What's New - 2016 Archive

yellow diamondRosters: Steve Love's commentary on moving the old Healy Hotel - 12/27/16
yellow diamondHistorical: Alaska: The Newest Home Land - 12/27/16
yellow diamondRosters: Someone had asked me about one of the Montana Rockies Rail Tours railcars the Alaska Railroad leased in 2005. This got me to poking around the dusty files on my portable hard drive. I located Mark Earnest's original files and couldn't help but upload the original super sized photos in Whittier. This in turn tripped the next domino and I uploaded larger sized photos for Steve Noland's Seattle photo shoot. - 12/27/16
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: Holiday Train - 12/25/16
yellow diamondNews: Mat-Su Borough seeks $75M federal grant to finish Point MacKenzie rail line - 12/23/16
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: Coastal Classic at Bartlett Glacier - 12/19/16
yellow diamondNews: Take a New Year's Eve train to see northern lights in Alaska - 12/17/16
yellow diamondAnnouncement: Heading out for cancer surgery tomorrow. Hopefully, I will be back and online soon. - 12/13/16
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: Coastal Classic at Bird Creek - 12/12/16
yellow diamondNews: Atlas HO GP40-2 Locomotive Coming 2nd Quarter 2017- 12/11/16
yellow diamondNews: Catch the aurora on the Alaska Railroad - 12/11/16
yellow diamondNews: Extreme North: Riding a Caboose to the Alaska Railroad’s Wintry Frontier - 12/11/16
yellow diamondStories: Well it has taken me nearly two and a half years, but I finally finished my 2014 trip journal. Enjoy! - 12/8/16
yellow diamondNo. 557 Info: The November Engine 557 Restoration Company Progress Report - 12/5/16
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: Northbound Aurora at Talkeetna - 12/5/16
yellow diamondNews: Clearing Snow in Whittier Rail Yard- 12/1/16
yellow diamondNews: Best Winter Escapes in the United States - 12/1/16
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: New shoes - 11/28/16
yellow diamondNews: Ski safe, stay off railroad tracks - 11/24/16
yellow diamondLinks: Search for Alaska Railroad photographs on University of Calgary's Philip Sidney Smith Collection - 11/22/16
yellow diamondRosters: Jonathan Fischer's 2012 Hurricane Turn excursion - 11/22/16
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: Rail grinder - 11/21/16
yellow diamondNews: Misguided rail regulations would hurt Alaska economy - 11/16/16
yellow diamondNo. 557 Info: The October Engine 557 Restoration Company Progress Report - 11/16/16
yellow diamondRosters: Jonathan Fischer's photos the Hurricane Gulch bridge, Mears Memorial Bridge and a rear view of the Cantwell Section House - 11/14/16
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: Bi-level #602 on the move - 11/14/16
yellow diamondRosters: Jonathan Fischer's photos of an older #200 passenger car and GP49 #2807 - 11/11/16
yellow diamondFreight/Passenger: Added Jonathan Fischer's photos of sold hoppers in Seattle - 11/9/16

yellow diamondHappy Birthday to Pat Durand!: Another birthday is just another working day for a big personality in our small railroad community. Happy birthday to Pat Durand!

Several of you who are reading this follow the monthly updates of the Engine 557 restoration. With lots of physical accomplishments seen on the project, one thing that remains largely unseen is the amount of administrative work that goes into supporting the project. Over 12,000 hours of administrative duties have been volunteered between Dick Morris and my father Pat Durand.

This restoration project is one of many volunteer projects Patrick has taken leadership in over his now 73 years as a homegrown Alaska boy. Some other projects he has supported include the restoration of Tanana Valley Mines Railroad Engine #1 in Fairbanks, recovering and preserving 4 rare diesel locomotives from 2 of this state's Air Force Bases, and moving the Museum of Alaska Transportation and Industry in Wasilla. After the museum moved from the Palmer State Fairgrounds to its new home by the Wasilla airport, Pat spent the next 12 years making a daily commute from Eagle River to develop and manage the operations of the facility. After some time spent traveling the country's train clubs, tracks and museums with wife Nancy, he is now in the middle of what will be his Legacy Project volunteering as the President of the Engine 557 Restoration Company.

