Up On The Ledge
The rocky cliffs rising above the Seward Highway along Turnagain Arm are a popular location for viewing the native white Dall Sheep. They frequent this area around McHugh Creek and while up here photographing some on this quiet afternoon what should happen by but a train!
Here is a 'sheep's eye view' of the northbound Glacier Discovery passenger train (225W) at about MP 97 on the Alaska Railroad mainline as they occupy their narrow right of way between the highway and the sea on this overcast evening. A pair of geeps bracket a baggage car, coach and DMU 751. I'm not sure of the number of the trailing unit or why it was even there given that normally 751 is used as a cab car and the train operates push/pull.
Leading is GP40-2 3009 which was bought new by the railroad in April 1976 as part of the second order of this model from EMD. Delivered in the black and yellow freight scheme she received the blue and yellow Alaska Bold image around 1989 or 1990 when she was rebuilt for the first time with a HEP generator. In 2000 she was rebuilt again and outfitted with a 300Kw Detroit Diesel auxiliary engine for HEP and received the current 'baby MAC' paint scheme.
South of Anchorage, Alaska
Monday August 24, 2015
