The MATI Rail Crew has been working on the railroad! The Alaska Railroad Corp. accepted a proposal from the crew to clean and make repairs to the Davenport Locomotive on display in front of the Anchorage Depot. Locomotive #1 is beginning to shine.

The MATI Rail Crew are all volunteer members of the Museum of Alaska Transportation and Industry, Inc. Richard and Gail Clinch, Ed Kovich and Pat Durand have taken on this project as an expression of thanks to The Alaska Railroad Corp, for the support the Railroad employees and staff have always extended to MATI. A new front pilot beam, replacement cab awnings, and paint details will finish the job over the next week.
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Another problem for the railroad -- a freight train derailed Friday night 30 miles south of Nenana.
 
There are no reports of injuries, and all the railcars are still upright.

[See story]

Alaska Railroad traffic between Anchorage and Fairbanks resumed Thursday afternoon after a three-day closure that forced passengers into tour buses and stopped the flow of freight and fuel.

Crews worked around the clock since early Tuesday to remove tons of fallen rock and dirt from Moody Tunnel north of Denali National Park and shore up its interior. The first freight train went through around 4 p.m. Thursday, railroad spokesman Tim Thompson said. Passenger trains were to begin using the tunnel again today, he said.

[See story]

Moody Tunnel is open tonight after a rockslide left the tracks impassable for the last two days.

[See story]

Alaska’s summer tourism season is off to a busy start. Experts predict an 8 percent increase in visitors over last summer. But damage to a railroad tunnel near Healy is throwing a temporary wrench into statewide operations.

[See story]

An Alaska Railroad worker is recovering tonight after being hit with falling debris in Moody Tunnel near Healy.

[See story]

A supervisor for the Alaska Railroad was injured Wednesday after being struck by falling debris during work to repair the Moody Tunnel near Healy.

The supervisor, whose identity was being withheld until his family could be notified, sustained head and shoulder injuries. His injuries are not believed to be serious, said railroad spokesman Tim Thompson.

[See story]

A rock slide Tuesday morning in a railroad tunnel near Denali National Park and Preserve forced the Alaska Railroad to close the tracks while crews worked to clear debris.

The slide happened in Moody Tunnel at 353.6 Mile in Healy Canyon, between Denali Park and Healy, while maintenance workers were attempting to repair damage caused earlier in the week.

[See story]

The Alaska Railroad is using a little ingenuity to hold things together while it works on repairing the Moody Tunnel, just north of the high bridge over the Nenana River. That orange color you may spot as you drive over the bridge is spray foam and it actually binds the rock together to prevent it from falling further.

That sounded unusual to me, but Terry Hinman, the railroad's local maintenance of way director says it is not a unique idea and has been used before. It should help make it safer for workers who will now take steel supports into the tunnel and replace the wooden supports.

[See story]

A rock slide that fell as an Alaska Railroad crew repaired the ceiling of a tunnel Tuesday closed rail lines north of Denali National Park.

About 150 cubic yards of rock and soil poured into the Moody Tunnel at about 8 a.m., said railroad spokeswoman Wendy Lindskoog.

[See story]

A tall piece of equipment rammed the ceiling of a railroad tunnel near Denali National Park last weekend, setting the stage for a rock slide Tuesday morning that disrupted train service between Anchorage and Fairbanks.

No one was injured when an estimated 150 cubic yards -- 15 dump trucks' worth -- of rock and dirt cascaded onto the tracks inside Moody Tunnel about five miles north of the park, said Wendy Lindskoog, a spokeswoman for the Alaska Railroad.

[See story]

It has been reported by a railfan that Moody Tunnel between Denali Park and Healy, on the mainline between Fairbanks and Denali Park has collapsed. No further details yet.
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Addition from Robert Krol, "Channel 2 News is reporting the ARR 's Moody Tunnel has had a rock slide and the mainline is closed."
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Also see the ARRC's posted press release.
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Alaska Railroad tunnels along the Nenana River Canyon will soon become a distant memory. They are being phased out for safety reasons.

As of this week, trains no longer run through Garner Tunnel, at Mile 356.2. Instead, the tracks now run a little closer to the river, outside the tunnel.

[See story]

On Saturday [May 28] two people living in a cabin near milepost 270 felt very sick after eating what they believed were edible plants. They were able to contact the police who in turn contacted the railroad. A southbound train picked up two nurses and the dispatcher contacted the poison control center for further instructions. The sick people were reached and treated. The railroad then transported them to the depot where an ambulance took them to the hospital. The Alaska Railroad is always ready to help!

