On a recent insulator hunt I snapped a few pictures. The shops were sold to a developer a few years ago after the railroad shut them down. This picture is the front of the office building and is an impressive structure in my opinion . It originally had a clock where the NP insignia is now. The Railroad came to Brainerd I believe in the mid to Late 1870's as part of the drive from Lake Superior to the Puget sound which actually created the town thus killing the town of Crow Wing just south of Brainerd. I was in the shops a few years ago to do a construction estimate for one of the tenants and I was impressed to see how these shops were built. They are brick walls of course with huge wood beams to support the roofs. The beams are still black with soot from the engines. My Great Uncle worked here for many years and retired from the RR.