What's New - 2022 Archive

yellow diamondHistorical: Over the next week or so I will be adding a few more Railbelt Reporters (ARR employee newsletters) online. Here is the June 1954 edition. It contains an interesting debate regarding the real #1 locomotive. - 12/30/22
yellow diamondRosters: 1966/67 photo of locomotive crane #105 at Healy and Marty Bernard's 1995 photo of RDC #712 - 12/30/22
yellow diamondModeling: Grandsons, John's wife and Eagle Scouts run the trains, the Whittier depot gets a few upgrades, Liquid Nails gets painted and flocking aids in realism on my Alaska Railroad layout - 12/29/22
yellow diamondRosters: Frank Keller's Pristine Potter and Over the Placer River - 12/28/22
yellow diamondLinks:  Here is an interesting presentation called "Alaska by Train, The Greatest Train Ride That Never Was" - 12/28/22

yellow diamondLinks: The Alaska Railroad Reveals Spectacular Views and Remote Communities - 12/27/22
yellow diamondRosters: 1982 photo of bicentennial locomotives at the Anchorage depot - 12/26/22
yellow diamondPeople's Creations: Dave Burger's HO scale Runaway Train model - 12/26/22
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: AuRoRa in Anchorage - 12/26/22
yellow diamondRosters: Frank Keller's ARR Holiday Train - 12/25/22
yellow diamondNews: Whittier Barge Slip Rehabilitation - 12/25/22
yellow diamondNews: Centennial Special - 12/25/22
yellow diamondNews: Alaska Railroad to mark golden anniversary in 2023 - 12/25/22
yellow diamondNews: Alaska Railroad - It's a Centennial Celebration - 12/25/22
yellow diamondNews: Alaska Railroad Begins Centennial Celebration - 12/25/22
yellow diamondRosters: Using Steve VanGoor's photos to fatten up the leasing unit roster - numbers 121, 3854, 3878, 4400, 4405 and 4413 - 12/22/22
yellow diamondModeling: Rick and John work in stereo - the left speaker is Liquid Nails on foam board while the right speaker is Woodland Scenics ballast on my Alaska Railroad layout - 12/22/22
yellow diamondRosters: Dave Blazejewski's The Last Ride South, Heading to the Fair and Budds on the Bridge - 12/21/22
yellow diamondNews: Railroad commissions two Alaska artists for 2023 - 12/20/22
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: Winter Aurora lit up for the holidays - 12/19/22
yellow diamondRosters: Bill Hess captures the Aurora winter train at East Glenwood Crossing - 12/18/22
yellow diamondRosters: In my complete roster section I had 8021 listed as scrapped. Imagine my surprise when I heard from Jacob Woods, Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum, Chattanooga, Tennessee. "The Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum owns 8021 and has for a number of years, as part of our collection of RSD-1s. It ran for TVA at Bellefonte and it is believed to have previously been at Widow's Creek, probably from the late 1970s or early 1980s, until it came here in 1993, the last RSD-1 we acquired. (The first 4 were in 1978, from the Air Force). It is known to be 8021 from its signature spark arrestor and the fire damage from the 1948/49 Churchill fire in Canada. Attached is a photograph of 8021, after it operated under its own power, at the donation ceremony with TVRM's long-time president and co-founder, Mr Robert M Soule, Jr, and a sadly unknown TVA Representative. The Army paint from the 1960s was beginning to fail at this point, and this was 30 years ago." - 12/18/22
yellow diamondVideo: Case wheel loader using a notched piece of steel to clear ice, snow and mud from the rail in the Whittier yard - 12/17/22
yellow diamondRosters: Fattening up the rosters for the holidays with Deane Motis's photos of SD70MAC #4324, GP49 #2801 and GP40 #3005 in Anchorage - 12/16/22
yellow diamondRosters: Another edition from my dog Max, "The lion shall lie down with the lamb" - 12/15/22
yellow diamondVideo: Check out this cool video DownieLive Travels By Train the Alaska Railroad - 12/14/22
yellow diamondRosters: Mike Gerenday shares Bird's Eye View - 12/13/22
yellow diamondNews: The Alaska Railroad brings back The Holiday Train - 12/13/22
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: Winter Aurora at Anchorage Depot - 12/12/22
yellow diamondModeling: Liquid Nails, Woodland Scenics ballast and an Alaskan visitor on my Alaska Railroad layout - 12/8/22
yellow diamondRailroadiana: Added lots of documents to my reference library including multiple timetables (I now have 91of 141), Employee Security Guide, US Hazardous Material Instructions, General Code of Operating Rules, Operation and Maintenance Manual Colorado Railcar Mfg. Bi-Level Domes #653-654, Track chart 2006, Operation and Maintenance Manual Colorado Railcar Mfg. Single Level Coach #557, Corporation Directory, Operation and Maintenance Manual Colorado Railcar Mfg. DMU 751, Port MacKenzie Rail Extension Segment 6 and Strategic Plan 2015-2019 - 12/5/22
yellow diamondHistorical: Thanks to Mike Gerenday for providing newspaper stories Its Ours Now, Major Events in Life Of the Alaska Railroad and State Assumes Control Of Alaska Railroad for my historic news stories section - 12/5/22
