Railroad Museum of Minot on derailments

MINOT, N.D. (KMOT) – The nation has been focused on train derailments and railway safety lately in the wake of last month’s toxic derailment of a Norfolk Southern train in East Palestine, Ohio, as well as other derailments across the country since then.

Your News Leader reached out to the Minot Railroad Museum to see if there’s been a spike in interest in the history of derailments.

Golden Melland, the museum’s president, said less dramatic train derailments happen every day.

Melland said the amount of people who visit is a hit-and-miss, and it’s not necessarily about railway safety.

While they have numbers on derailments, he said the museum teaches the history of towns connected to the railway.

“People who work for the railroad actually got the museum started for their history, saving their history, talk about their history. Minot is a railroad town,” said Melland.

They are open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday and they are run by volunteers.

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