A Stark Comparison

Opposite ends of the ARR's passenger spectrum is seen at a single glance. On the left is the pride of the fleet. The southbound Denali Star hammers south at track speed on the high iron with twin HEP equipped SD70MACs trailing 18 cars totaling nearly 1700 feet in length. On the right is an entirely different animal. The lowly Hurricane Turn rests on the siding with its twin Budd RDCs (701 & 712) featuring little more than flop over seats and a spartan baggage area. The scenery is the same but the experience is much different....the Hurricane Turn is truly and uniquely "Alaskan."

701 is an RDC-3 built for the New Haven Railroad in 1953 as their number 126.

712 is an RDC-3 built for the New York Central in 1953 as their number M380.

Addendum: since the date of this photo the RDCs have long been retired and sold off and the Hurricane Turn has been marketed aggressively and now is normally a five car train catering to far more tourists than locals and "off gridders."

Hurricane, Alaska
Sunday September 7, 2008