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: Tanks a lot! - 12/5/22
yellow diamondRosters: Mike Gerenday shares truly amazing color photos of FP7 1510 on the #6 AuRoRa, F units and geeps and troop sleeper 104050. Also, check out his photo of the Guard of the Palmer Depot. - 12/3/22
yellow diamondPeople's Creations: Joey Boerner's father-in-law's HO scale layout in Soldotna - 12/3/22
yellow diamondHistorical: Thanks to Mike Gerenday for providing newspaper stories Alaska starts riding its own rails, Old Healy catches the last train (1, 2), Personnel management problems cited by group, Saturday is the day when the state takes over, Train to carry only invited guests for switch, Trains head to Nenana for big ceremony and Uncle Sam hands railroad to Alaska for my historic news stories section - 12/3/22
yellow diamondNo. 557 Info: The November Engine 557 Restoration Company Progress Report - 12/2/22
yellow diamondModeling: Dairy Queen, Liquid Nails and Woodland Scenics ballast on my Alaska Railroad layout - 12/1/22
yellow diamondAdmin: The Whittier nest cam is once again operational! Go to my main page, right most column and look for Whittier nest cam. Click on the link. When it brings the page up click on the "full screen" icon. There is a barge unloading there now. - 11/29/22

yellow diamondNo. 557 Info: Annual Fund Raising Campaign - Today is “Giving Tuesday” and the first day of the Engine 557 Restoration Company’s annual fund raising event. We typically limit fund raisers targeting  individuals to one per year, so it is a critical part of our income for the entire year. This year we have secured $10,000 in matching funds, All contributions given after November 1 will be matched dollar-for-dollar until the grant is exhausted. We are also working to secure additional challenge funds.  Did you know? The Engine 557 Restoration Company has never asked for nor received any government funding. Unlike many non-profits we do not use paid fund raisers. All fund raising, including grant request preparation is done by volunteers and our total annual fund raising expenses are less than $300. Your contributions are important and very much appreciated. Thank you for your contribution toward 557’s return to operation by mail, credit card, or in person. - 11/29/22
yellow diamondRosters: Many thanks to John Rogers for sharing his rebuild photos of former Alaska Railroad units #1801, #1803 and HEP-1 (P-30) - 11/27/22
yellow diamondAdmin: The Whittier nest cam is once again operational! Go to my main page, right most column and look for Whittier nest cam. Click on the link. When it brings the page up click on the "full screen" icon. There is a barge unloading there now. - 11/29/22

yellow diamondNo. 557 Info: Annual Fund Raising Campaign - Today is “Giving Tuesday” and the first day of the Engine 557 Restoration Company’s annual fund raising event. We typically limit fund raisers targeting  individuals to one per year, so it is a critical part of our income for the entire year. This year we have secured $10,000 in matching funds, All contributions given after November 1 will be matched dollar-for-dollar until the grant is exhausted. We are also working to secure additional challenge funds.  Did you know? The Engine 557 Restoration Company has never asked for nor received any government funding. Unlike many non-profits we do not use paid fund raisers. All fund raising, including grant request preparation is done by volunteers and our total annual fund raising expenses are less than $300. Your contributions are important and very much appreciated. Thank you for your contribution toward 557’s return to operation by mail, credit card, or in person. - 11/29/22
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: Mass Excavation, Inc. train - 11/28/22
yellow diamondTerminology: Air Brakes and Train Handling Rules (6/1/96) - 11/27/22
yellow diamondRosters: Many thanks to John Rogers for sharing his rebuild photos of former Alaska Railroad units #1801, #1803 and HEP-1 (P-30) - 11/27/22
yellow diamondModeling: J-B Kwik and Liquid Nails on my Alaska Railroad layout - 11/24/22
yellow diamondVideo: Check out this cool video of the 557 Oct 08 2022 Rollout! - 11/21/22
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: End of train, end of day - 11/21/22
yellow diamondNews: Flag Stop Train Finds Hill Top Home - 11/18/22
yellow diamondModeling: Various odds and ends done one my Alaska Railroad layout - 11/10/22
yellow diamondModeling: Sorry to be a little slow in reporting these abi decals from Highball Graphics in HO and N scale - 11/9/22
yellow diamondRosters: Many thanks to Lawrence F. Hughes, Editor and Publisher, Canada and Alaska Timetable, for allowing me to post the Alaska Railroad map and service - 11/9/22
yellow diamondNews: Anchorage Sand and Gravel Railroad Movement - 11/8/22
yellow diamondRosters: Doug Ellison provides information for the reason why some locomotives were surplused - 11/8/22
yellow diamondRosters: Doug Ellison shares two magnificent SHOP photos: lifting the 4010 for truck overhaul and nos. 3001 and 3007 in perfect backshop light - 11/8/22
