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Here are two portrait photos of No. 801 built up from an HO Bachman Light Mountain. Bachman also offers this unit in N scale so the same techniques could be used to create an N scale Alaska Railroad Mountain. In front of the compressor on the pilot deck you can just make out another mountain in the distant haze, Mt. Mckinley.The photo stand is set up in the parking lot of a Chugiak Methodist Church where the Pastor is also a fellow railroader.

History of Alaska Railroad No. 801

The largest steam locomotives operated on the Alaska Railroad were 4-8-2 Mountains No. 801 and No. 802. Both locomotives were purchased new, but separated by ten years and differed in a few appliances and accessories.

Baldwin construction number 61736 was turned out in May of 1932 and became ARR 801. An excellent builders photo is available showing the left side of the locomotive. She was the first locomotive on the railroad with a coal stoker. The booster on the Delta trailing truck added 11800 pounds of tractive effort to the rated 43100 pounds tractive effort exerted by the eight 63' drivers. This was developed with steam pressure of 220 PSI applied by 22'X30' cylinders to move the 472,800 lbs weight of the locomotive with tender. Total train length was 86'2" over the couplers. No. 801 was one of a kind until joined by No. 802 in 1942.

By comparison an SD70MAC weighs in at 415,000 pounds, generates 175,500 pounds starting tractive effort applied by 12 wheels. Total train length is 74 feet. Over three times the power applied with less tare weight than the Mountain.

An undated Alaska Railroad photo from the Jack Klingbeil collection provides details for the right side and pilot of the locomotive. We can surmise that the photo was taken before 1942 when she was involved in a major derailment near Indian. She still carried the as built lettering "The Alaska Railroad" and the number 801 is on the cab side. The booster was still installed with the exhaust behind the stack.

801 saw service all over the system, but spent a lot of time in early years with coal service from Healy to Fairbanks with caboose 1021 bringing up the rear. While north bound between Girdwood and Indian in 1942 she was derailed on a rock slide and ended up nose down in Turnagain Arm. Considerable damage was done in the retrieval process and extensive rebuilding was required.

After this first wreck the booster was eliminated and the large number 801 was moved to the tender along with the smaller "Alaska Railroad" high on the coal bunker sides. Harold K. Volrath's collection photo of 801 provided a September 1949 right side view in the Fairbanks yard reflecting these changes. Over the years the boiler jacket, jacket on the cross compound compressor and various grab irons and appliances were changed.

Charles Drum was Conductor on ALCO Extra 1076 North at Nenana and provides a first hand report on the collision that ended the service life of No. 801 on August 23, 1950. In short 1070 was doubling the hill out of Nenana and had just returned to the yard for the second section of a mixed freight. The crew heard repeated blasts of a whistle and then the caboose on their parked train went air born. Several cars were destroyed along with the caboose and 801 was damaged beyond repair. No. 801 had 30 hopper cars of gravel north bound and was going too fast to stop when they came upon the unexpected parked train in the yard. There were no serious injuries as the caboose was empty and the fireman and engineer from 801 had jumped clear before impact.

The remains of 801 eventually joined 802 upon her retirement in a sale to Dulin Steel Products.

Prepared by Patrick Durand August 5, 2004