Channel 2 News says the tracks are closed because of a snow slide about
7 miles north of the derailment. A snow fleet has been out on the rails
clearing snow and a empty fuel train was suppose to head north, but the
avalanche has closed the tracks.
Crews completed track repairs at Gold Creek early this morning at 4:45 a.m. Today, they'll surface the track and begin installing a new switch on the south end of the siding. The snow fleet will be the first train through the area. About 5 p.m. a northbound train pulling empty tank cars will follow,and at about 8 p.m. a southbound petroleum train will go through the site.
Meanwhile, the assessment team will complete mapping the extent of the spill. All indicators are that the fuel is contained within the area close to the site.
A skelton crew will oversee the site during the New Year holiday. This
will give employees a chance to rest. Many have been at the site since
the beginning. Temperatures are dropping and extremely cold weather is
expected for the week.
Channel 2 News says the tracks should be open by morning. They also
say that the ARRC will inspect tracks and switches more frequently and
give fuel trains priority when meeting other trains. The ARRC will also
see what other changes are necessary to provide safe movement of fuel trains,
i.e. maybe more response equipment staged also the route, that sorta stuff.
Two fuel trains have derailed in the past seven weeks along the same stretchnorth of Talkeetna. The tracks remain closed where crews are trying to move the rail cars out of the way so they can clean up an estimated 100,000 gallons of jet fuel spilled in the most recent accident.
ANCHORAGE - Federal agencies may take punitive action against the Alaska Railroad Corp. (ARRC) for a 12,450-gallon jet fuel spill that occurred when one of its trains derailed near Hurricane in October.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (ADEC) will meet to discuss possible action against the ARRC and review the railroads response procedures to hazardous spills, said Leslie Pearson of the ADEC.
This spill has definitely gotten our attention, Pearson said.
According to Pearson, any action will probably be taken in the civil arena, with the agencies seeking monetary relief or a consent decree from the ARRC.
The ARRC said last week that 744 gallons of fuel remain unrecovered at the spill site. Clean-up is scheduled to continue in the spring after break-up.
Pearson said the railroad has not modified the response plan it had in place before this latest spill, and said the railroad needs to improve the ways it deals with spill or derailment emergencies.
She noted that none of the fuel-carrying railroad cars have any spill- response equipment on board. Rail Sciences Inc., an independent, Atlanta-based company commissioned by the ARRC, investigated what caused the derailment, according to ARRC spokesman Scott Banks.
According to a Rail Sciences report, spreading of the track gauges caused by the force on the wheels of the two switcher engines being towed caused the railroad cars to jump the tracks.
Coupler blocks are usually installed in the switcher cars when they are being towed to limit the lateral swing of the engines, because switcher engines normally have a wider side-to-side swing than other train engines.
When the switcher engines were readied in Fairbanks to be towed to Anchorage, however, the blocks were not installed.
The commissioned report exonerated railroad crew members who operated the train. It also said there was no prior damage to the train tracks, as was originally believed.
Banks said the ARRC has implemented a new policy that makes it mandatory for coupler blocks to be installed whenever the switcher engines are in tow. If more than one switcher engine is being towed, the engines must be separated by two loaded freight cars.
Ten railroad cars were loaded with 220,035 gallons of jet A fuel from Williams Alaska Petroleum when they derailed at Mile 268.8.
The cost of the clean-up effort has topped $2 million, so far.
I thought you might like to know the result of all the time, effort, and expense put to the fuel spill response and cleanup of the derailment at Canyon in October and November.
Of the 220,035 gallons of fuel in the 10 tank cars that derailed on October 31, we recovered 219, 291 gallons through lightering and recovery of free product from the environment. That leaves only 744 gallons unaccounted for, and means we picked up 95 percent of what was spilled.
Many thanks to everyone who worked the spill or filled in for those
who were away. But please, never forget that while we were able to minimize
the "cost" to the environment, we'll be feeling the cost of this incident
for some time to come at the ARRC.
ARR 4001 was shipped yesterday so you [Alaskans] should see it before
too long." - Doug Cummings, Editor-Publisher, Extra 2200 South
I watched Channel 2 News for more info on the derailment and saw that
ARR 3001, 3004 and Helm 4401 are derailed at the site and I couldn't see
the 3rd loco that was on the ground. They are upright, so probably not
to much damage to them if any.
A southbound Alaska Railroad train carrying aviation fuel derailed at 2 a.m. this morning at Gold Creek, 36 miles north of Talkeetna. Three locomotives and 15 tank cars derailed with five of those cars leaking fuel. Railroad officials initial estimates put the spill at up to 120,000 gallons. The three-person train crew was uninjured.
Response teams from Anchorage, and equipment and crews from railroad outposts north and south of the derailment, are en route to the site.
The train consisted of four locomotives pulling 53 tank cars. It was traveling to Anchorage from the Williams Refinery in North Pole.
Gold Creek is a remote site that is accessible only by rail. The area of the derailment is approximately 1,000 feet from the Big Susitna River.
Cause of the derailment is unknown. All federal agencies were notified.
http://www.akrr.com/corporate/pr/goldcreek.htm
http://www.state.ak.us/dec/dspar/perp/akrr4/index.htm
[It appears this spill is about ten times worse then the one at Canyon
last month!]
A preview of the 2000 print is here and I've posted it to our site. The actual print looks much better. Unfortunately, it doesn't appear very detailed in the image we have. A huge version is in our Board room and you can actually see the small detail of each individual photo - quite a sight! I'm sure that they will put it on some public display so maybe you [John Combs] can see it next time you visit. You can download it here:
http://www.akrr.com/images/2KPoster.jpg
Senator Ted Stevens and Congressman Don Young joined the Alaska Railroad employees this afternoon in the Board room for lunch and talked about their visions for Alaska and the Railroad. The Governor talked about all of our exciting projects. There was quite a nice turnout and lots of applause could be heard. It was a great opportunity for us to give thanks for all the support we have received to improve our Railroad.
We'll also be distributing a new PR style quarterly publication called
"ARR Community Ties." It will feature things going on around here and will
be posted on our site under Corporate Info in Acrobat format.
As the Alaska Railroad Corp. pushes ahead with development projects, a legislative subcommittee would like to set an asking price for the state-owned corporation's assets.
A subcommittee looking at privatizing the state-run railroad, wants to obtain purchase offers from the private sector, much to the chagrin of the corporation's current president, former Gov. Bill Sheffield.
"Weíre back to where we were three years ago when we came up here asking for a resolution (of support)", Sheffield told and audience at Tuesday's Greater Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce luncheon. "I know we'll make it and it will work out and somehow they'll get off our backs."
Sheffield and John Binkley, president of the corporation's board of directors, both plan to oppose the measure today in Anchorage during a joint legislative committee hearing on privatizing components of state government.
The subcommittee has recommended seeking proposals from interested buyers to lease the operating portion of the railroad's system. The railroad private landholdings, which total 36,000 acres, should also be offered for sale to current lease holders, according to the subcommittee's recommendation.
The Alaska Railroad Corp. is just one facet of state government the Commission on Privatization and Delivery of Government Services has scrutinized in the past five months.
Lee Wareham, chairman of the subcommittee focusing on the railroad, opposes the resolution his panel put forward. The former North Star Borough assemblyman said the quasi-public corporation reinvests it's earnings in the system. "This is one thing weíre doing right and we ought to continue". In 1998, the railroad reported $10 million in earnings on revenue of $89 million.
Binckley, who likens the proposal to selling the Yukon River, said it has proved distracting. "We're so busy trying to deal with this expansion, it takes away from what your main mission really is," he said.
Binckley said the first of the 16 new 4,000 horsepower locomotives will roll off the production line next month. He outlined a list of projects during his speech, including the new depots at Denali National Park and Preserve and in Fairbanks. Both will be needed to accommodate future growth for the road, he said, along with an expansion of the Seward facility.
The new Fairbanks depot will be located southeast of the intersection at the Johanssen Expressway and Danby Street. It's tentatively scheduled to open in the summer of 2002.
The project is now in the design stage phase and will cost at least $5 million, with federal funding covering 80 percent. The goal is to create a full service rail yard that can accommodate increased passenger and freight traffic.
The proposed Denali Depot is still in the public comment period and is subject to approval by the National Park Service. The most favored of four alternatives would move the current park road 200 feet west of it's existing path and create a 15,000 square-foot depot, according to an environmental assessment report prepared by the U.S. Department of Interior.
The report states that 174,000 passengers purchased tickets last year, marking an 8 percent increase over three years.
Binkley also said the Kantishna Holdings purchased an option to lease a 388-acre parcel of land north of Healy. The company is developing plans to build a hotel and visitors center on that parcel of railroad property. Joe Fields, the company's president, still has hopes of constructing a passenger rail line to the Wonder Lake area in Denali National Park and Preserve.
That rail line would connect to the Alaska Railroad, and the proposed hotel and visitors center would be built near this junction. Congress has authorized $1.5 million for a feasibility study, but the money has never been allocated.
