The One and Only

The One And Only

A spot that should need no introduction (thanks to all the pestering I subjected you to in that contest six months ago!) here is another take on the famed Hurricane Turn flagstop train atop its wonderous namesake. Unlike that prior image where I flew from my camping spot after a long drive and mile hike in this time I rode the train from Talkeetna. The friendly crew let us flag ourselves off on the south end of the bridge so Frank and I could launch our drones (and shoot conventional too) on a truly magical summer day just shy of the solstice. The brilliant greens and blues contrasting dramatically with golden hues of that (in)famous earlier image.

Situated at MP 284.2 on the Alaska Railroad mainline it was completed in 1921 spanning 918 ft and rising 296 ft above the floor below. It is the signature location the on the entire ARR mainline and was the most expensive and difficult engineering project on the entirety of the line.

And if you missed the story of the first time I photographed this bridge it's really worth reading. You can find it as the caption with this image taken a half dozen years earlier. Hurricane, Alaska Monday June 19, 2017

Photo courtesy of Dave Blazejewski