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Magic City Express another sign of Minot’s return

While many wounds remain even eight years removed from the flood of 2011, wounds eventually heal. Such is the case with human beings or entire communities.

Minot’s damage from the flood was so severe, the impact on residents so profound, it’s little wonder that some wounds are still in the process of healing.

The re-emergence of the Magic City Express is another sign that the city is recovering. “Returning to normal” might be an impossible exaggeration since other factors have probably forever altered what would have been considered “normal” before the flood.

For some longtime residents, the sight of the Magic City Express up and operating last weekend must have been a good sign. The narrow gauge train that has carried countless passengers on a route through Roosevelt Park, and its tracks, were seriously damaged by the 2011 flood and it has been a long road back.

The Magic City Express, though, is indeed back. The train itself has been repaired and sports new paint and the majority of the tracks are good to go. There were plenty of riders and spectators last weekend who discovered this for themselves.

There have been other signs of Minot’s return from the after effects of the flood, such as the ongoing effort to bring a renaissance to downtown and plans to include the riverfront as part of an expansive greenway. While the flood protection plan doesn’t exactly prompt feelings of Minot returning, it too should add to the sense of recovery because eventually it will provide peace of mind that a flood event such as that in 2011 won’t happen again.

Plans are for the Magic City Express to run again from 11 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. this Saturday and Sunday, giving people an opportunity to enjoy the train before summer completely disappears.

Minot Daily News hopes the Magic City Express continues to enthrall and entertain for many more years.

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