By V.L Graham, former war correspondent, who happened to be in the vicinity working on an assignment for LIFE

All former records for the locomotive high-jump were in danger of being shattered recently. when on the 14th of Oct., engineer Dave Thompson (after months of preparation) made an attempt to blast his way through a rock slide at mile 20.8 - a short distance from Lakeview.

Rain, which had been falling for over a week, had loosened the new highway fill at this point causing a slide to cover the track and giving Thompson the chance he had been waiting so patiently for. Unfortunately, the slide occurred at a point that did not come within his range of vision until it was too late for him to widen on the throttle as he had palled on doing. Never-the-less. he stuck grimly to his post, and it is likely that he would have made it had he not lost his nerve, and set the brakes when he saw the pilot and pony-trucks pass beneath his cab window.

Engineer Anderson on the 2nd engine, shouldered part of the responsibility for their failure to establish a new record, admittedly that he did not respond promptly to Thompson’s frantic high-balls. He he realized the opportunity that lay within their grasp, it is certain that he would have worked his engine harder, thus assuring Thompson of an easy victory.

Fireman “Smoky” Floyd was not awakened by the commotion, and had no comment to make concerning his part in the episode. Fireman “Clinker” Lenevitch (on the 2nd engine) was jolted out of his trance, and after being informed as to what had happened, made a hasty estimate as to how long they would be detained…borrowed a pencil and began figuring up his time. (Anderson had already done pencil and started figuring up this metal, and it is interesting to note that he hit it exactly. Lenevitch was 1 hour and 55 minutes off.)

The two brakemen in the caboose nearly came to blows in the argument that followed the upsetting of their checker board. It was only after Conductor Milburn threatened to make them drink some of the coffee as he was brewing that kept them apart, within a short time order was restored and peace once again settled on the ALASKA RAILROAD.