Additional information from Tim Thompson, ARRC Public Affairs: Palmer Police contacted Dispatcher Office because there was a 40 year old man and his nine year old son at a remote cabin needed emergency assistance. They had cooked and eaten a wild plant and were feeling poisoned. Dispatcher contacted Poison Control and had them fax supportive care instructions to the Talkeetna Depot for the emergency personnel. The med kit on the train was opened so the people could receive active charcoal solution. An ambulance met the passengers at the depot and transported the individuals to the hospital.
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The Alaska Railroad is in line to get a grant worth nearly $25 million from the federal government.

[See story]

The public is invited to a Dedication Ceremony and Open House at the Alaska Railroad Corporation’s new Fairbanks Depot (1745 Johansen Expressway) on May 26, from 4 PM to 7 PM. The public will be able to tour the new facilities and also a static display of the Railroad’s new bi-level dome cars offering, “GoldStar,” service.

The new Fairbanks Intermodal Facility and Depot is a $23.7 million state-of-the-art facility that will improve passenger service and safety. The terminal is equipped with modern baggage handling and passenger staging. Drop off areas as well as ample parking are designed to better accommodate visiting and residential passengers. Covering 32-acres of land, the terminal location and track configuration can support three times the current number of trains to meet projected passenger growth over the next 30 years.

The Railroad will also offer the public a sneak peak at the latest in luxury rail passenger cars. The Alaska Railroad took delivery on two new, custom-designed railcars this May, adding to its existing fleet the option for passengers to upgrade to first class – or “GoldStar Service” – beginning late May. The cars were built by Colorado Railcar at a cost of 3.4 million dollars each.

The service will be available between Fairbanks and Anchorage on the Denali Star Train. Passengers who upgrade to first class will have a reserved seat in the glass-domed upper level of the new cars, a private outdoor viewing platform exclusively for GoldStar guests, complimentary appetizers and a full-time car attendant in the car.

The ARRC is a self-sustaining, state-owned corporation that operates without state subsidy, and provides year round passenger and freight service to a number of rail belt communities from Fairbanks to Seward.
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Visitors taking the railroad to Denali National Park and Preserve will now have the option of traveling in style.

Alaska Railroad Corp. earlier this month unveiled two new custom-designed luxury passenger cars that will be used on its Denali Star Train, which runs daily from Anchorage to Denali and Fairbanks, beginning this summer.

[See story]

Also a boost to the town of Whittier, the Alaska Railroad line now goes all the way through the tunnel, linking Whittier to Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, making transfers for the big boats much simpler. That train service started today.

[See story]

A big investment at the Alaska Railroad Corp. is proving to be popular before anyone has even seen it. The railroad just purchased two bi-level dome cars. Although the ARRC has hauled dome cars for the cruise ship industry for years, the railroad has never owned a dome car.

The two new cars mark a first for the railroad industry.

[See story]

A rail link between Alaska and Canada, proposed as a faster way to transport natural resources, would also enable the United States to support anti-ballistic missile silos and military bases, a new study says.

While supporters are playing up the economic advantages, and the Alaska and Yukon governments have signed an agreement to study the idea, critics say the military uses are likely to stir opposition in Canada, where the continental missile shield project is unpopular.

[See story]

Crunching through slushy snow breaking down in the 60-degree spring sunshine, Bruce Buzby of the state Department of Natural Resources explained how Idaho company Knoll Acres plans to "re-mine" the waste left behind at the Jonesville Mine by previous coal companies.

[See story]

Holland America Tours, HALX reporting marks, 1058 & 1059, departed Fort Lupton, CO, from builder Colorado Railcar, LLC, 5-7-2005. The new ultradomes are headed via UP to Denver. Watch for them at Denver Union Station before going to BNSF. Car names are HALX 1058 KASHWITNA and HALX 1059 TEKLANIKA. You'll be able to ride them on the Alaska Railroad this summer.

The first two MRRT cars were traveling the long way around through Wishram. Should be Seattle way today (Sun).
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The governments of Alaska and Yukon Territory said April 25 they will jointly study the economic and social benefits of a proposed railroad to run through Alaska and Canada.

Gov. Frank Murkowski and Yukon Territory Premier Dennis Fentie signed a memorandum of understanding establishing their intent to start the roughly yearlong study, which is expected to begin in May.

[See story]

Frank Turpin, a career oil man who went on to head the Alaska Railroad and serve as state transportation commissioner, died Thursday in Texas after a stroke. He was 82.
Turpin worked 37 years for oil giant Exxon Mobil, starting in 1947.

He finished his oil career as president of Alyeska Pipeline Service Co., an Anchorage consortium of oil companies including Exxon that own the 800-mile trans-Alaska oil pipeline. Exxon loaned out Turpin for that job in summer 1978, about a year after North Slope crude oil started moving down the line, and he worked to ramp up the flow rate toward a peak of more than 2 million barrels a day.

[See story]

The governments of Alaska and Yukon Territory said Monday they will jointly study the economic and social benefits of a proposed railroad to run through Alaska and Canada.

