AK Day 9
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AK Day 9
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Written by Lindsay Korst Alaska by Rail 2025 Friday, September 12th Another buffet at the Forte fills our bellies before we motor-coach towards Anchorage in the pouring rain.
Yet another tourist train heads to the coast; A soggy view of the Anchorage Depot. ARR Shop tour! I can't miss this. The good folks at Alaska Railroad broke us up into two groups and led us through the shops for a look around. They kept saying, "Not much to see today", but to us Railfans, it was pure manna from heaven. How often do you get a look around INSIDE any railroad shops these days? So THANK YOU Alaska Railroad for giving us the grand tour.
Ben rolls us up to the diesel shop; A pair of circa 2000 EMD SD70MACs; Union Pacific 3892 (an EMD SD70M) has yet to be repainted in ARR colors; an EMD SD70MAC is getting some attention alongside an American crane; the second tour group gets a look at the inspection pit.
An upside down locomotive truck frame; parts is parts; wheel shop; close up of 4320; dome car #500, Pullman-Standard 1958, ex-Union Pacific.
A hopper car is missing one set of trucks; walking the car shop; jack stands; jumper cables.
Several cars awaiting shop time; a car man and the "supervisor"; A line up of three big EMD SD70MAC locomotives. On our way to the Anchorage Museum, we stopped to see the ARR #556 steam engine on display in a park.
Surprise! Once at the museum, we grabbed our box lunch and set off on an Uber trek to Wasilla. We were off to visit the Alaska Railroad #557 2-8-0 steam locomotive which is VERY close to operational status. MANY thanks to Molly and Sam (back in the home office), for arranging a contact with the 557 group.
What magic lurks within?; tons and tons of people-magnet; Pat gives us a running commentary of 557; the bell; the whistle. Patrick "Pat" Durand of 557.alaskarails.org let us in the building and told us all about 557. This is his baby and I would have loved to listened to him go on and on about this classic piece of history, but time was short (we had an Uber driver waiting) to return us to Anchorage. He let BAOLU climb up into the cab (not me ;p) where she took a few pictures of the inner workings of 557.
Baolu in the cab!; Look at all that hardware; firebrick inside the boiler; engineer's side of the cab; this is where the important people ride.
Builders Plates.
Lindsay and Baolu behind the tender; front end, fireman's & engineer's side; love those red/green markers on the tender; engineer side lettering; the drivers have been re-brassed and are ready to be put back on.
Pat and Baldwin Locomotive Works, 2-8-0, 1944; billboard tender.
We had a donation envelope ready for 557 and handed it over to Pat. Thank you Mister
Durand for sharing ARR 557 with us! Lindsay and Baolu Korst, Post Falls,
Idaho.
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