Born in Anchorage the 9th day of November 1943, his mother and family arrived just 9 years earlier in 1934 to join the Colonists in Matanuska and Palmer. As a first generation Alaskan, Pat has seen his two sons and his grandsons all born here and raised with an interest in both history, mechanical sciences and trains. My earliest childhood memories are of riding in the 1.5" scale Live Steam models that dad built at home.

A part of Pat's childhood was spent living in Whittier, a town dominated by the Alaska Railroad. This is where his passion for trains began with the sights and sounds outside his window. Then came the first train set he got that ran atop of his dresser in his Whittier home, powered by a 6v lantern battery. The case of Ferraequineosis was further bolstered in later years by his step-dad, Wild Bill Stuart being an engineer with the Alaska Railroad.

Since retiring in 1991 he has been a full time volunteer for the last 25 years. My father has always been one to fully dedicate his time, energy and focus into all his projects. With a sense of satisfaction coming from seeing others enjoy themselves and knowing what he has helped build will be here to teach many others where we have come from. Pat's efforts will continue to be enjoyed and appreciated for a long time to come.

Please show your appreciation and birthday wishes by either sending a quick note via email or by visiting the Engine 557 Restoration Company Web page or 557 Facebook page or making a donation to the restoration of 557. -- Casey Durand - 11/9/16
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: Bi-level #602 on the move - 11/7/16
yellow diamondRosters: Jonathan Fischer's photos of RDC #701, RDC #702, GP7 #1806, GP40 #2002, GP40 #2006, GP40 #3008, caboose #1075 and the Anchorage Shops (circa 1989) - 11/1/16
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: Military convoy - 10/31/16
yellow diamondNews: Tunnel to Whittier reopened as crew finishes stabilization work, official says - 10/29/16
yellow diamondFreight/Passenger: John Taubeneck provided additional information on the cranes section with U.S. Army Wrecks 1940-1955 - 10/28/16
yellow diamondRosters: Curt Fortenberry brought back some memories of the Colorado Railcar DMU demonstrator in Fairbanks - 10/27/16
yellow diamondHistorical: The refurbishment of the 1943 Whittier Monument - 10/27/16
yellow diamondNews: Rockfall will keep Whittier tunnel closed to traffic through Thursday - 10/27/16
yellow diamondRosters: Robert Krol chasing #3015 and Jeff McCrea catching the QAP train in Anchorage and the Whittier freight - 10/26/16
yellow diamondNews: Railroad sets Annual Print Sale-and-Sign Events - 10/26/16
yellow diamondNews: Whittier Tunnel Remains Closed Until Further Notice - 10/26/16
yellow diamondNews: Rockfall inside tunnel closes the road to Whittier - 10/26/16
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: Reflection along Turnagain Arm - 10/24/16
yellow diamondNews: Stolen SUV causes snag for special Halloween train excursion - 10/23/16
yellow diamondNews: How to build a 100-ton model train - 10/23/16
yellow diamondNews: Alaska Railroad sees hope in marijuana industry and elsewhere as profits drop - 10/21/16
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: Through the eye of the GoldStar - 10/17/16
yellow diamondPeople's Creations: Jürg Rüedi's extraordinary diorama - 10/14/16
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: ARR #17102 - 10/10/16
yellow diamondRosters: Jonathan Fischer is fattening up the rosters with photos of #1802 , #3006, #3010, #3011, caboose #1076, southbound freight road power - 10/7/16
yellow diamondSD70MACs: For the second delivery Kylie Mason sent us photos of photos of #4324 at Golden BC in 2004 on it’s way to Vancouver BC via the Canadian Pacific Railway - 10/7/16
yellow diamondNews: Jackie's Pic Of The Day - 10/6/16
yellow diamondNo. 557 Info: The September Engine 557 Restoration Company Progress Report - 10/3/16
