Thursday, July 22, 2021
 |
 |
 |
The clever and charismatic Curt Rudd retired from the Alaska Railroad after 42 years of stalwart service. He is a true legend! Bump into a veteran Alaska Railroader, and they've got a Curt Rudd story. He and his wife Renee, neither of which allow grass to grow under their feet, built a guest apartment (plus a large garage, workshop, meat processing and smoker area, etc.), so they could entertain their friends and family. Terry and I enjoyed their hospitality numerous times, so there was no doubt we'd be squatters once again. As our arrival was just after midnight, they ensured we had unimpeded access to the apartment. Curt left a mini Charcuterie in our refrigerator complete with three different kinds of homemade moose summer sausage. Best. Moose. Sausage. Ever. Terry and I slept in late in an effort to beat the jet lag.
Keeping a home exterior beautiful in Alaska is a challenge worthy of even the great Bob Vila. Months of wind, snow and grime can really take their toll. The Rudds take pride in their home. The exterior of their home is immaculate. Even the backyard is full of flowers, adorned with a spiffy little greenhouse and grass that looks like it was manicured with scissors. Terry even once said she could actually skip some of my train pursuits and instead putter around the house of Rudd.
All the Rudd children have long since moved away. However, once again there is now the pitter patter of little feet in their home. His name is Mark. Curt describes him as, "a happy little s%#t" and loves to move jerkily toward him in an effort to cause him to run like the wind through the house. Our comings and goings always produce a little white face peering out the window. If dogs could smile, Mark would be George Clooney.
Certified pilot and instructor Jim Somerville rents his Honda Pilot (with the license plate "A PILOT") to us at the cost of one breakfast. Without a doubt, this is ultra generous. So we picked up Jim and his girlfriend Linda and headed to Cafe Amsterdam self described as, "a small, intimate cafe...offering some of the best Belgian and local beer selections in the city." Their menu is fairly extensive, but I couldn't pass up on my old standby, the hamburger. Current conversations among folks center around COVID-19, and our table was no different. We did spend some time catching up with one another and hearing about Linda's background.
After dropping Linda off at her home, I was delighted to hear the sound of a train horn. Although I did have an evening appointment, I just couldn't pass up a brief chase. We caught three SD70MACs (4014, 4007 and 4326) at a train crossing and chased them out to Potter and back. Apparently one of the SD70MACs was having a bit of a cough, and the other two MACs were escorting it out on a post repair test run.
 |
 |
 |
| Video at the crossing | Video of Honda Pilot matching speed with the MACs | Video along Turnagain Arm |
Back in the 1880s trappers would visit a trading post reprovisioning for their long excursions into the wilderness. Today, Terry and I headed for the local Wal-Mart for trip groceries as well as other necessary commodities. Traveling days can sometimes run long and PB&J can be a real lifesaver.
After dropping Terry and the groceries off at Rudd Manor, I headed out to the Subway outside of Joint Base Elmendorf–Richardson (JBER) to meet up with BJ Bjorgan for a tour of the Military Society of Model Railroad Engineers (MSMRRE) tour. The Club operates HO, N, HOn3 and O scale model layouts in Room 35, in the basement of Matanuska Hall, Bldg. 7153.
Back in 1982, the original members met in a garage where they built a modular HO layout. New members meant growth, which translated to needing more space. The Elmendorf Air Force Base commander was also a member of the society and granted the MSMRRE permission to use a small room in the basement of Matanuska Hall. Over time, the group grew into other basement rooms and added more members to their roster. Soon they will celebrate four decades of model railroading fun.
Upon entering the basement, I was surprised by the membership turnout and felt a little like a railroading rock star (although my spandex days are long since gone). The tour was the closest thing I've seen to model railroad layout infinity. Each massive room takes you into a different scale layout such as N, HO, HOn3, O and a generous gift of G scale equipment has members building bench work in the Denali Room. They even had a cool White Pass and Yukon layout, but my favorite was the O scale Alaska Railroad consist. My jaw hurt from the number of times it astonishingly dropped open and hit the floor. The quantity is there, but so is the quality. Buildings and scenery are created by hand. I wished I lived close by!
Their skills also touch many lives through the Great American Train Show at the Fur Rendezvous and the Engine 557 Restoration project.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
I mentioned to BJ I needed photos of the backside of Alaska Mill and Feed for my scenery backdrop and he was only too happy to lead the way.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Returning to Rudd Manor I encountered Curt who had had a marvelous day commercial fishing. Although retired, he spends two days a week getting up at the crack of dawn fishing his assigned plot and landing as many salmon as possible. Returning home with his catch, he implements his call list and friends stop by to grab the freshest fish in town.
