Remington Arms Plant 12-17-1948

I am enclosing one 8 by 10 of the Alaska Railroad's new Diesel forge plant and heavy equipment maintenance shop in the Anchorage, Alaska Railroad terminal yards. You will recognize the building as the 320 by 230-foot former Kaiser (Remington) Shell plant, located outside of Denver during the war.

A 60-foot bay is scheduled for occupancy by Jan. 31, 1949. The remainder of the building will be finished by the middle of next summer.

The new forge plant is Alaska's biggest building--exclusive of airplane hangers. The four roomy bays will contain three traveling cranes, and equipment to make the shop one of the territory's most modern.

The building was dismantled in Denver, shipped to the west coast,then placed aboard barges for Whittier, Alaska. The contract for dis-mantling and re-assembling the building was won by Sparling Steel Co. of Seattle. Workmen under Charley Shalka, vetreren Pacific Coast steelman, put the building up in 28 working days.

Conversion includes "fridged-weather" proofing. Temperatures here have already dropped to 20 below zero this month.

The building is framed against the Chugach Mountains which rim Anchorage on the east. If you use the pic [photo], will you credit the shot to Dick Chase, Alaska Railroad photographer? Thank You.

Photo courtesy of Stewart Sterling Collection