Gov. Frank Murkowski and Yukon Territory Premier Dennis Fentie signed a memorandum of understanding establishing their intent to start the roughly yearlong study, which is expected to begin in May.

[See story]

If you have your sights set on a prize salmon in Ship Creek this summer, the only prize you’ll get is the fish. The King Salmon Derby has been cancelled.
 
The Alaska Railroad, which owns the land along Ship Creek, says no sponsors came forward with a plan. Officials believe the derby will return next year. In the meantime, anglers can still fish along the banks.

[See story]

651 and 652 left Ft. Lupton on Wednesday, April 13, a day behind schedule due to the heavy snows a few days prior that delayed the UP switch. By the time they left the plant, there was hardly a trace of snow to be found, and the idea of being a day behind because of it was somewhat laughable.

They left Denver the next day, arriving in Laurel, MT the following night. By Monday, they were in Vancouver, and arrived in Seattle on Tuesday morning for a rather arduous sit at the Rabanco garbage loading facility before being moved to Stacy Street yard and Harbor Island. They were loaded on the barge Fairbanks Provider a little after noon, and should be sailing home right now.

The cars are beautiful inside, and I will be sure to get some photos to you. The upstairs doors are presently blocked off with plywood and other materials to prevent seawater entry. Given the recent clobbering that I heard a cruise ship took under 70 foot waves, that sounds like a pretty good idea.

Click here for photos of loading numbers 651 and 652.
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Adding to the list of retired generals helping manage state operations, Gov. Frank Murkowski has named retired Air Force Gen. Joseph Ralston to the Alaska Railroad Corp. board of directors.

He joins retired Air Force Gen. Patrick Gamble, who was named president and chief executive officer of the Alaska Railroad in 2001, and retired Army Major Gen. Mark Hamilton, who was hired as president of the University of Alaska in 1998 after 31 years in the military.

[See story]

Ghemm Company president Bert Bell's first job after high school was to ride the Pioneer Park train while playing the part of an inept deputy who fails to stop a staged train robbery.

Now, several decades later, his construction company is building a $1.6 million depot for that train.

[See story]

An innovation used on railroads across the country has finally reached the northernmost end of the Alaska line.

The Alaska Railroad is laying track to a new Fairbanks depot using concrete ties.

"They work just like a wood tie, but there have been some studies that show they have a longer life, are more durable, and also when that life is over, they're easier to dispose of, said Mark Peterburs, railroad director of project management. "There is no creosote, so they can be crushed and recycled."

[See story]

The opening of the Alaska Railroad operation center, a 23,000-square-foot, $9.4 million building, was on Saturday in Anchorage.

The new building will be the nerve center for the railroad, bringing together the 200 employees in dispatch, environment, health and safety, transportation, and operation under one roof.

[See story]

Technology used on railroads across the country for the past couple of decades finally has come to the northernmost end of the line.

The Alaska Railroad is laying a new loop of track in conjunction with the depot construction project. From a distance looking like picket fences lying on their sides and snaking through the industrial area between Phillips Field Road and the Johansen Expressway, the shiny ties are strikingly different from their wooden, creosote-laden counterparts. The new ties are made of concrete.

[See story]

The Alaska Railroad says the future is looking bright. The company reported record profits in 2004. Today, the railroad celebrated the opening of its new operations center.

The railroad hopes it will be a center that improves safety and efficiency on the rails.

[See story]

John Taubeneck reports the two Princes Line cars were loaded on the barge "Whittier Provider" this morning (April 15).

John also reports that ARR # 1 "Denali" was sitting in the barge slip yard on Harbor Island with two cars of scrap. The "Denali" apparently came off the barge on Wednesday. Does anyone know where the "Denali" is headed?
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Alaska and Yukon Territory officials are coordinating efforts to keep pressure on their respective federal governments to conduct a feasibility study of an Alaska-Canada rail link.

Meanwhile, the state-owned Alaska Railroad Corp. is in the middle of a $14 million environmental and engineering study of a possible 80-mile extension of the railroad from North Pole, near Fairbanks, to Delta Junction. The extension would support military training in the area and missile defense facilities at Fort Greely, near Delta Junction. The 80-mile extension would be paid for by the Department of Defense, if the plan is approved.

[See story]

The Alaska Railroad had a record year in 2004, reporting $15.4 million in profits on total revenue of $129.5 million.

In 2003, the state-owned railroad reported $14.5 million in profits and $128.7 million in revenue.

Revenue from shipping freight, the railroad's core business, was up 1.5 percent from the prior year, totaling $86.5 million, according to the railroad's annual financial report. At the same time, passenger revenue rose 19 percent to $16.9 million.