Binckley is concerned that talk of privatization will detract from development
possibilities and jeopardize future federal funding. Critics argue that
the company's profit margin is subsidized with federal funding.
Alaska Railroad #4001 was just sighted at GMD ... painted! Found
out today, while checking up on the ARR SD70MACs, that one SD70MAC (4001)
is built at London - the rest will be assembled at Altoona.
[Webmaster's Note: Pay attention! This news entry is slightly different from the previous one below.]
I talked to Josh yesterday and here's the latest scoop.
ARR GP38-2 #2002 has been sent to LRC for rebuilding, joining the two RDC's and three GP40HEP's. Good news on the 40's - they will retain their 3000hp rather than be derated to 2000hp as originally planned. As part of this rebuild, the train line will be run through the length of the chassis so the locos won't have to run elephant style to hook the HEP to the cars. Also, some form of computer chip synchro device will be installed to allow the Geep's HEP units to be mated with the HEP units in the baggage cars. The six Helm units I noted yesterday have been returned to Helm. I think that leaves Helm 3876, 3877 and 505 to soldier on thru the winter with ARR.
Meanwhile, all the passenger equipment just purchased has undergone a number switch. The 3 domes (2 ex-NP, 1 ex-SP&S) purchased from Amtrak will receive numbers 521, 522 and 523 to differentiate them from the ACF domes and the Florida Fun Train cars. The 2 ex-L&N diners have been "sold back" to Amtrak to help pay for the refurbishment of these domes since the cost was so high. Apparently the diners were in really bad shape and not even worth keeping stored for later refurbishment when ARR got some more cash.
The nine cars of the Florida Fun Train will be numbered as follows:
The 4 single-level domes will be 551 - 554.
The Arcade Car and Theater Car are being turned into diners and will carry numbers 451 and 452.
The 2 bar cars will retain their cafe-style configurations and become 351 and 352. (Note: these four cars are all ex-C&NW bi-level cars.)
The 9th car is a single-level dome with an open platform at one end.
This car will be turned into an 18-passenger business car and should carry
the number A-4. The Denali (A-3) will still be used as a biz car, but for
smaller groups. No word yet on if the new biz car will get a name, but
you can bet the Guv will come up with one!
News from Josh is as follows. GP38 2002 has been sent to LRC for rebuilding. It now joins 3009, 3010, 3011 and the 2 RDC's. Good news on the HEP units - they will NOT be derated to 2000hp! In addition, the train lines will be run through so the locos will not have to be run elephant style on the Fairbanks train. Also, LRC will be adding some kind of synchro device to allow the baggage car HEP's to be mated with the 40's.
The 3 Budd domes being rebuilt by Amtrak will now be numbered 521 -
523 to allow the Florida Fun Train single level domes to be numbered 551
- 554. The 5th FFT single level dome has an open platform at one end and
will be turned into a 18-passenger business car. It will probably be numbered
A-4. The Denali (A-3) will still be used as a biz car but for smaller groups
(5 to 9 people). The arcade and theater cars from the FFT will be numbered
as diners 451 and 452 after being converted from their "entertainement"
designs. Likewise, the 2 bar cars from the FFT will be numbered 351 and
352 to reflect their lounge-cafe configurations. Josh told me that the
two ex-L&N diners are being "sold back" to Amtrak to help cover the
cost of rebuilding the three domes. All this equipment is still scheduled
to be on the property by the beginning of the 2000 passenger season.
On Friday (11/5), Helm units 4403, 4404, 4414, 4400, 4411 and 4402 as
well as ARR GP38-2 2002 were sitting at the south end of the yard here
in Anchorage with their exhaust stacks and fans shrink-wrapped, looking
like they were ready to go to Whittier. Haven't been able to get
near the yard this weekend, so I'll see if they are still there tomorrow
(Mon, 11/8) and try to get hold of Josh [ARR Chief Mechanic].
I was at my favorite trian shop last week and they told me that there
is going to be an Alaska RR Passenger set avialable by Lionel in the near
future. Also, there is a MIke's Train House ARR 5 passenger car set that
is already available to go with the sleeper/diner set (item#20-6518 price
is about $250.00) and an Ultradoom due out this month to go to the other
7 car set (about 59.95).
At the present time the cars are undergoing refurbishment at Ft. Lupton, CO. The four low level cars have primer on them. Looks like this was done all outside, as the cars have not moved since arrival this summer. The Hi level cars look like they are having some body work done on them.
Things are getting busy up there as three Rocky Mountain Railcars No.s 9502, 9505, and 9507 are due in this week for annual servicing and maintenance. So exactly when the ARR cars will be done is anybody's guess. Rader is not known for on time delivery.
I am not sure what is entailed in the rebuilding, but when I walked
through the cars while they were in Denver, I was not impressed with them.
The windows were in very poor shape on the low level cars.
The ARRC has out for bid Leasing 4 Locos. They want prices for 4 locos
either with or without HEP for the year 2000 on an as needed basis for
1 year with 4 more options for 1 year each. They must be GP EMD 4 axle
type and must FRA approved for Lead Engine Use.
Here is a page
which provides photos of the derailment, map locations and the clean up
status. A must see!
The ex ARR 1801, 1803, 1808, 1809 that became BDLX are becoming Missouri
Central, but they are being renumbered, the first one done is 1800 in green
with gold trucks, do not know which this was; there is an 1804 which would
be another renumbered one. Will see if I can get frame checks to know how
they are being numbered.
By LARRY CAMPBELL
Daily News reporter
Ten Alaska Railroad tank cars, each filled with 20,000 of jet fuel, derailed early Sunday morning north of Talkeetna, and one leaking tank may have spilled more than 7,000 gallons of the fuel.
Railroad crews and state and federal environmental observers were working through late Sunday evening to pump the fuel from all the tanks, including the damaged one. Absorbent materials were spread and artificial dams were built to keep the fuel in trackside drainage ditches and away from the surrounding marsh area.
"It appears it's pretty well contained right around the spill area now," said Brad Hahn, state on-scene coordinator for the Department of Environmental Conservation. "It's fortunate, considering the mess we've got up here."
Hahn was referring to the derailed cars, some on their sides, others overturned. The railroad reported about 200 feet of track was destroyed.
The train was hauling 46 tanks of aviation fuel from the Williams Refinery in North Pole to Anchorage. The last 10 tanks in the line derailed about 1 a.m. near Gold Creek. The cause of the derailment was not known Sunday. None of the train's three-member crew were injured.
Hahn said a better estimate of the spill's size will have to come when the remaining fuel in the damaged tank car is pumped to another waiting tank. Railroad officials estimated the damaged tank was leaking at the rate of three to four gallons a minute.
More than 20 people from the railroad, the DEC and the federal Environmental Protection Agency were at the spill by Sunday afternoon monitoring the cleanup.
Hahn said efforts by the railroad helped keep the spill from becoming a worse problem. The railroad had absorbent material, a vacuum truck and other emergency response equipment nearby.
"That's been a very positive aspect of this whole situation," Hahn said.
The railroad's preparedness was mandated as the result of an 1998 agreement between the railroad and DEC. The agreement was reached after a Memorial Day 1990 Dunbar spill near Goldstream Creek, 39 miles south of Fairbanks. That rail tank car spill dumped 166,000 gallons of fuel into an area surrounded by sensitive wetlands. That train also was coming from the North Pole refinery to Anchorage.
The spill had revealed the fact that, at the time, the railroad was exempt from state laws requiring businesses and industries to submit detailed spill contingency plans to DEC for approval. In addition, the state agency found the railroad had no detailed plan addressing how spills would be cleaned up. Cleanup of that spill cost the railroad $5.8 million.
Someone from the ARRC told me there was a derailment at Canyon last night. Sounds like 2 locos and 10 tankcars went on the ground. I haven't heard it on the news...
The road project to Whittier is going along still, even with the winter
storms blowing through. They have put up signal lights to control
the movements of trains through the Whittier Tunnel. The lights are
not operational yet. I'm not sure, but the only other control lights
on the mainline might the lights controlling the Elmendorf runway lights.
The ARR is in the process of straightening out the tracks near Elmendorf.
I was on the Princess Midnight Sun Express one night on the way into Anchorage
and that is an impressive site when a C-5 Galaxy cargo plane goes a few
feet over your head for a landing. The plane couldn't have been more
that 50 feet above the train.
[Webmaster's Note: Pay attention! This news entry is slightly different from the previous one below.]
I talked to Josh yesterday and here's the latest scoop.
ARR GP38-2 #2002 has been sent to LRC for rebuilding, joining the two RDC's and three GP40HEP's. Good news on the 40's - they will retain their 3000hp rather than be derated to 2000hp as originally planned. As part of this rebuild, the train line will be run through the length of the chassis so the locos won't have to run elephant style to hook the HEP to the cars. Also, some form of computer chip synchro device will be installed to allow the Geep's HEP units to be mated with the HEP units in the baggage cars. The six Helm units I noted yesterday have been returned to Helm. I think that leaves Helm 3876, 3877 and 505 to soldier on thru the winter with ARR.