yellow diamondNo. 557 Info: Shannon Cartwright, illustrator and author of Ol’ 556 has just completed the third printing of this great story of Alaska’s Mighty Steam Engine. She has included 4 pages featuring “The Return of 557” as a Bonus in this latest offering. Shannon has signed a stock of these just in time for the holidays and we offer them at $12.00 ea. plus $7.00 for Air Priority postage and handling. We can include a second copy for $12.00 in the same mailer at no additional shipping cost. You can order here. - 10/3/16
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: Hurricane Gulch - 10/3/16
yellow diamondNews: LNG tankers complete historic rail journey - 9/29/16
yellow diamondNews: LNG trailer test results in success - 9/27/16
yellow diamondNews: Anchorage To Seward Rail Journey One Of The Nation’s Top Ten - 9/26/16
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: Guess the photo locations - 9/26/16
yellow diamondNews: Alaska to ship LNG by rail - 9/22/16
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: Coal train at Moose Pass - 9/19/16
yellow diamondFreight/Passenger: Many thanks to Ed Ellis for providing us a list of the current owners of the old McKinley Explorer SuperDomes and Michael Sullivan for proving a photo of the 508 "Matanuska" and 512 "Tanana" on the Saratoga & North Creek - 9/16/16
yellow diamondNews: Mudslide hits Alaska Railroad freight train - 9/16/16
yellow diamondNews: Mudslide north of Talkeetna causes delays for Alaska Railroad - 9/15/16
yellow diamondNews: Crews clear mudslide from Alaska Railroad tracks; service resumes - 9/15/16
yellow diamondHistorical: The Wreck of #277, Wreck Along Turnagain Arm and Midnight Sun Limited Excursion to Fairbanks - 9/14/16
yellow diamondNews:Alaska Railroad 521, 522, 523 passenger coach painting; 451 passenger coach repair and painting - 9/14/16
yellow diamondNews: Alaska Railroad to become first in U.S. to haul liquefied natural gas - 9/12/16
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: 125S at MP65, Portage - 9/12/16
yellow diamondModeling: Added locomotive entries for Atlas HO scale GP40 3008 and freight entries for Atlas HO scale caboose 1086 - 9/10/16
yellow diamondAdmin: I've added a Google search engine to the main page. Let me know if you love it or hate it. - 9/10/16
yellow diamondNews: Alaska Railroad runs on dwindling revenue - 9/9/16
yellow diamondRide/Photographing: If you need information to photograph trains between Anchorage and Seward/Whittier then check out James Ogden's train schedules summary. - 9/8/16
yellow diamondNo. 557 Info: The August Engine 557 Restoration Company Progress Report - 9/7/16
yellow diamondRosters: Many thanks to Dick Morris for providing updated information on Whitney section house. - 9/6/16
yellow diamondRide/Photographing: If you need information to photograph trains between Anchorage and Fairbanks then check out James Ogden's train schedules summary. - 9/6/16
yellow diamondNews: 'Rotting garbage' causes fire on barge in Duwamish Waterway - 9/6/16
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: Alaska State Fair train - 9/5/16
yellow diamondNews: Usibelli halts coal exports indefinitely - 9/1/16
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: Southbound CN freight - 8/29/16
yellow diamondRosters: Added photos of steam locomotives numbers 270 and 280 - 8/27/16
yellow diamondPeople's Creations: Three more photos of Steve Williams's ARR bicentennial train - 8/27/16
yellow diamondStories: Patrick Durand added a few notes to Stephen Sheldon's story The Mignight Sun - 8/27/16
yellow diamondRosters: Steve Drassler helped to preserve a bit of history by providing a photo of Curry as well as some of his memories there. Additionally, here is a view of the Susitna River break up in 1975. - 8/27/16
yellow diamondRosters: Curt Fortenberry sent a beautiful photo of PC&F boxcar #10947 for our boxcars section - 8/27/16
