CURRIE — The End-O-Line Railroad Museum will receive a grant in the total of $169,843.00 from the Historic Preservation fund through the state of Minnesota, Tribal, and Local grants division for repairs to its hand operated railroad turntable.

According to Nicholas Demuth, the End-O-Line Museums director, the federal grant is part of the national register of historical sites that have been damaged by the floods in 2018, 2024 and 2025. According to Demuth’s press release, the End-O-Line turntable has been damaged by those floods specifically because of its location next to Lake Shetek, where water often spills over causing damage to the turntable.

Demuth stated that the End-O-Line turntable is a unique site, being the only hand operated turntable still in its original location, as well as never changed from being hand operated.

“As far as I know its the only one of its kind in the entire Midwest region.” Demuth Said

The funding from the grant will be used to re-specialize the limestone, replace the wood on the turntable and give the steel a new paint job. The repairs will also include a renovation to the drainage system, protecting the turntable in future flooding events.

On May 6, the first step toward the project was made. According to Demuth, a request was filed to find a qualified architect to head the project. The request was approved by the Murray County board of commissioners after a motion from Commissioner Dennis Walgraven and seconded by Commissioner Roger Zins.

“The hope is to be done before labor day weekend” Demuth Said, “But depending on where that lands this year we might have to wait until after it (The End-O-Line Museum) closes this summer.”