Meanwhile, all the passenger equipment just purchased has undergone a number switch. The 3 domes (2 ex-NP, 1 ex-SP&S) purchased from Amtrak will receive numbers 521, 522 and 523 to differentiate them from the ACF domes and the Florida Fun Train cars. The 2 ex-L&N diners have been "sold back" to Amtrak to help pay for the refurbishment of these domes since the cost was so high. Apparently the diners were in really bad shape and not even worth keeping stored for later refurbishment when ARR got some more cash.
The nine cars of the Florida Fun Train will be numbered as follows:
The 4 single-level domes will be 551 - 554.
The Arcade Car and Theater Car are being turned into diners and will carry numbers 451 and 452.
The 2 bar cars will retain their cafe-style configurations and become 351 and 352. (Note: these four cars are all ex-C&NW bi-level cars.)
The 9th car is a single-level dome with an open platform at one end.
This car will be turned into an 18-passenger business car and should carry
the number A-4. The Denali (A-3) will still be used as a biz car, but for
smaller groups. No word yet on if the new biz car will get a name, but
you can bet the Guv will come up with one!
News from Josh is as follows. GP38 2002 has been sent to LRC for rebuilding. It now joins 3009, 3010, 3011 and the 2 RDC's. Good news on the HEP units - they will NOT be derated to 2000hp! In addition, the train lines will be run through so the locos will not have to be run elephant style on the Fairbanks train. Also, LRC will be adding some kind of synchro device to allow the baggage car HEP's to be mated with the 40's.
The 3 Budd domes being rebuilt by Amtrak will now be numbered 521 -
523 to allow the Florida Fun Train single level domes to be numbered 551
- 554. The 5th FFT single level dome has an open platform at one end and
will be turned into a 18-passenger business car. It will probably be numbered
A-4. The Denali (A-3) will still be used as a biz car but for smaller groups
(5 to 9 people). The arcade and theater cars from the FFT will be numbered
as diners 451 and 452 after being converted from their "entertainement"
designs. Likewise, the 2 bar cars from the FFT will be numbered 351 and
352 to reflect their lounge-cafe configurations. Josh told me that the
two ex-L&N diners are being "sold back" to Amtrak to help cover the
cost of rebuilding the three domes. All this equipment is still scheduled
to be on the property by the beginning of the 2000 passenger season.
On Friday (11/5), Helm units 4403, 4404, 4414, 4400, 4411 and 4402 as
well as ARR GP38-2 2002 were sitting at the south end of the yard here
in Anchorage with their exhaust stacks and fans shrink-wrapped, looking
like they were ready to go to Whittier. Haven't been able to get
near the yard this weekend, so I'll see if they are still there tomorrow
(Mon, 11/8) and try to get hold of Josh [ARR Chief Mechanic].
I was at my favorite trian shop last week and they told me that there
is going to be an Alaska RR Passenger set avialable by Lionel in the near
future. Also, there is a MIke's Train House ARR 5 passenger car set that
is already available to go with the sleeper/diner set (item#20-6518 price
is about $250.00) and an Ultradoom due out this month to go to the other
7 car set (about 59.95).
At the present time the cars are undergoing refurbishment at Ft. Lupton, CO. The four low level cars have primer on them. Looks like this was done all outside, as the cars have not moved since arrival this summer. The Hi level cars look like they are having some body work done on them.
Things are getting busy up there as three Rocky Mountain Railcars No.s 9502, 9505, and 9507 are due in this week for annual servicing and maintenance. So exactly when the ARR cars will be done is anybody's guess. Rader is not known for on time delivery.
I am not sure what is entailed in the rebuilding, but when I walked
through the cars while they were in Denver, I was not impressed with them.
The windows were in very poor shape on the low level cars.
The ARRC has out for bid Leasing 4 Locos. They want prices for 4 locos
either with or without HEP for the year 2000 on an as needed basis for
1 year with 4 more options for 1 year each. They must be GP EMD 4 axle
type and must FRA approved for Lead Engine Use.
Here is a page
which provides photos of the derailment, map locations and the clean up
status. A must see!
The ex ARR 1801, 1803, 1808, 1809 that became BDLX are becoming Missouri
Central, but they are being renumbered, the first one done is 1800 in green
with gold trucks, do not know which this was; there is an 1804 which would
be another renumbered one. Will see if I can get frame checks to know how
they are being numbered.
By LARRY CAMPBELL
Daily News reporter
Ten Alaska Railroad tank cars, each filled with 20,000 of jet fuel, derailed early Sunday morning north of Talkeetna, and one leaking tank may have spilled more than 7,000 gallons of the fuel.
Railroad crews and state and federal environmental observers were working through late Sunday evening to pump the fuel from all the tanks, including the damaged one. Absorbent materials were spread and artificial dams were built to keep the fuel in trackside drainage ditches and away from the surrounding marsh area.
"It appears it's pretty well contained right around the spill area now," said Brad Hahn, state on-scene coordinator for the Department of Environmental Conservation. "It's fortunate, considering the mess we've got up here."
Hahn was referring to the derailed cars, some on their sides, others overturned. The railroad reported about 200 feet of track was destroyed.
The train was hauling 46 tanks of aviation fuel from the Williams Refinery in North Pole to Anchorage. The last 10 tanks in the line derailed about 1 a.m. near Gold Creek. The cause of the derailment was not known Sunday. None of the train's three-member crew were injured.
Hahn said a better estimate of the spill's size will have to come when the remaining fuel in the damaged tank car is pumped to another waiting tank. Railroad officials estimated the damaged tank was leaking at the rate of three to four gallons a minute.
More than 20 people from the railroad, the DEC and the federal Environmental Protection Agency were at the spill by Sunday afternoon monitoring the cleanup.
Hahn said efforts by the railroad helped keep the spill from becoming a worse problem. The railroad had absorbent material, a vacuum truck and other emergency response equipment nearby.
"That's been a very positive aspect of this whole situation," Hahn said.
The railroad's preparedness was mandated as the result of an 1998 agreement between the railroad and DEC. The agreement was reached after a Memorial Day 1990 Dunbar spill near Goldstream Creek, 39 miles south of Fairbanks. That rail tank car spill dumped 166,000 gallons of fuel into an area surrounded by sensitive wetlands. That train also was coming from the North Pole refinery to Anchorage.
The spill had revealed the fact that, at the time, the railroad was exempt from state laws requiring businesses and industries to submit detailed spill contingency plans to DEC for approval. In addition, the state agency found the railroad had no detailed plan addressing how spills would be cleaned up. Cleanup of that spill cost the railroad $5.8 million.
Someone from the ARRC told me there was a derailment at Canyon last night. Sounds like 2 locos and 10 tankcars went on the ground. I haven't heard it on the news...
The road project to Whittier is going along still, even with the winter storms blowing through. They have put up signal lights to control the movements of trains through the Whittier Tunnel. The lights are not operational yet. I'm not sure, but the only other control lights on the mainline might the lights controlling the Elmendorf runway lights. The ARR is in the process of straightening out the tracks near Elmendorf. I was on the Princess Midnight Sun Express one night on the way into Anchorage and that is an impressive site when a C-5 Galaxy cargo plane goes a few feet over your head for a landing. The plane couldn't have been more that 50 feet above the train.
I had a chance to talk to Josh [Coran, ARR Chief Mechanic] a few days ago and he told me that Amtrak was the only bidder on the rehab work for the domes and diners ARR purchased from Amtrak. Problem was, their bid was higher than budgeted for. The domes will get the rehab work and the diners will be stored down there until the Board can allocate funds for their work.
As for the FFT set, Josh said he still had not been asked for car numbers,
so who knows what they'll have on the sides.
This past Saturday in Whittier the shuttle was leaving Whittier and
got hit by an excavator. The excavator swung his bucket around and the
2003 tried to stop but slammed into the bucket. It sounded like the engine
lost some handrails and steps. The train had to back up into the yard and
wait for another engine from Anchorage. Instead of leaving at 8am the train
was delayed until 1pm. Most likely the engines from Anchorage had to run
at restricted speed to Whittier because they weren't on the morning line-up.
The ARRC has out for bid, Rebuilding 5 coaches and 2 Baggage cars. The
Baggage Cars have already been done, but I guess they are not happy with
them and want them redone. They are the ex-SP Baggage cars 110 and 111.
I guess those are the baggage cars that are still having generator problems.
Here is the font lettering that will be use on the new S70MACs:
Stopped by the ARR depot tonight after work to check out their public comment time on the airport expansion. While there, I had a nice chat with Jim Blasingame [ARR VP Corporate Affairs]. He told me that the SD70MAC's won't get here now till January. The schedule now is that the locos will be shipped from Ontario to Chicago where BNSF will work them to Seattle (so ARR doesn't have to pay for the transit). They should go on the ARMS barge by the 10th of January, putting them on the property about the 20th.