yellow diamondFreight/Passenger: Updated the hopper page (in bold text) to reflect the return of leased TNM 200XX units and future sale of 16XXX - 8/25/16
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: Guess where I am - 8/22/16
yellow diamondNews: Begich Towers, home to about half the population of Whittier, gets a much-needed overhaul - 8/19/16
yellow diamondSpecial Features: I was finally able to get a photo of Jordan Spreader #6 for my snow fighting section. Now I have photos of all the spreaders that served on the ARR. - 8/16/16
yellow diamondIndustries: - Added James Ogden's aerial photo of a gravel train being loaded at QAP - 8/16/16
yellow diamondAt a Glance: Many thanks to ARRC employee James Ogden for letting me reprint his incredible article entitled Trains of the Alaska Railroad - 8/15/16
yellow diamondRosters: Dick Morris sent in a fine photo of steam locomotive #554 - 8/15/16
yellow diamondRosters: Added Jonathan Fischer's photo of a connaboose to the MOW roster - 8/15/16
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: Passing of Jim James - 8/15/16
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: Company BBQ on a flatcar - 8/8/16
yellow diamondNo. 557 Info: The July Engine 557 Restoration Company Progress Report - 8/5/16
yellow diamondNews: Fencing erected along Seward Highway after close calls between trains and trespassers - 8/4/16
yellow diamondLinks: Check out this extensive collection of links for Lesser Known and Obscure Railroads of Alaska - 8/4/16
yellow diamondNews: Ahhh... Silence - 8/1/16
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: Drone photo of northbound freight at Nenana - 8/1/16
yellow diamondModeling: Curt Fortenberry shared that Athearn has announced another run of their HO scale Genesis 20,000 gallon tank car in Alaska Railroad scheme- 7/26/16
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: SB Denali Express in Whittier- 7/25/16
yellow diamondNews: McHugh fire spread fast Tuesday, snarled Seward Highway traffic - 7/21/16
yellow diamondRosters: Added a photo of ACF baggage car #87 to the retired passenger car roster - 7/18/16
yellow diamondNews: Living life ‘off the grid’ at the edge of America - 7/18/16
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: Last export coal train? - 7/18/16
yellow diamondNo. 557 Info: The June Engine 557 Restoration Company Progress Report - 7/13/16
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: Continuous welded rail in Whittier - 7/11/16
yellow diamondNews: For a Truly Authentic Alaskan Experience, Hop Aboard America's Last Flag-Stop Train - 7/10/16
yellow diamondAdmin: My time in June was dominated by my daughter's wedding and then my wife and I left on a week-long Washington D.C. trip. Time to get back in the saddle and do some work on this website! - 7/10/16
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: Empty coal train at Brookman - 7/4/16
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: Gondola river bridge - 6/27/16
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: Lunchtime bike ride - 6/20/16
yellow diamondRosters: Added a photo of #618 under steam - 6/16/16
yellow diamondNo. 557 Info: Number 557's tender painting session - 6/15/16
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: First Coastal Classic - 6/13/16
yellow diamondNo. 557 Info: The May Engine 557 Restoration Company Progress Report - 6/6/16
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: Unidentified GP - 6/6/16
yellow diamondRosters: Jonathan Fischer is fattening up the rosters with photos of baggage car #75, locomotives #1604, #1611, #2804, butchering at Birchwood and #2804 at Eklutna - 6/5/16
yellow diamondPeople's Creations: Steve Williams's ARR bicentennial train invades Southern California - 6/5/16
yellow diamondNews: Alaska Railroad Open House - 5/1/16
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: Southbound Denali Star - 5/30/16
