WASILLA, ALASKA: WHERE THAT LONESOME WHISTLE BLOWS

I slept in until 6:30. I like to sip coffee, read the news, check social media, and contemplate for about two hours before I eat breakfast. This would have put my breakfast so close to the scheduled arrival of the once-a-week AuRoRa Winter Train that I decided to buy myself an Egg McMuffin breakfast at McDonald’s, park near the tracks, and leisurely eat my Egg McMuffin, hash brown patty and sip coffee as I waited for the train.

After I picked up my breakfast and coffee at the drive-through windows, I drove toward the railroad signal light at Dog Wash Crossing by Engine 557 Restoration to see if it had turned red yet for southbound traffic. This would confirm that the northbound AuRoRa was green-lighted and I should pick my spot and get ready.

But the light was green! This meant the southbound freight was running late and coming this way. The AuRoRa would have to wait. I didn’t know where the freight was. I had to act fast. I could not wander about in search of the best spot. I turned into the Dog Wash parking lot, where I saw the train rolling right past the depot. A small phalanx of train shooters readied their phones.

I drove back to the highway and headed for Trunk Road, the last exit before the Hay Flats and the only place I could be sure I could beat the train to. I parked by the overpass, launched Geppetto to the last spot from he could see the curve of the tracks all the way to the overpass. I got yesterday’s pic and then this one.

I figured I had at least half an hour before the AuRoRa came, maybe an hour or more. I began to leisurely eat my cooled-off Egg McMuffin and sip my lukewarm coffee. From where I sat, I could see the tracks extending north side of the overpass. My view to the south was blocked.

Just as I took my last bite of Egg Muffin, the bright blue and yellow SD70MAC locomotives charged out from under the overpass.

To be continued.