Archive Dive: The Incan Superior

One of the most unique lake vessels to sail through the Twin Ports was the M/V Incan Superior. While it operated from 1974 to 1992, this vessel is often overlooked in the history of shipping on Lake Superior. She was a railroad car ferry—a flat decked rail car carrying boat—that operated on the big lake hauling railroad cars between Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada and Superior, Wisconsin. Essentially, the Incan Superior was more of a train than a boat. Read about the life of this unique vessel here.

The Incan Superior, loaded with rail cars, navigates the Duluth Ship Canal as it leaves Duluth for Thunder Bay. (Image: Courtesy of Historical Collections of the Great Lakes, Bowling Green State University)