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In April 19, myself and two other members of the rail preservation community to inspect the observation car SEWARD which is located near Lowell Point on a campground for possible acquisition and future restoration.

The SEWARD was built originally for the Northern Pacific Railroad by Pacific Car and Foundry in 1915 and was acquired by the Alaska Railroad in 1936 where it was named SEWARD and bore 5 as it's number. There were a couple very similar cars at the time on the Alaska Railroad, the KENAI and YUKON. YUKON is located in the Matanuska River along the old Sutton Branch and shared the same floor plan as SEWARD. KENAI supposedly is also in the Matanuska River.

In 1960 the SEWARD was retired and in 1963 it was given to the City of Seward where it housed the Seward Chamber of Commerce. It was moved up 2nd Avenue in Seward just days before the 1964 Great Alaska Earthquake. Sometime prior to 2004 it became vacant and run down. Sometime in that period of time Mark Powers who owned the Silver Derby Campground in Seward bought the car and moved it to his property where it sits today.

Mark Powers had grand plans for the SEWARD along with a bi-level car 600. Unfortunately, those plans never came together, Mark passed away in 2017-18.
The Miller family who owns Miller's Landing next to the Silver Derby bought the land from the Powers' family including the SEWARD and 600. Over the last couple of years vandals have gone full speed in smashing almost all the windows out and trashing the interior of the SEWARD letting more salt air and weather inside. Due to liability reasons Tom Miller decided the cars have to go, and put out that they were available for free.

I made contact with Tom Miller and it was decided that myself and two others one of which as extensive knowledge in railroad preservation and restoration to make a trip and inspect the SEAWARD and figure out what would be needed to move the car - that is if it's not too far gone.

After nearly two hours of climbing all over the car from the trucks to the roof, we found out what we were expecting....

The observation platform end of the car has extensive rust and both steps have fallen off, the roof has several large holes which as allowed water inside. Five out of twelve pedestals on the trucks were cracked, springs flat or broken. The vestibule end is severely rusted and the floor is nearly gone. The interior is falling apart from the years of weather and neglect, and the steel sub-flooring are falling down in large pieces exposing the wood work. Indeed like a cancer, rust, rot and time have not been kind to the SEWARD.

After a long discussion between us on the way home it became clear that sadly, the SEWARD can't be saved. A scrapper across Resurrection Bay has expressed a strong interest in both cars and once the seasonal weight restrictions are lifted a large slice of not only Alaska Railroad history but Alaska's history. As railroad historian and friend Patrick Durand has said, "Preserving Alaska's railroad heritage, is a challenge." Indeed his is correct.

What turned into an inspection turned into a documentation of the last days of the SEWARD's existence. Many photos of all her parts and damaged body were taken in many angles and a short video of the car was made.

For those of you who live in Seward or know of this old car, now is the time to get your last images for your collection for the sand has about run out of the glass. For you the audience, I present to you an album of photos of the SEWARD, one of the last true observation cars left in Alaska.