yellow diamondBuilding the railroad: Added a photo of the rotary snow plow at Mile 2 (Alaska Northern Railway) - 5/28/16
yellow diamondHistorical: eBay purchase - Alaska Central Railway train trip - 5/28/16
yellow diamondRosters: eBay purchases ARR #1, Palmer depot (1970), City of Whittier and the Seward dock - 5/27/16
yellow diamondBuilding the railroad: Added photos of Tunnel No. 2 on the Alaska Central Railway, suspension bridge over the Placer River (Alaska Northern Ry.), icicles in a tunnel along the Alaska Northern Railway (both predecessors of the Alaska Railroad) and Camp 289 Alaska Engineering Commission (AEC) - 5/27/16
yellow diamondRosters: eBay purchases passenger car #36, steam locomotive numbers 16, 310, 502, 558, 901 and F7 #1514 - 5/25/16
yellow diamondAdmin: Since I retired from my job over five months ago I have worked on my user submissions backlog. As of today I finally finished. If you sent me something and don't find it on this website then it probably got lost in the shuffle. If so, please resubmit. - 5/25/16
yellow diamondFreight/Passenger: Shane Durand submitted photos of troop sleeper 10240 and Thrall boxcar 10176 (1, 2, 3) - 5/25/16
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: Steam locomotive #556 - 5/23/16
yellow diamondFreight/Passenger: The predecessor to Princess railcars was the Midnight Sun Express. Many thanks to Jonathan Fischer for sending these photos adding to the history. - 5/21/16
yellow diamondRosters: Jonathan Fischer sent photos of former Alaska Railroad passenger cars numbers 87 and 89 in Yakima, Washington - 5/21/16
yellow diamondNo. 557 Info: The April Engine 557 Restoration Company Progress Report - 5/20/16
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: Generator van - 5/16/16
yellow diamondRosters: eBay purchases Jordan Spreader #3, Diesel Rail Bus #212, fishing trip (does anyone know what this rail bus is?), steam locomotives 556 and 557, coach 40 - 5/14/16
yellow diamondModeling: Prototype photographs: Here are some additional photos of GP40 #3015 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) - 5/14/16
yellow diamondHistorical:Many thanks to Ken Secret for tracking down the current status of former ex-ARR F7 #1502. Although it had served for many years as part of a Track 29 Dining Co. in Yakima, Washington (1, 2) it was scrapped in place in October 2013. A local preservation group had looked at it and there was so little of value and the cost of moving it by truck made it an immediate dead end. - 5/13/16
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: Seward coal train - 5/9/16
yellow diamondRoute Map: Added Jonathan Fischer's striking photos to the Seward page - 5/5/16
yellow diamondRosters: Stewart Sterling sent in new photos of steam locomotives #551, #560 and #561 - 5/5/16
yellow diamondNo. 557 Info: Be sure to check out Stewart Sterling's YouTube 557 Channel - 5/5/16
yellow diamondModeling: It is absolutely amazing the number of Alaska Railroad HO scale models being released. When I started this website there was next to nothing. Today I can't afford to buy one of everything. Anyway, I have updated the information on both the ready made freight and locomotive pages. Let me know if there is something I am missing. - 5/5/16
yellow diamondRosters: Jonathan Fischer's photo of tool car #0052 with commentary by Don Marenzi - 5/5/16
yellow diamondHistorical: Many thanks to Steve Drassler for providing us with the news articles Engineer Fleming Has Served His Time On The Rails and 'Bones' Reekie Rides the Rails - 5/5/16
yellow diamondRosters: Jonathan Fischer is helping us to fatten up the rosters with photos from 1980 of MRS-1 #1612, MRS-1 #1715 (aka #71), MRS-1 #1716 (aka #72), F7 #1508 and freight scheme locomotives in the yard (1, 2) - 5/4/16
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: Who let the girls out! - 5/2/16
yellow diamondNo. 557 Info: The March Engine 557 Restoration Company Progress Report - 5/1/16
yellow diamondNews: Alaska Railroad Open House - 5/1/16