Delivery date for the Fun Train is unknown, but all the cars are in Ft. Lupton at this time being stripped of the FFT scheme. No interior work will be done - Jim said they decided they could live with the interior colors for the time being. As the insides get worn through usage to Seward, they'll look at having the interiors re-decorated to something more Alaskan.
Rather than look to purchase even newer (1980 vs 1950) RDC's, ARR is looking at a new prototype that would mate a pair of "Doodlebug" type power cars with any number of standard passenger cars in a push-pull configuration. I missed the name of the company that is developing this, but I can probably get it from him.
The airport station will be built to standards that will allow currently
available locos to haul passenger cars into it. I asked the design rep
who walked up to me and Jim about it being able to handle GP38's (which
will be the lightest road loco left after the MAC's arrive and the Geep
fleet goes south) if the railroad couldn't find a light rail trainset to
run in there to that elevated depot - he said that was indeed the parameters
they were using. It was here that Jim said they might even run the new
locos in there. My comment was that they wouldn't want to waste a SD70MAC
to pull a 2 to 4 car train into the airport. He laughed at that. Hmmmm.....
Caboose 1075 went to the Whittier Coast Guard Auxillary and it sits
in Whittier now. It was donated at our last board meeting. They'll use
half and the Whittier Chamber will use half. Right now they're trying to
get paint to begin restoring it.
The Alaska 70MACs will be assembled, tested and painted at Norfolk Southern's
Juniata Back Shop in Pennsylvania. Haven't heard anything on dates, so
I assume that everything is still on schedule. I am still trying to find
out how the units will be shipped - it looks like they will go up to Canada
and then across the continent. BUT one or two may go to EMD for product
evaluation before delivery.
This Saturday is the last day of the regular scheduled Passenger train
service. I have heard that the HEP units in the baggage cars will still
be sent out in trains to test them in an attempt to iron out the last few
little bugs. The plan is to use them on the passenger trains with the new
'70 MACs. The talk about leasing/selling most of the GP40s and -2s has
ended. This is due to the extreme need for power. We now have some BN hoppers
up here on lease. We were supposed to receive more, but when they arrived
on the barge they were found not to have the mandatory 45 degree slope
on the slope sheets. There is a rumor that the ARRC is trying to procure
more aluminum hoppers, but I know of not major efforts to obtain them.
The track gangs are running all over in a panic trying to tidy things up
before winter hits. The leaves are changing more and more each day.
ARR is trying to lease additional hoppers and has received about 6 BN
4 bay hoppers so far (looking to acquire a couple of dozen). One of which
was in Fairbanks today unloading at MUS. Long range plans include getting
additional hoppers like the last batch of aluminum bodies so as to retire
the last of the 70 ton 3 bay hoppers.
A man died Monday after being struck by a southbound Alaska Railroad freight train in Talkeetna late Sunday, a railroad safety official said.
Alaska State Trooper spokesman Greg Wilkinson identified the victim as Darrell McGhee, 50, of Anchorage.
McGhee was lying with his head on the rail just north of the depot when the train hit him about 10:45 p.m. Sunday, said Ernie Piper, Alaska Railroad vice president for safety.
It's not clear what led the victim to lie on the tracks.
By the time the crew saw him, the train was right on him and couldn't stop in time, though the crew tried, said Scott Banks, an Alaska Railroad spokesman.
It would be very difficult for a freight train to stop quickly enough, Piper said.
"A fully loaded train, it takes thousands of feet to stop," Piper said.
McGhee was flown to Providence Alaska Medical Center, where he was declared dead just before 5:30 p.m.
The accident is being investigated internally by railroad special agents, who are reviewing a tape of the train's maneuvers, including its speed and when the brake went on. They also are interviewing the three crew members.
While the normal train speed was 49 mph, the railroad had issued a slow-down order to 35 mph because of track conditions in the area, Piper said. The crew said it had slowed down, Piper said.
There was no indication that the crew did anything wrong, Piper said. The railroad does not release the names of crew members in accidents, he added.
As is standard procedure, the crew was relieved of its duties and was replaced for the rest of the trip to Anchorage.
The railroad continually battles people using its tracks to get around. In winter, it's snowmachiners, Piper said. In fall, it's hunters on four-wheelers.
Earlier in the morning Sunday, a train had to make an emergency stop at the railroad bridge in Ferry, north of Healy, because of four-wheelers on the bridge.
Piper said people mistakenly think they will hear a train or feel the vibrations from the rails in time to get off the tracks. But they don't, he said.
"You'd be surprised under the conditions you cannot hear a train," he
said. "If the wind is blowing the wrong way or the atmosphere is not right,
the train can be right on top of you before you know it."
The Denali is still here. She is resting in her usual spot in the car shop and as of now does not have a departure date.
All the locomotive plows are being notched. This is another headache caused by the Whittier roadnel. All plows have to have the bottom corners of the plows notched to clear the curbs on each side of the road. The clearance is 55" each side of the track center, and 6" up from the bottom of the plow.
The HEP units in the baggage cars are still on the frizz. There is still yet to be one to make it from Anchorage to Fairbanks without fail. They make it to Denali and die. The one on the Seward train has managed to make it from Anchorage to Seward and back twice without a problem, but it didn't last long in town. It's ironic because the round trip from Anchorage to Seward is the same as onway from Anchorage to Denali.
The Big sky car is up and sitting in the right side of the Diesel shop. They all call it "The circus car" around the shops. It still looks like a heavyweight car. The roof is still a celestory but it has a full fiberglass overlay. From the belt line down the car is dark green. From there up it is light blue, including the roof. From the belt line up to the gutter, between the windows, all the employees of LRC did there own murals. Cattle, a marmot, fish...ect. Then on the roof there are big fluffy clouds. The entire car is finished with a heavy gloss coat. All the lettering is gold leaf and all the hand rails are polisher brass. A couple dozen antennas and lights all over, the outside is pretty nice. Inside I heard that there is full cedar paneling. complete with branding marks burned-in. A bear skin rug and cowhide seat covers finish it off.
But you know the Denali is still far, far nicer, it has an indoor/outdoor
thermometer!
Message #1: Assume the cars will be going to Ft. Lupton, CO. for rehab. There is one of the bi-level cars there now. I believe all the cars are ex-SP Gallery Cars, the single level cars used the frame and trucks.
On the north side of Fort Lupton is Rader Railcar 2, a different entity , well not really, than the Rader plant near the old Stapleton Airport in DEN. At Fort Lupton is where the Florida Fun Train cars were assembled I think allthough I could be wrong. The cars probably need more freeze protection now, as well as paint. The plant 2 is adjacent to the DP line,Den - Cheyenne. Plant 1 was forced to close in the demise of the Marlboro train, where the train was constructed and destructed, but many components were salvaged as almost new.
Message #2: Four cars arrived in Denver on No. 5 Sunday August 29th. Two single level and two hi-level. Numbers are as follows:
RRIX 9013 Bi-level
RRCX 9003 Single level
RRIX 9012 Bi-level
FT 9004 Single level
We'll be publishing our timetable 127 on our internet page very soon.
We're working on an online gift shop. At first we'll have a simple effort while we are getting our inventory computerized, but when that is complete we will implement a full scale shopping cart.
We are looking at ways to offer online reservations for passenger services before the next season.
We can accept photos for the 2000 poster via email for anyone who has them in digital format.
Alaska Mint is developing a coin for 2000 of the new locomotive and
they have a tentative design that will appear in their upcoming catalog.
Just thought I would let you know that Walthers is coming out with an Alaska RR rotary snowplow in Jan. 2000. I received a flyer from Model Train Works and reserved one. The price is $37.50 from them.
Model Train Works
2934 Cedarhurst Road
Finksburg, Md. 21048
Toll free 1-800-852-2441
Fax 410-526-5310
Gov. Bill Sheffield once described it as the best deal since the $7.2 million purchase of Alaska in 1867.
Sheffield made the remark nearly 15 years ago in Nenana, just before handing over a $22.3 million check to a federal official. He received a gold switch key in exchange, signifying the state's purchase of the Alaska Railroad. It now hangs on the wall outside his office at the Alaska Railroad Corp.'s Anchorage headquarters.
"It's kind of ironic that I was governor and led the way with our administration," said Sheffield, now president of the Alaska Railroad Corp. "Here I am in later years running the railroad."
Some envisioned a state-owned railroad as a way to develop the Interior, a method for transporting goods to a landlocked region.
But it's no longer a one-way freight route: Williams Alaska Petroleum Inc. ships fuel to Anchorage and Usibelli Coal Mine in Healy sends coal down the rail corridor before it's loaded onto to waiting ships and exported.
"Everything we thought and said and dreamed has really come true," Sheffield said.
That doesn't mean the dreams have stopped. Alaska Railroad Corp. keeps rolling along, heading toward what may be its most ambitious chapter yet with regard to development. Just what's in store for the railroad during the upcoming millennium?
