Wasilla!?

Long before the rest of the world knew about this place (for good or ill depending on your political persuasion) Wasilla was a one time sleepy Alaskan town now up and coming as a bedroom community for Anchorage. More famously among railfans, however, it is the home of the only original depot on the ARR dating from its earliest days that still serves as an active passenger stop sitting beside the mainline at MP 159.9. A few others survive, but none serve passengers any longer. This depot was built in 1917 long before President Harding hammered in the golden spike to complete the railroad on July 15, 1923. Here we see the late running nightly 130S freight from Fairbanks to Anchorage with a brace of three SD70MACs rolling south through town with a moderate sized train of 4344 ft and 6731 trailing tons heavy with jet fuel from Flint Hills Resources in North Pole destined for the Anchorage International Airport.

2022 addendum: freights no longer run 7 days a week, the FHR refinery has been closed and demolished, and the depot has been picked up and moved. But fortunately it remains trackside only about a half mile south in a location that can accommodate more parking and will allow passenger trains to stop without blocking busy Knik Goose Bay Road that is immediately behind the depot in this old photo. To read more about the move project check out these links:

Wasilla Depot moving to new location

Train Depot Project

Wasilla, Alaska
Sunday March 6, 2011