The sun had not yet risen when the alarm went off. After getting ready and packing up, I walked up to the road where buses were cycling around the chalets to pick up the passengers and take them to the lobby of the hotel. Chris had caught an earlier bus and I joined him and other NRHS members who were there. A safety briefing was held before we boarded the bus to take us to the train station.
The Denali Park Depot sign was illuminated. It was a cool and breezy morning today but the excitement and anticipation of the day's activities kept us from feeling the cold. Chris and I helped people to board our coach and we departed on time.
The sun had risen by the time we reached MP 347.4, Riley Creek, which is a twenty-two mile stream that flows into the Nenana River. I went to breakfast in the dining car and enjoyed the Country Starter, although my notes do not mention what that comprised.
Climbing Moose Pass, where we would have the first photo runby of the day. I assisted the passengers off the coach then joined the photo line.
The scenery in the middle of the Alaska wilderness.
The photo runby at MP 308.
The reverse move for people to re-board.
On the way back, I photographed the ground on which I was walking, since this was tundra! Of course, it had not yet frozen and was actually very springy and soft. Quite the experience!
One last view at MP 308 before everyone re-boarded the train for the continuation of the journey. The next highlight was the crossing of Hurricane Gulch Bridge at MP 284.2. This bridge spans 918 feet and 296 feet above the creek. It was built in 1921. Since it was impossible to conduct a photo runby here, the train stopped on the bridge for ten minutes and the car hosts in each coach cycled their passengers through the vestibule so everyone could take photographs of the fantastic vistas of the countryside and river.
The incredible views looking out and down from Hurricane Gulch Bridge.
The rear of the train coming off the bridge.
En route to Indian River.
Indian River as we cross it.
Going over the Indian River Bridge at MP 269.9.
Our next stop was Curry and on the way, the sides of the road were lined with fireweed, a plant that I had not seen before. I walked through the train to the dome car to enjoy the view and talk with the passengers.
The rear of the train on the Curry Loop, MP 248.1.
Autumn scenery as seen from the dome car.
The Alaska Railroad was developing a ten-acre quarry site at the Curry Loop which would provide ballast, rip-rap, armour stone and other rock materials for construction and maintenance of the track. This was 6,990 feet of extremely rare mileage.
Continuing on the loop to the townsite of Curry at MP 248.5, a ghost town.
The remains of Curry station.
Everyone detrained and the train was spotted beside the station for static photographs.
Our Alaska Railroad train at Curry.
Alaska Railroad SD70 4324 at the front of the train. I went exploring as we had forty-five minutes here.
Alaska Railroad rotary snowplough 3 built as a steam-powered rotary and was converted to diesel in 1967 and rebuilt in 1985.
The front of the snow plough.
Alaska Railroad caboose 1039E, re-built from a troop dining car.
Alaska Railroad caboose 1086 built in 1977.
History of Curry explaining its importance when a rail trip from Anchorage to Fairbanks involved two days of travvel and an overnight stay in a hotel. Curry served as a planned hotel stop but it effectively died on April 9th, 1957 when a fire burned the seventy-five room hotel to the ground and killed three people. The rest of the buildings were torn down almost immediately.
The boiler of a submerged steam engine in the Susitna River.
Views of the Susitna River in Curry.
River views looking in the other direction and further out.
On my way back, the caboose and the passenger train shared the same frame. Everyone re-boarded and the train continued south.
The 200' bridge over the Talkeetna River at MP 227.1. A short stop was made here and I went for a walk once I had helped the passengers disembark.
I spent some time in the vestibule between Talkeetna and Wasilla, enjoying views such as this.
The Museum of Transportation and Industry at Wasilla, as seen from the train, MP 163.7. We arrived at Anchorage to a warm welcome from the town. Once all our passengers had disembarked, Chris and I checked our coach to see if anything had been left behind, then helped carry boxes for Bart and Sarah. When that was completed, a few photographs had to be taken.
The Alaska Railroad's Anchorage station sign.
The Alaska Railroad sign atop their building.
Alaska Railroad 0-4-0ST 1 built 1907. This was originally narrow guage 802 built for the Panama Canal and transferred to the Alaska Railroad Commission in 1917 when it was numbered Converted to standard gauge in 1930 and became 1. It is on display across the street from the Anchorage station.
Chris then took my picture in front of the steam engine before we rode one of the shuttle buses to the Guesthouse Inn and Suites for the next few days, checked in and went to dinner at the Sizzlin' Cafe across the road. Afterwards, I relaxed, checked e-mail and called it a night.
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