A list of pending capital projects reads like a conductor's wish list:
* A $10 million track-straightening project will shave an hour off the 12-hour trip between Fairbanks and Anchorage.Johne Binkley, chairman of the railroad corporation's board of directors, said it's "fairly certain" that the new Fairbanks terminal will be built just south of the Johansen Expressway, near the Danby Road interchange.* A new link will deliver passengers to a new $28 million rail station at Anchorage International Airport.
* A $1.65 million expansion of the Denali National Park & Preserve depot will accommodate the rising number of tourists.
* A new $3 million railroad terminal, described as the Fairbanks Intermodal Facility, is being designed. Construction is expected to start next summer.
An agreement must first be reached with the property owner, the state Department of Transportation. That's the indication from a draft report prepared by Woodside Consulting Group, which is finalizing a 30-year development plan for the railroad. The company will be paid $450,000 for the report.
"Our plan is to work with DOT in putting that fourth leg off the Danby Road intersection," Binkley said. "What we want to do is be able to take all the freight and put it right on the Johansen Expressway."
Martin Ott, chief of planning for DOT's Northern Region, said his department took an initial look, but is reserving judgment until it gets a final plan.
"At this point we're kind of waiting to see what the railroad does," Ott said. "From our point, I don't think we saw any problems aside from who's going to pick up what costs."
Moving freight is not the only consideration when it comes to the new terminal. Accommodating passenger traffic flow has long been a concern. Limited parking has always posed a problem at the current terminal.
Passenger traffic on the Alaska Railroad increased 0.3 percent in 1998 over the previous year, which translates into 614,236 riders.
The Alaska Railroad plans to add a dome car and restaurant car next year. Princess Tours plans to add a fifth car of its own.Princess Tours President Dean Brown said the luxury dome cars cost $2 million apiece to build. His company is willing to stake that money on the growth potential in Alaska's tourism industry.
The tourism company also is expected to spend up to $7 million on a three-story addition to the Fairbanks Princess Hotel.
Each Princess car can hold 88 passengers, and the fifth car would raise the company's daily passenger capacity to 440. Princess is charged an undisclosed haul fee for each passenger car, regardless of whether it's full or not.
While the additional luxury rail car offers the Alaska Railroad Corp. a chance for increased revenue, the situation also poses a logistical problem for the Fairbanks terminal.
"The current setup isn't the most efficient for the railroad," Brown said. "It's adequate for our needs, but long term, some of the options looked to be more efficient."
Each evening when the train rolls into town it first stops in the Phillips Field Road rail yard, where the Princess and Holland America Westours cars are unhitched. The companies' passengers are loaded into waiting tour buses. The train then continues to the end of the spur, at Terminal Street, briefly blocking Phillips Field Road.
The train is then taken back to the yard and serviced overnight. In the morning, a similar situation results. The Princess and Westours cars must be attached to the back of the train. With a length of 18 rail cars, the train stretches Phillips Field Road and blocks Driveway Street where it enters the industrial park.
"From an operational standpoint, that gets time-consuming," said Bruce Carr, Alaska Railroad's director of project administration. "We'd rather have a facility where we can bring the entire train in, service the entire train and then have it ready in the morning."
"We are really excited about the project," Carr said. 'We think it makes sense to do something different in Fairbanks."
The blocked route is a familiar occurrence for Fairbanks commuters who slip into town on Phillips Field Road or work in the industrial park. Railroad officials hope to eliminate this by diverting rail traffic to its property at the west end of the park.
"With the new location, we want to keep the train together," Binkley said.
Binkley said the existing terminal, which dates back to 1960, would be turned over to the corporation's commercial real estate department. It's just a small piece of the Alaska Railroad's overall financial puzzle.
The corporation will press ahead with construction of three new tugs and barges that will haul goods between Seattle and Whittier. Lynden Transport will build and operate those freighters for the Alaska Railroad.
Freight overall generated $65 million in revenue for 1998, reflecting a 1 percent increase over the previous year. It helped lift the Alaska Railroad to a $9.93 million profit in 1998, the second-highest total under state ownership.
Such growth is not without its detractors, and those within the corporation have grown accustomed to their skeptics. Some have openly questioned the public sector's involvement in the transportation industry.
State Sen. Mike Miller, R-North Pole, helped draft the legislation that permitted the state's purchase of the railroad. He always felt the railroad should eventually be sold to the private sector. He has not questioned how, but why, a government runs a railroad.
"Sure they're growing," Miller said. "They got a lot of money from the federal government. How much of this growth would have come without an influx of federal money?"
Miller said interested buyers have come forward in the past, most recently three years ago. He believes the corporation is politically entrenched and doesn't think a sale will happen under the Knowles administration.
"We can't even get the railroad to do an appraisal of what everything is worth," Miller said.
Binkley disagreed with Miller's characterization. He said the corporation covers its own operating budget, free of any state subsidy. Binkley said the railroad also used its own revenues to finance the recent $32 million purchase of nine locomotives.
Binkley said federal funding has been used strictly on capital projects, such as the Fairbanks terminal and some track maintenance projects.
"It will increase our efficiency over time, but it has nothing to do with the last four years that we've been profitable," Binkley said. "To sell that transportation system and corridor to me would be like selling the Yukon River."
"The value of that to the public, not only today, but for the next 50
years, is tremendous," Binkley said.
Commuter trains for Anchorage, Alaska? Possibly, reports the Anchorage Daily News. Alaska's largest city has about 250,000 people and only one freeway, leading into town mainly from the north. But according to an ambitious plan of the state-owned Alaska Railroad Corp., workers traveling to jobs in Anchorage from their homes in the outlying towns of Wasilla, Palmer, and Girdwood will be able to commute via train by the middle of the next decade. The ARR hopes to have commuter service up and running by 2005, said Scott Banks, a railroad spokesman.
The idea of commuter rail in Anchorage is not new. People have studied the idea several times in the past 20 years, the Daily News says. Now, a study by Northern Economics Inc. has concluded that commuter rail would receive about 1.2 million trips per year if priced at $5 one way, or about 2000 people riding the rails to and from work per day. The vast majority of those riders would come from the Mat-Su area to the north, just beyond the reach of today's 4-line Highway 1. That would be about one-fourth of the commuters currently making the hourlong valley commute to Anchorage jobs. The Mat-Su area, centered around Palmer and Wasilla where the Matanuska River empties into the Knik Arm of Cook Inlet, is the fastest growing part of the state, and about one-third of the work force commutes to Anchorage, said Neal Fried, a state labor economist.
Ridership estimates are based on a phone survey of 169 Mat-Su residents and another 75 in Girdwood, which is south of the city along Turnagain Arm. Changing people's behavior from car commuting is a matter of cost and convenience, said Pat Burden, president of Northern Economics. The study assumes people can get to where they work once they arrive at the downtown depot and that trains run hourly, Burden said.
The feasibility of commuter rail is still being studied. Questions about cost, infrastructure, trains, depots, and transportation once commuters arrive downtown still need to be answered, Banks said. The railroad is working on those questions.
Getting people to take the train would be tough because people are reluctant to give up their cars and autonomy, said Steve Van Sant, who commutes with 13 others from the Valley in the city's Share-A-Ride program. Twelve vans make the trip in from Mat-Su, one travels to the valley from Anchorage, and two go to Girdwood each morning, said Dan Carter, People Mover marketing manager and head of the Share-A-Ride program. Carter sees the van program changing to accommodate commuter rail, but it wouldn't disappear, he said.
Federal dollars are bringing the commuter rail idea to life. Federal money is paying for straightening ARR's tracks originally put down during World War I. Work on the Anchorage to Mat-Su project has already begun and should be completed by 2002, Banks said. That project will slice travel time roughly in half to about 50 minutes by shortening the distance and allowing faster train speeds, he said. Trains should be able to go about 10 mph faster on the new track, up from the current speed of 35 mph.
Track improvements, including another track-straightening project north
of Talkeetna, are part of a railroad plan to shave about an hour off the
running time to Fairbanks. The rail-straightening may not seem like much,
but the effects are huge, said former Gov. Bill Sheffield, the railroad's
president and chief operating officer. Railroad workers are limited by
federal law to 12 hours a day, which is the same time it takes to travel
from Anchorage to Fairbanks. Any delay means changing crews on the way
and added costs, Sheffield said. (posted 8/18/99)
Big Sky, a passenger car owned by LRC, is being loaned to the ARR while
their business car Denali is rebuilt (it currently does not have FRA glazing).
Big Sky was originally built in 1926 for the 20th Century Ltd, and is about
4 years older than the Denali.
Alaska Railroad purchased at auction nine coaches in Florida called the Florida Fun Train. BoardChairman Johne Binkley and I made the trip south and successfully bid on the coaches for $3.6 million. The trains appraised value was $5.1 million so I think we struck a great deal. Federal Transportation Administration funds will be used for the purchase.
The new cars position us to expand our passenger services. I believe much of the future of the Alaska Railroad lies with passenger service. As tourism to Alaska continues to grow each year, we want to be in front of the curve to offer scenic trips our passengers come to Alaska to experience.