yellow diamondPeople's Creations: Steve Williams's ARR bicentennial train invades Southern California - 4/26/16
yellow diamondStrange Freight: Added Robert Krol's school bus loads - 4/26/16
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: School buses in Whittier - 4/25/16
yellow diamondBibliography: You'll find some great historical information (including an Anchorage roundhouse photo) in Railroad Construction in Alaska (pages 1, 2, 3), February, 1920- 4/22/16
yellow diamondRosters: Curt Fortenberry sent us a photo of flat car 19052. He says, "This is the only shot I took of this series of TOFC flats.  They didn't last long apparently.  All I know is what the ARR mechanical sheet says, acquired used in 1980, built by GATC 1963-64." - 4/22/16
yellow diamondModeling: Chickaloon Branch Trains has Alaska Railroad specific locomotive shell, parts, and decals in HO scale - 4/18/16
yellow diamondNews: Railroad cautions safety around tracks - 4/18/16
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: Loading the McKeen - 4/18/16
yellow diamondRosters: Gerald Forsyth sent us 55 photos of the loading of the McKeen - 4/17/16
yellow diamondMaps: James Ogden sent us a 1977 Valdez yard map - 4/11/16
yellow diamondFreight/Passenger: Many thanks to Janel Grimmett, Rail Operations Manager, Wilderness Express for updating the information on their railcars - 4/11/16
yellow diamondRosters: Added a photo of Girdwood station circa 1945 and railcar B2 - 4/11/16
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: Lumber train near Girdwood - 4/11/16
yellow diamondAdmin: My website is celebrating its 19th anniversary this month. Many thanks to all those who have helped me over the years. Here's to another 19 fun years! - 4/10/16
yellow diamondAdmin: I've been gone on a Florida vacation. It is time to get back in the saddle again! - 4/10/16
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: Montana water tank and the Aurora - 4/3/16
yellow diamondNews: All Aboard the Alaska Railroad - 4/1/16
yellow diamondNews: Teen brings historic McKeen car to Ramona - 4/1/16
yellow diamondNews: McKeen rail motor car - 4/1/16
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: Moose Pass now and then - 3/28/16
yellow diamondRosters: Many thanks to Tom Sink (via Chris Starnes) for the photo of ex-ARR GP-7L #1829 - 3/22/16
yellow diamondRosters: Curt Fortenberry sent us a supersized version of the photo of #114 at Girdwood - 3/22/16
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: Aerial view of Anchorage yard - 3/21/16
yellow diamondPeople's Creations: Tom Koole's troop boxcar - 3/19/16
yellow diamondFreight/Passenger: Added repainting dates for passenger cars 351, 521, 522 and 523 - 3/19/16
yellow diamondRosters: Stewart Sterling has provided us with photos of tender X1663, steam locomotive 557 and 577 specifications sheet - 3/19/16
yellow diamondRosters: Jonathan Fischer sent us some photos to help fatten up the rosters - No. 556 in the park, caboose 1093 and Scenic Spenard - 3/19/16
yellow diamondHistorical: Many thanks to Steve Drassler for contributing the Sam Chiamis newspaper article entitled, "Winged Divebombers Vexed Pick and Shovel Crews" - 3/19/16
yellow diamondRosters: Added an old specifications sheet for the Denali railcar - 3/19/16
yellow diamondNews: Photos: Ski train treats participants to sun, skiing and polka - 3/14/16
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: RDC, sled dogs and McKeen - 3/14/16
yellow diamondNews: Who Let the Girls Out - 3/13/16
yellow diamondRosters: Updated information on the McKeen - 3/12/16
yellow diamondNews: With less freight, Alaska Railroad wants to start renting out its locomotives - 3/9/16
yellow diamondHistorical: Dave Blazejewski sent us a link to an historical video: Alaska Railroad Loop District 1925-1930 - 3/9/16
yellow diamondVideo: Added Frank Keller's drone video of the snow train (98MB) - seven side-dump cars full of snow travelling from Fairbanks to Anchorage in support of the Iditarod - 3/7/16