[See story]

Dave Franz sends the following:

Two more Princess Cruise Line ultradomes refurbished by Colorado Railcar, Ltd, Fort Lupton, CO, were moved to Denver Union Station, Denver, CO, on April 1, 2005 (no joke, this happened). MSEX 7080 and 7081 were moved by UP to the station. BNSF was going to pick them up that evening. They should move north on BNSF's Denver to Laurel, MT, train. They're headed for Seattle, WA. They will be shown to invited guests (travel agents?) at Seattle on April 11, 2005.

MSEX 7080 has two spiral stairs up to the dome. There's also a handicap wheelchair lift inside the car. What a great way to see Alaska!
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I have included the release in the body of the e-mail and as an attachment. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Regards,
Tim T.

Alaska Railroad Release 2004 Annual Report: Record Earnings top $ 15 million
Contact: John Binkley, ARRC Chairman 907-479-6673 or 907-322-2390
Tim Thompson, Public Affairs Officer 907-265-2695

April 1, 2005

For Immediate Release
The Alaska Railroad Corporation (ARRC) released its 2004 Annual Report today posting record level earnings of $15.4 million on total revenues of $129.5 million.

"The Alaska Railroad had a great year in 2004," Chairman John Binkley said. "We topped our 2003 record level earnings, and we did it by increasing our revenue and keeping our expenses under control. With the extension of track into new territory, we're ready to take advantage of emerging opportunities. Alaskans should be proud of the performance of their Railroad."

The report also highlights some of the pioneering technologies and safety advances made at the Alaska Railroad. These advances have resulted in nearly equaling last year's best ever safety record set in 2003. 2004 saw the frequency of reportable injuries decrease and train accident rates substantially lower than the national average.

"The Alaska Railroad is working to become a world-class, cutting-edge 21st century rail transportation system," Pat Gamble, ARRC President and CEO said. "We are designing a railroad that can step up to tomorrow's challenges. Each of our employees is dedicating his and her professional skills to that proposition."

The Alaska Railroad Corporation is a self-sustaining, state-owned corporation that operates without state subsidy. The Railroad generates revenue through year-round passenger and freight service to a number of communities from Seward to Fairbanks and through its management of Real Estate holdings along the railbelt.

An electronic copy of the annual report is available on the ARRC web site at:

www.AlaskaRailroad.com/corporate/annual_reports.html
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A new report broke records for the Alaska Railroad. The 2004 annual report released Friday shows record earnings for the second year in a row.

Last year, the railroad reports, it took in $129.5 million, creating a profit of $15.4 million.

[See story]

On April 1 the Webmaster of John's Alaska Railroad Web Page turned its main page into an April Fool's spoof. Articles such as "Steam returning to Alaska Rails?" (contributed by Pat Durand), "XMG to create full line of HO scale ARR railcars and locos" (contributed by John Combs), "Names for the eight new SD70MACs announced" (contributed by Randy Thompson), "ARRC holding discussions with Amtrak"(contributed by Frank Dewey), and "Another Railroad in the Sky?" (contributed by Pat Durand) teased as well as delighted Internet visitors. A photo suggested the ARRC would soon lay rails in Hawaii and hot links sent visitors to various Internet sites such as tornado chasing, optical illusions and a cheerleader toss.

When asked about the hoax, Webmaster John Combs replied, "My wife and I have played April Fool's jokes for years. It is in our blood." John then related a tale about the time his wife Terry pulled the wool over his mother's eyes. " We had only been married for about nine months, were in the middle of our college years and tight financially. Terry walked up to my mother and told her she was pregnant. My mother went into a panicked, frenzied state. 'Terry! What are you going to do about school? How can you afford to have this baby?' Terry and I were rolling on the floor laughing."

John admits that sometimes jokes backfire. "On April 1, 2000 I posted a news item saying I was shutting down my Alaska Railroad website due to other time commitments. I then thanked everyone who had helped to make the effort a success. At the bottom of the article I admitted it was an April Fool's joke. A lot of people didn't bother reading to the end. One railfan told me he even clutched his chest when he saw the first few lines."

To make matters worse, several weeks later his Internet Service Provider, who had just been purchased by another company, forced him to use their new web address. The link that Alaska Railroad railfans had used for the past three years was gone. "So now I've jokingly told people that I am giving up the website and then the actual link disappears. A number of people thought I was gone for good. Every year since I have had railfans contact me and express surprise that I finally got back online. It is exactly like the movie, "Escape from New York" where people continually walk up to Curt Russell's character and say, "Snake Plissken! I thought you were dead!"

John does provide some good advice to practical jokers. "Don't get too carried away. A joke can go too far. One time an aquaintance disguised his voice, called me up on the phone and told me he was a state trooper. He said he regretted to inform me that the basement wall in my home had collapsed thus crushing and killing my wife. I just about passed out! Then he started laughing and I recognized his laugh. So I asked him if I could sign his body cast. 'What body cast?', he says."