The cars will be moved from Florida west for painting and alterations. Right now they have a tropical theme which wouldn't fit in with our concept. The cars will be on the property by next spring and the start of passenger season.
These are custom built cars that are two-and-a-half years old. Five of the cars are single-level dome cars with full-sized plexiglass-style curved windows which offer outstanding views. Four of the cars are bi-level entertainment cars which are configured as a theater/dance car, lounge car, diner/cafe car, and a video arcade car.
I'm excited about the purchase and what it means for The Alaska Railroad.
You can see several pictures of the cars at the auction house web site:
www.trains-trams-trolleys.com, or you can view photos at the Anchorage
Executive Offices.
A quick couple of goodies for you ARR fans here...a mechanic from HELM Leasing is in town working with the ARR shop folks trying to keep the HELM fleet functioning through the end of the summer (who needs dead GP40's laying around when you have shiny new SD70MAC's arriving?). The other day the HELM rep was told that 4404 was making some strange noises. After taking a listen, the rep apparently said the thing was fine and to send it out. With this blessing in hand, the loco was placed in some consist and off they went. Didn't take long though before the unit suddenly died. Turns out a rod busted, sending one piston blasting through the block and freezing the opposing piston in its sleeve. When they finally got it back to the shop and pulled it open the shop folks found two buckets of "fresh" scrap metal in the pan and a severely damaged crank shaft. Word is the HELM guy wants to replace the primemover here in the heavy repair shop. What a waste! Stick it on the barge and send it home!
Those HEP units on baggage cars 100 and 101 appear to be mounted in
a bad spot under the cars. Seems their radiators pick up so much debris
from the roadbed they can't cool the generators properly, causing them
to shut down. Hope these things weren't suppose to replace the loco mounted
HEP generators....
Today [Friday, July 16] in the classifieds I saw the ARRC has out to
bid Remodeling of the Depot. The ARRC wants the 1st floor of the Anchorage
Depot redone. Who knows what it will when it's done.
Today at 0900 a large rock slide closed the main track at Garner tunnel
M.P. 356. It is as deep as 20 feet and more than 200 feet in length. The
main track was displaced up to 50 feet. No trains or workers were involved
in the slide. The south bound passenger train will return to Fairbanks,
after off loading the passangers in Healy. They will be bused around the
slide, but will most likely not ride further south today.
Unlike the club, where things slow down for the summer, things ar hopping at the Alaska RR. I sat in on the Board of Directors meeting for June. A whole bunch of transportation related items were discussed and the annual reports for 1998 were handed out to the Board. I obtained some extra copies which will be at the club for the July meeting. If you don't get one, additional copies can be requested from the railroad. Here are some highlights from the meeting. The July meeting is scheduled for July 29th, and it is possible that our proposal regarding Operation Lifesaver might be addressed.
Safety has been a big concern this year, and in line with the need to improve safety, DuPont was contracted to come in and teach safety improvements and help conduct internal safety audits. Managers, vice-presidents and Board members can now be found wearing steel-toed boots and hardhats when they "pop in" to visit the shops!
The ARR has purchased 3 dome cars (either ex-GN or NP smooth sides) and 2 diners (ex-L&N) for $465K from Amtrak. A RFP for the refurbishment of the cars will be let as soon as the kitchen design is completed. The board approved authorization for $3 million for the refurbishment to allow for the ordering of long lead time items such as FRA approved glass and some FRA aprroved interior materials. The glass alone has a 6 month lead time and each window costs about $1,000. With 24 windows to a car, the cost of replacing all the glass come in about $125,000 without the installation labor!! The hope is that the cars will be finished in time to be delivered by April 15th in time for the new passenger season. The demand for another diner on the each of the trains to Fairbanks this year has forced the railroad to pull the cafe car off the Anchorage-Whittier train and replace it with a coach set up to handle snack foods.
The rehabilitation of the RDC cars was also out. The deadline had been extended to July 2. The RFP is for rebuilding 2 of the Budds with the option to do the other 2. Govenor Sheffield's preference is to rebuild the first two and sell the other two. This is because our RDC's are 1950's vintage and he would rather see the railroad purchase two 1980's vintage RDC's and have them refurbished. Apparently a number of them are available back east, but due to a rebirth in RDC type traffic needs, the numbers are beginning to dwindle as other railroads pick them up.
The railroad is experiencing a shortage in freight cars especially hoppers and flatcars. The coal train was reduced to 50 cars to meet the unexpected high demand for gravel. The demand for gravel is double what was expected in May and was continuing into June. The shortage in flat cars comes as break-bulk container service is also on the rise. At the same time, ARMS (Alaska Rail Marine Service), is experiencing a decline in interline traffic. Still the barges are full with a mix of 55% containers and 45% railcars. Each railcar has an equivalent of 8 TEU's (or 20' containers). A RFP for a new barge is nearly ready to be issued to a short list of bidders. It is anticipated that Gunderson will probably come in with the bid they are looking for.
A look at the on-time service for the passenger trains shows that they are getting to destinations pretty much on time, except when coming back to Anchorage. Mainline congestion will be addressed this summer with a pair of double tracking projects. The first is Ft. Richardson to Eagle River and the 2nd is Northern Light Blvd to Klatt Road. Adding to the congestion of more trains is the fact that the HELM lease units are breaking down on a continuous basis, slowing trains and causing an increased number of dogpatch crews to be called to bring freights in. The morning of the board meeting saw 9 of the 13 HELM units down for a variety major problems. Talks with HELM are underway to rectify the problem.
Willams, formerly MAPCO, is now realizing their increased production schedules and the length of the tank trains has gone up. Tank train length averaged 90 to 95 cars for June, were expected to rise to 100+ cars in July and then settle down to around 95 cars a day for August. [Editors Note: At least one of the lease tank cars has received a Williams logo on its side. Photographed July 2nd.]
Finally, passenger revenue is up 18% already for the year, with an increase
of 33% on the Denali Star. Some 76,000 passengers have already ridden the
railroad this year (as of the June meeting)!
The Alaska Railroad has announced plans to produce a unique design for the 2000 Alaska Railroad poster, a project that could involve thousands of photographers. The Railroad has commissioned artist Robert Silvers to create a photomosaic for its annual commemorative poster. Silvers, the most renowned photomosaic artist in the world, will produce the poster from more than 3,000 photos collected by the Railroad. To complete the project, the Railroad is asking Alaskans to donate all kinds of photographs of the Railroad ranging from scenic to historical to current images to use in the photomosaic. Anyone can submit photos, making the first Railroad poster of the new millennium one involving thousands of Alaska images.
"We thought the best way to commemorate the new millennium was to create a kind of 'People's Poster,' " said Scott Banks, Public Affairs Officer for the Railroad. "Alaskans from all walks of life have contributed to the lasting success of the Alaska Railroad and we wanted them to be a part of this special project.
Individuals can drop off photos at either the Anchorage or Fairbanks depot. They can also mail them to: The Alaska Railroad Corporation, Poster 2000, P.O. Box 107500, Anchorage, AK 99510-7500. Participants dropping off photos at one of the depots will be given a coupon for 20 percent off a regular Alaska Railroad ticket. All participants will be entered in a drawing for two roundtrip tickets. Deadline for entries is September 1, 1999. Submitted photos will automatically become property of the Alaska Railroad Corporation and they will not be returned. Photos must be copyright free and accompanied by photographer's name, address and phone number. Photographers are strongly warned to stay off the tracks. Photos taken from the tracks will be disqualified.
Photomosaics are illustrations composed of thousands of photographs that appear to be one image when viewed from far away. Silvers is one of the best known photomosaic artists in the world. He has created images for the cover of Newsweek and print ads for MasterCard, Hewlett-Packard and the Library of Congress. His work has been commissioned by the likes of Vice President Al Gore and Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates, and can be viewed on the Internet at www.photomosaic.com. His most famous work was a photomosaic of Marilyn Monroe, created to celebrate the anniversary of Life magazine and made from hundreds of Life covers. "The interesting thing about photomosaics is that the content allows you to convey an emotional impact," said Silvers. "You can relate the small images to the overall images, either directly or ironically."
The Alaska Railroad poster has become a valued item for collectors ever
since the first poster was produced in 1985. The poster has been commissioned
each year to commemorate the transfer of ownership of the Railroad from
the federal government to the State of Alaska. The 2000 poster will be
unveiled at a ceremony in January.
A few other ARR notes...baggage cars 100 and 101 have been repainted to match the "new" passenger scheme, and they've had HEP generators installed, but they are not hooked up yet. The dome cars (500 & 501) were still at sea on the barge when the passenger season kicked off on May 15th. The diners that Guv Sheffield was looking at are apparently ex-L&N diners. I mentioned last month ex-ARR GP7u #1810 was in a Portland suburb...that shortline is the Oregon Pacific. This loco had been at Nevada Industrial Switch with fellow ex-ARR 1804 after their stint in the movie Under Siege II. Apparently, 1804 is still in Nevada.