yellow diamondNo. 557 Info: The February Engine 557 Restoration Company Progress Report - 3/7/16
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: Got snow? - 3/7/16
yellow diamondNews: A stockpile of fresh snow has arrived in Alaska's largest city to provide cover for the ceremonial start of the famous Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race - 3/5/16
yellow diamondNews: Snow for Iditarod ceremonial start arrives in Anchorage by rail - 3/5/16
yellow diamondNews: Train loaded with snow arrives in Anchorage ahead of Iditarod start - 3/5/16
yellow diamondHistorical: Many thanks to Charles Ek for adding historical information regarding The Loop as well as a segment from a February 21, 1907 issue of Engineering News - 3/3/16
yellow diamondNews: Stewart Sterling's Fur Rondy depot photos - 3/3/16
yellow diamondNews: Photos: Alaska Railroad hauls snow to Anchorage for Iditarod start - 3/3/16
yellow diamondNews: With Anchorage icy and snowless, Iditarod officials shorten ceremonial start - 3/3/16
yellow diamondNews: Mayor Halter: Port Mac Rail is transportation infrastructure, the bedrock of resource development - 3/1/16
yellow diamondNews: Anchorage is so snow-starved it has to haul snow in by train for Iditarod start - 3/1/16
yellow diamondNews: Snow to be sent by rail from Fairbanks to Anchorage for Fur Rondy, Iditarod start - 3/1/16
yellow diamondNews: Alaska Railroad hauling snow south from Fairbanks for Fur Rondy, Iditarod events - 3/1/16
yellow diamondAdmin: Happy Leap Day! - 2/29/16
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: Repainting passenger cars in Alaska - 2/29/16
yellow diamondNo. 557 Info: Added Stewart Sterlings February 6 work photos featuring his "ARR 557" license plate - 2/25/16
yellow diamondRosters: Many thanks to John Gray so solving the mystery of the identity of the combination car behind #902 - 2/25/16
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: Somewhere over the rainbow - 2/22/16
yellow diamondRailroadiana: Catching up on entering the pile of Alaska Railroad related items I acquired in 2015. I think I am all caught up on postcards and bibliography (books, periodicals and other related items). Now if I just had time to scan in the dozens of negatives, photographs and slides I bought on eBay! - 2/15/16
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: Coal train conductor - 2/15/16
yellow diamondWebmaster's note: Someday someone should organize a trip where the best photographers featured on this website get together in Alaska to railfan, shoot eye popping photos, drink beer (or in my case wine coolers) and swap stories. Just saying...... - 2/12/16
yellow diamondRosters: An awesome collection of photos from Jonathan Fischer's 2015 Alaska trip. Any one of these would be a drop dead awesome Picture of the Week. Consider yourself lucky I splattered them all at one time in the "on the rails" section. Whoa! Denali Star at Colorado, McKinley Explorer at Healy, Hurricane Turn crew, No. 3009 at Potter and citizenry of Sherman - 2/12/16
yellow diamondHistorical: Many thanks to Patrick Durand for providing the complete commentary to the John Parys photos and thus preserving a valuable piece of history. Pat is an incredible reservoir of Alaskan history and stories and I am forever grateful for his contributions to this website. - 2/12/16
yellow diamondRosters: Pat Durand sent retouched photos and commentary for Marv Miller's #902 photos - 2/11/16
yellow diamondNews: Northern Lights Model Railroad Club is hosting the annual Rondy Rail Fair - 2/8/16
yellow diamondHistorical: Patrick Durand added some additional commentary to the John Parys photos - 2/8/16
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: GP40s at Talkeetna siding - 2/8/16
yellow diamondNo. 557 Info: The January Engine 557 Restoration Company Progress Report - 2/4/16
