the bridge was removed, the concrete pads for the bridge remained to this day.
Below you can see the 6th Avenue Bridge, and even the actual abutments that would be coming down at Track 1’s location.
This little piece of history is going away now, with a project to replace Track 1 with fresh track. The platform in this location is also being rebuilt, as it is not level, and the bricks are a bit of a tripping hazard. This location has been in severe need of some improvement for many years.
Learn more about this project in the upcoming Junction Magazine, slated to reach members in early June. Learn more about membership to the museum here.