A BIG "Thank You" to Josh Coran for the shop tour on the 15th. Even
if all the equipment except the dead HELM GP40's was out on the road. Our
favorite GP30u #2504 was in getting its lifters adjusted, giving members
a good chance to shoot some pix "under the hood" of a diesel. F7B #1503
was also in the shop. Apparently, the shop crew have been told to remove
the 75th anniversary decals from those units and equipment wearing them...something
about wind resistance now that the celebration is over. (That's a JOKE
folks, just KIDDING, you know.) The car shop was cavernous, and with the
sun streaming in through the windows, you could get a good grasp of how
much equipment is serviced every night after the passenger trains come
home to roost. We next wandered out into the deadline where a number of
old power cars made from troop sleepers are stored out-of-service, stripped
of their generators. The last two of the GP7 fleet were also sitting forlornly.
Josh had hoped to get 1802 and 1806 back into service this summer, but
with the leasing of five extra HELM GP40's, they probably won't be needed.
Of course, if more of the HELM units fall apart (one is dead with a blown
compressor, two more with major electrical problems), they could find themselves
back in business. Next year, the tour should include a look at an SD70MAC
if we're lucky, and we'll try to time it so the tour happens the week before
passenger season starts! Thanks again Josh! Now if we can just get an audience
with the operations folks so they can tell us all about computer aided
dispatching and Positive Train Separation using GPS devices.
The truck was leaving the yard and the driver wasn't paying attention,
looking down at some paperwork. As he went over the crossing the locomotive
hit the truck dragging it about 100 feet. No one was hurt. Minimal damage.
The driver was cited by the Anchorage Police Department.
Just heard from the Chief Engineer that this summer they will be doing
five (5) relines on bad curves between Anchorage and Wasilla. M.P. 131
near Fire creek,133 Beach Lake curve,140S. of Eklutna,146 S. of Knik River
and 151 at Matanuska. They hope to have all this done by fall.
Number 2006 collided with a semi-truck today while leaving Anchorage. The semi-truck damage was estimated at $80,000 and the 2006 damage was estimated at $6,000 according to Channel 2 News. The semi is owned by K&W / Carlile. By the looks from the pics. shown on Channel 2 News, the coupler was damaged and bent in the up position.
I discovered that ALL the stored HELM units are out of storage, leaving only 1802 and 1806 and a pair of old cabooses out back. On the fueling/sanding tracks I discovered a pair of GP49's sandwiching a new HELM unit, #4402. So I guess Scott was right [about the new Helm leased units]. 4402 is another GP40-3 painted in a different version of the maroon and blue that adorns 4400 and 4401. Another difference is the LARGE unit numbers in fresh white paint on the cab sides.
I saw in the Anchorage Daily News Classifieds, the ARRC has a bid out for remodeling the BUDD Cans. So maybe those RDCs will for awhile longer. The last couple of trips to the Anch. Yard, all the RDCs except for maybe 2 have been parked in the same spot of a long time. Robert later reports: The ARRC finally posted the notice for the bids on the remodel of RDCs on their web page. I read the posting and it sounds like 2 this year and maybe 2 next year. Sounds like a complete going over and they should be around for awhile.
Reports are that Guv Sheffield has been outside talking to the Amtrak folks at Beechgrove about purchasing 3 ex-GN smooth side dome cars and a pair of diners. The plan to try the lounge-sleepers has apparently gone by the wayside. Bridge crews have been busy reinforcing bridges with additional pilings in anticipation of the arrival of the SD70MAC's this fall. Five CN rail-carrying flat cars arrived and were unloaded on the HQ track. The new 115 lb. rail made in Germany is now being reloaded onto ARR's long blue flatcars (the ex-HydroTrain 76' autorack cars) and being sent out along the line. Coal trains finally got back to running after the Koreans finally signed a new contract - now if their economy will just stay upright long enough to use all the coal they contracted for! The four BDLX, ex-ARR, GP7u's (Rail News called them GP10's in error) got off the barge at Harbor Island in Seattle on January 22nd, and basically vanished. If anyone knows where these units wound up, I'd love to know. Ex-ARR GP7u 1810 has turned up on the tracks of a small freight hauler on the southern outskirts of Portland. Thanks to Allen Hurst, who sent me photos after having contacted me through John Combs.
We are getting six additional GP40's from HELM. The one I told you about,
4402, was the first to arrive. Five more are coming. Of the eight we had
stored here, three are out of commision: two with electrical problems,
and one with a dead compressor. Their fates are unknown, especially the
compressor problem as we don't have one lying around. ARR is talking to
HELM to see if thes three will be parted out or repaired or sent back to
HELM dead.
Six more lease locomotives due to arrive very soon. One next week I'm told. I'll try to find more detail.
In February 1999, CSX was forced to remove all 25 of its SD70MAC's from
service for a brief period after the units began to suffer severe wheel
fatigue. The units which were just a little over 1 year old were all sent
to the Cumberland,Maryland shops where each locomotive was inspected and
new axles and wheels were installed on the units. It was discovered that
the compnay who manufactured the wheels and axles used too much pressure
when pressing the wheels onto the axles. This pressure led to the cracking
of the wheels and axles. It should be noted that this problem was due to
quality control involving the manufacturer of the axles and wheels. The
SD70MAC locomotive itself has performed quite well for BNSF, CSX and Conrail.
It took just a little over one month to repair all 25 of the CSX units,
with the units being repaired as the new wheel sets arrived at the shops.
All 25 units are back in service, primarily in unit coal train service
on the Cumberland Coal Business Unit where the units are assigned. Only
the CSX units were affected and thats because they deal with a different
supplier. ARR's 16 SD70MAC's on order should provide many years of good
service when delivered.
(Thanks to Art Chase for contributing this)
Juneau- A rail link from Fairbanks to the Canadian border inched incrementally closer to completion Saturday, though the biggest chore--laying the track---remain years, if not decades away. The Senate Finance Committee took a breif look at a measure by Rep Jeantte James, R-North Pole, to create a utility and railroad right- of-way to the border. It forwarded House Bill 12 to the Senate floor with little comment and no changes.
Under the bill, the corridor would stretch from the end of the Alaska Railroad Corp. track at Eielson Air Force Base to the Alaska-Canad border. But that's about all that would happen should this bill become law, as is expected.
Railroad officials say the state lacks a market that would make such a multi-billion dollar endevour profitable--a key requirement to raise the capital necessary.
"It's one of those long term planning things," said Gary Wilken, R- Fairbanks. "Every little bit you do helps , and this is another bit of it."
Proponents hope increased mining activity around Delts could spur the project along, and the region's dairy and cattle farmers say a rail line could open whole new markets to them.
The state created such a right-of-way in the early 1980's but then dropped it a few years ago, citing a lack of interest.
That piqued James, who has been quietly inquiring on the project for years. State resource officials say the route crossees mostly state owned land and that reclaiming the right-of-way should pose no problem.
Given the items cooking atop the Legislative's stove--a $1 billion budget gap, subsistence, cuts to municipal revenue sharing---a proposed rail line will likely percolate on a back burner for years.
But the goal, Wilken said on Saturday, is simple to be prepared should the opportunity ever arise.
I was going through the new issue of CTC Board and I saw some interesting news. It says that all 25 of the 700 class SD70MACs (owned by CSX) were ordered to the shops because of severe wheel fatigue which led to cracking. [Webmaster's note: ARR beware!]
In yesterday's daily paper it said The Ski Train has been cancelled.
No Ski Trains this year. The avalanche dangers were too high. The Turnagain
avalanche killed 6, 5 were recovered and one is still buried from a couple
of weeks ago. Another snowmachiner was killed near Glennallen last week.
So the Ski Trains were called off. All ticket holders can get a refund
or save them for next year.
KTUU, Channel 2 News is reporting that the ARRC has shot down a major
avalanche, closing the tracks near Moose Pass. They expect the tracks
to be cleared some time late tomorrow or Wednesday. The ARRC has
more shooting to do before they start clearing the tracks.
Today's Anchorage Daily News says a coal ship will arrive in Seward
on March 28 to pick up 73,000 metric tons of coal. There are 40,000 left
in Seward from last October and to make sure there is enough for the ship
the ARRC will have extra trains moving coal to Seward.
Click here for article
and layout map
Just heard that the railroad has bumped up their order for SD70MACs to four delivered in December 99. Also checked on status of 1802 and 1806, they are both listed as stored for service. 1806 still needs to have it's auxilary generator set-up, but they are not on the disposal list at this time. The coal has started running again and I am called for 1815 to take it south tonight.
The ARRC web page says they would like to lease 20 hoppers for coal or gravel, 20 cement hoppers, and 15 boxcars. I'm not sure on the traffic demands for the boxcars or cement hoopers, but the new Suneel contract calls for more coal.
Also they have put out for bid for the building of 3 new rail barges and tug towing service for the Whittier to Seattle barge service.