yellow diamondNo. 557 Info: From Patrick Durand, President Engine 557 Restoration Company, "Here is an article from Trains News Wire that just came out. The references to the Engine 557 Restoration Company are proper but for the date of the firebox installation. That happened in June 2015. We are in good company with Steam Services of America and Robert Franzen as our PE doing the Form 4." - 2/4/16
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: Winter freight at Denali - 2/1/16
yellow diamondRosters: Starting to clear the back log of photos from Jonathan Fischer: MK ballast hopper #14903, box cars #682E and #10775, GP7 #1805, spreader 7, crane #58, repeater air car #4and GP30u #2504 - 1/29/16
yellow diamondHistorical: Many, many thanks to Ben Nysewander for providing two professional photos (1, 2) of the Golden Spike which signified completion of the Alaska Railroad - 1/28/16
yellow diamondRosters: Ken Parys sent the following message, "I was plenty surprised when I viewed the locomotive cab with a 10x viewer and backlit the photo. There it was .... number 3521. After checking John's excellent ARR list, I found that 3521 was an Army locomotive that was acquired by the ARR in 12/1944 and renumbered as 558. That would also fit with my Dad's time in Whittier. John, I see that you don't have a picture of ARR 558 on your page, now you have one." - 1/28/16
yellow diamondRosters: Jonathan Fischer provided us with photos of elusive locomotives GP35 #2502 and GP30u #2504 - 1/27/16
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: North Pole sunset - 1/25/16
yellow diamondHistorical: John Parys was stationed in Whittier during WWII and took many photos with his Argus C-3 camera. Feel free to send me additional descriptions for his photos. - 1/22/16
yellow diamondNews: Alaska Railroad draft outlines future plans - 1/22/16
yellow diamondNews: Alaska Live Steamers January 2016 Newsletter - 1/21/16
yellow diamondLinks: Check out the Alaska State Rail Plan Draft (ASRP) Online Review website - 1/21/16
yellow diamondNo. 557 Info: Stewart Sterling's January 557 restoration photos - 1/20/16
yellow diamondModeling: Prototype photographs: Dave Blazejewski sent three overhead photos of SD70MAC #4002 (1, 2, 3). These photos are 1089x1936 so you can enlarge them and get some good detail for modeling. If you are a railfan then you can enlarge them and drool. - 1/18/16
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: F7 #1500 at Cantwell - 1/18/16
yellow diamondPeople's Creations: Jason Vukovich's N-scale models - 1/17/16
yellow diamondIn remembrance: I regret to report the passing of Weaver Franklin. If anyone has photos or stories they would like to share I would be honored to post them on my website. - 1/17/16
yellow diamondPeople's Creations: Bristol Weeden's N-scale Halliburton cars - 1/15/16
yellow diamondNews: Surprisingly, a few Alaska Ski Train tickets remain - 1/15/16
yellow diamondFreight/Passenger: Gerald Forsyth sent us 22 photos of former British Columbia tank cars - 1/13/16
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: Spreader 9 at Hurricane - 1/11/16
yellow diamondHistorical: Many thanks to Gunnar Svalland for sending additional information on the Command Train - 1/10/16
yellow diamondNews: Alaska Railroad celebrates National Park Service centennial with "Alaska’s National Parks by Rail" - 1/10/16
yellow diamondNo. 557 Info: The December Engine 557 Restoration Company Progress Report - 1/9/16
yellow diamondNo. 557 Info: Stewart Sterling's December 557 restoration photos - 1/9/16
yellow diamondWebmaster's note: I've returned from a nice week long trip following my retirement. It's time to start getting updates out on the website. I've got a two month backlog that needs clearing out. - 1/9/16
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: Colony Christmas train - 1/5/16
yellow diamondWebmaster's note: Happy New Year! - 1/1/16

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