Palmer Turn Turning

On a cloudy Sunday afternoon Alaska Railroad's Palmer Turn (train 140W) can be seen running light engine underneath the CPP (Central Paving Products) gravel tipple located on the nearly two mile long gravel loop track which is located about 2.5 miles up the Alaska Railroad's Palmer Branch. The crew is using the loop to turn their locomotive (MP15DC 1552) and run around their short train before shoving up to the end of the branch with its loads. Rising to the south is the mighty Chugach Range.

**Note: since the date of this photo much had changed. The MP15s were sold off. The Alaska Railroad stopped running Palmer Turns and elected to transload the last customer's (JD Steel) freight in Anchorage and pay for trucking. CPP was sold and this gravel pit shut down shipping by rail and the loop was eventually taken out of service. And the outer end of the Palmer branch itself beyond the fairgrounds and the airport spur were also taken out of service leaving only seasonal gravel trains and the 10 or so Fair Train specials to use the branch with it being entirely shut down in winter.

Everything changes...shoot it now.

Palmer, Alaska
Sunday June 15, 2008

Photo courtesy of Dave Blazejewski