The 1802 is stored Out of Service (OOS) at Anchorage, on the north end of Coach Track#2, it is stored servicable and the company will keep it out until summer. The 1806 is stored OOS is unservicable, but only needs to have it's auxiliary generator set-up. Both engines could use a tune-up, set the racks and re-adjust the IDAC wheel slip systems to bring them up to snuff. But, the company doesn't want to put anything into them. They believe that the SD70MACs will pull the magic rabbit out of the motive powerhat.
While surfing the net, I happened to stop by the official ARR site and
found they have an overview of their Passenger
Services Improvement Plans (PSIP). It is broken down into work
areas and includes budget, funding source, schedule and status. Definitely
worth the visit!
The Koreans have finally signed a deal with Usibelli and ARR. The Koreans signed on to fill 10 ships in the next 12 months, up from last years 4. This sounds like good news, and the coal trains are back on the roll again! No details as to whether ARR will be making money on the deal or breaking even, but what sounds like an increase in traffic is probably a good sign that the coal trains will be "in the black" I'd guess.
The ARRC has a job bulletin out for 18 people for train service. They are looking for enginemen and trainmen. Here's your chance to come up to Alaska and work for the ARRC. The $6.00 per hour for training isn't to great. The bulletin says about one month of training.
I saw that Usibelli Coal Mine has laid off 31 employees, about a 1/4 of its work force, due to the South Korea price dispute. I understand that they kept people working for about 4 months than they should have, but they didn't want to lay people off before the Holidays. It has been 5 months since the last freighter left Seward with coal bound for South Korea and it has been 4 months since the last train left the mine for Seward.
Just got back from 2 days of switching in Whittier. We arrived Friday morning about 0200 hrs. Anchorage -10, Whittier +10, stripped ARMS barge of railcars, set-up ACT cars for loose stow and contanierized freight. Very interesting cargo.
1. 2 General Electric 80 tonners for Clear Site. US Army # 1650, 1679 They were carried on 2 special DODX flats # 40006, 40007, these flats had rail permanently mounted on them with end ramps to run the locos right off or on to them.
2. 2 Pielstik Liquified Coal Engines for University of Alaska at Fairbanks. They were made by Coltec / Fairbanks-Morse / Alco, you can see these engines on the Coltec/ Fairbanks-Morse website. You can also view them on Department of Energy "Clean Coal" page, and also the new power plant at Healy. Healy and Beluga coals tested 1,2 of 150 world wide as the best for liquified coal. It can compete with fuel oil and burns cleaner almost no NoX emissions and lower sulfer content.
When we went to bed it was 10 degrees above, when we awoke it was 40 degrees and heavy snow. Winds in Whittier rose to 50 mph by the time we left. They were 100 mph and heavy snow in Bear Valley where we made a set-out for the "tunnel" project.
The January '99 issue of Rail News is focused on motive power, and heading up the line-up in significant motive power changes in the coming year is our very own Alaska RR. Yes, the pending arrival of the SD70MAC's and imminent dispersal of the older Geep fleet is BIG news. However, Scott Banks and John Stout did give us the first hint at what the new paint scheme will be like. For those of you die-hard black and yellow fans, the news is bad. The colors will still be blue and yellow, but the scheme will be designed to "compliment" the updated paint scheme on the passenger equipment. That's right folks, look to see the Anchorage-Fairbanks passenger trains headed up by two of the 16 SD's, with the GP40-2HEP's in the trailing position. This is due to the increase in length and weight of the trains. There is also a possibility that a third MAC might be dedicated to the Seward train. Now all this sounds fine and dandy, but with GP40-2HEP #3011 still dressed in black and yeller, there isn't going to be much of a match with _ANY_ equipment. Come to think of it, 3009 and 3010 won't match up so well either. So my question now is, will the GP40-2HEP's be sent outside next winter to be done up in matching paint, and possibly get some rebuild work done while they are at it? Things to ponder....
Many of you ARR fans may have heard about the pick-up truck versus MP15 incident at the Arctic Spur. Apparently a Dodge Ram hit the front corner of the 1553, crumbling the front end and fender of the truck. However the impact also caused the front pilot of the MP15 to crack from the coupler pocket and bent the pilot and the steps back! Yikes! Maybe those Dodge Rams are a good buy after all! Meanwhile, down near Seward the snows have been coming down pretty heavily again, and Jordan Spreader #7 was damaged during snow clearing operations. Apparently, one of the hydraulic rams broke, allowing the wing to swing back into the body. The snow then caused the rail to roll under the spreader derailing it and the pusher locomotive. These two events have fueled some rumors that Rotary #3 may make an appearance, as the railroad is running out of places to shove the snow. Keep your cameras ready!
In other ARR news, Josh Coran was telling me of his recent trip with Gov. Sheffield and other ARR brass to Washington where they were going to go over plans to convert the dome seating in 500 and 501 to have tables and rear-facing seats, much like that of 502 (the Kenai Fjords decorated dome car). In discussions with the new head of Passenger Services and the Governor, it was decided NOT to convert the domes, but rather look into finding one or two actual lounge cars - either bar-lounge or sleeper-lounge cars - to provide drink and snack service, as well as provide additional space for folks to eat in on the Anchorage-Fairbanks trains. Josh put forward the idea of leasing a former Silver Meteor (Seaboard Coast/Air Lines) lounge-sleeper that is privately owned and has been refurbished into a beauty. Three of these cars were built by Pullman, and were named after famous beaches (Hollywood Beach and Miami Beach were the two Josh could remember off the top of his head). One burned down in a fire set by vagrants, one is completely refurbished and available for lease, and the third has been bought by an ex-military man who has plans to restore it. Apparently, the really cool attraction of these cars is the glass ceilings over the lounge portion of the car! So it is possible that we'll see this special piece of equipment on the property sometime in the near future - maybe even for this upcoming passenger season.
A little last minute ARR news...the BDLX GP7's have been sent to Whittier and should be on a barge south as this is written on January 12th.
We were talking with the crew at Clear Site this weekend and were told that they are to receive two GE 80 ton locomotives to replace the GE 80 ton and the EMD MRS-1 # 1718 that they have. They expect the "new" locomotives this week.
Meanwhile, down at the Alaska RR, the delivery of the SD70MAC's has been delayed to November 1999 from September. This is probably due to the big GM strike's ripple effects, but who knows for sure. Firmer plans for the future of the current fleet of locos have appeared. The plan is to now keep all of the GP38's, the four MP15's, the three GP40-2HEP units and a pair of GP49's. Everything else except the remaining GP49's will be for sale OR lease. The remaining GP49's will be held for lease only. Funny, but I would have thought that since the 49's are quite rare that they would have been the ones to go and more of the GP40-2's would have been kept because of parts availability. Shows you what I know! As to F7B 1503 and Power Car P-30 ... well ... haven't heard anything firm on those two. The museum in Wasilla would sure like to get 1503 to mate up with 1500 creating the only matched set of F7's from the same EMD order in the country. P-30 will probably be kept to help protect the passenger trains' need for HEP. The other ex-E9B unit, P-6, may also be looking for a new home. Reportedly, it still does have traction motors in the trucks, but the prime movers were removed long ago, leaving only the steam generators in the shell. And as of the 1st of December, the four GP7's sold to BDL Company remain in back of the carshops in the Anchorage yard.
Finally, the only McKeen Car to see service in Alaska has been pulled from the weeds, and a restoration project by its new owner Pat Hickey has begun. Pat thinks he may have a line on a set of trucks in Nevada, and he hopes to restore it to the way it appeared about the beginning of WWII when it saw service here between Fairbanks and College before being used as a mobile post-exchange by the Army during the war.
Valet parking ended yesterday (1/8/99) on the Whittier Shuttle. Everyone can ride in their own cars on top of the flatcars again. [See "Rock Hits Whittier Shuttle" below].
1.Livingston Locomotive Rebuild and Leasing has won the RFP for purchase of the ARRC locomotive fleet.
2. Jordan Speader #7 hit a rock, bent it's left wing again and derailed it and locomotive 2005 by "rolling the rail". Definition: Sidewards force on the rail twist the rail and will pull the rail from the spikes and ties derailing what's on them at the time.
Some news I forgot to share with you. A couple of months ago a rock
fell down in front of the Whittier shuttle while in the long tunnel. The
train went into emergency, but couldn't stop in time. They hit the rock,
but it only damaged the plow. The contractor working on the tunnel for
the Whittier Access Project, said well we don't want to be liable for deaths
or injuries, so no passengers in the vehicles. So now everyone rides in
the coach car and the ARRC valet parks your cars on the train. Big holes
have been blasted in the tunnel for car breakdowns. The top of the tunnel
has been blasted as well for the ventilation fans. Bear Valley has become
a staging area for the construction crew. This month the tunnel tracks
and road bed is being replaced. The tracks will be on concrete platforms
and will paved over in the future. Train service is expected to be limited
for this month.
The information on this page was last updated December 29, 1999