The Evan Jones Coal Mine was at the top of a 6 percent grade rising from Sutton on the Matanuska River. This was originally a branch off the line to Chickaloon. A junction about 1 mile from the Evan Jones tipple branched off right or north to Ester and the Coal mines there. These operations were all closed by 1967 when the power plants at Anchorage, Elmendorf and Fort Richardson were converted to natural gas.

These photos are from the Alaska Railroad archives at the Anchorage Museum of History and Art.

Photo courtesy of Anchorage Museum of History and Art
BL79.2.9754

This is the downhill side of the tipple at Evan Jones Coal Mine. In 1948 the Alaska Railroad received 480 of the ex D&RGW Rio Grande gons from the US government as surplus through the USRA. This is a rare early example of foreign road names appearing on the Alaska Railroad in the early days. The car had not made it to the paint shop yet. This complex would make a nice industry extending into a corner on a model railroad.

Photo courtesy of Anchorage Museum of History and Art
BL79.2.9755

Looking down grade past the tipple at Evan Jones Coal Mine at Jonesville. As the track turned east it started down a 6% grade for about two miles until it flattend out at the wye and yard at Sutton. 48 foot gons were commonly used for coal movements and were unloaded with clamshell buckets at destination.

Prepared by Patrick J. Durand with permission of The Anchorage Museum of History and Art.