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: Here are the next two Pictures of the week - winter Aurora and perched eagle in Whittier - 11/7/22
yellow diamondVideo: At the fuel racks - 11/6/22
yellow diamondRosters: Tyler Bell captures the empty DEX returning to Anchorage and a smattering of other photos - 11/6/22
yellow diamondIndustries: Added three Bill Hess photos to Valley Block and Concrete - 11/6/22
yellow diamondNo. 557 Info: The October Engine 557 Restoration Company Progress Report - 11/4/22
yellow diamondRosters: Retired Alaska Railroad General Foreman Doug Ellison's photo "Dinner time on the 4328" - 11/3/22
yellow diamondVideo: Spreading ballast on the Susitna River - 11/3/22
yellow diamondRosters: Anchorage has about six inches of snow right now so Frank Keller's photo Awaiting the Call is very apropos. - 11/3/22
yellow diamondRosters: Dave Blazejewski's High Wide Alaska Style - 11/3/22
yellow diamondModeling: Train tours, unusual loads and a new neon sign on my Alaska Railroad layout - 11/3/22
yellow diamondWhere Are They Now?: RDC 701 delivered to Whistle Hill - 10/31/22
yellow diamondWhere Are They Now?: RDC 701 delivered to Whistle Hill - 10/31/22
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: No. 4005 at JBER - 10/31/22
yellow diamondRosters: Hydro-Train ARCX #3031 and Hydro-Train sign - 10/30/22
yellow diamondModeling: Work on the N scale layout is complete on my Alaska Railroad layout. A new ARR neon light is purchased for the diesel shop, lighting becomes operation on the Whittier depot and updates are installed for the handheld controllers. - 10/28/22
yellow diamondRosters: Sheltie selfie - 10/27/22
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: South America Bound - 10/24/22
yellow diamondVideo: Alaska Films Archive - UAF clip entitled, Wintry 1940s Alaska Railroad travel - 10/21/22
yellow diamondVideo: RaeEllen Kurzendoerfer catches a work train along Turnagain Arm and a freight train approaching Anchorage - 10/21/22
yellow diamondNo. 557 Info: Re-arranged hundreds of files and links per Dick Morris - 10/20/22
yellow diamondRosters: David Graham's photo of bicentennial locomotive #1512 and spreader #5 - 10/19/22
yellow diamondNews: Ground Breaks on New Alaska Cruise Port - 10/19/22
yellow diamondModeling: Junior locomotive engineer training begins on my Alaska Railroad layout. Scenery work continues at Whittier depot and the N scale layout gets encounters yet another hitch. - 10/18/22
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: Popping out of tunnel 5 - 10/17/22
yellow diamondNews: A milestone for the last steam locomotive on the Alaska Railroad - 10/12/22
yellow diamondNews: 557 Celebration of Progress - 10/12/22
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: Military cargo - 10/10/22
yellow diamondLinks: A draft of a September 2007 document entitled, "Bering Sea Connection - North America to Asia, Turning Vision to Reality" - 10/6/22
yellow diamondRosters: Bob Yost's photos of E9-A #2402, MP-15 #1552 and GP40 #3013 - 10/5/22
yellow diamondNo. 557 Info: The September Engine 557 Restoration Company Progress Report - 10/4/22
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: Fall on the Alaska Railroad - 10/3/22
yellow diamondRosters: A million thanks to Doug Ellison for the donation of his Alaska Railroad collection. Here are a few photos he received from Bob Yost. More to come! GP30u #2504, four locomotives in the Anchorage diesel shop, locomotive crane in the Anchorage diesel shop and three RDCs on the line - 10/2/22
yellow diamondCalender: Casey Durand was approved to produce and sell a "Railroads of Alaska Calendar" with proceeds going to Locomotive 557 Restoration Co. and Friends of the Tanana Valley Railroad. The per calendar cost will be $20 with $10 shipping and handling up to 4 calendars per package. This project will include photos of railroads across Alaska, both past and present. Some historical commentary and a feature page for ARR #557, TVRR #1, Operation Life Saver, and AKRR safety and security info. If you are interested in having a photo featured please let me know and send it to my email address durandcasey@gmail.com. Selected photos will be awarded with 4 free calendars. - 10/1/22
yellow diamondWhere Are They Now?: Jonathan Fischer shares some photos of ex-ARR GP49 numbers 2807 and 2809 in Washington - 9/30/22
yellow diamondVideo: RaeEllen Kurzendoerfer catches dump cars working at night at Portage - 9/30/22
yellow diamondModeling: I finished work on the N scale coffee table layout and Rick carried it to downstairs for installation. It was then we realized we had problems! Just another day in the life of my Alaska Railroad layout. - 9/29/22
yellow diamondCalender: Casey Durand was approved to produce and sell a "Railroads of Alaska Calendar" with proceeds going to Locomotive 557 Restoration Co. and Friends of the Tanana Valley Railroad. The per calendar cost will be $20 with $10 shipping and handling up to 4 calendars per package. This project will include photos of railroads across Alaska, both past and present. Some historical commentary and a feature page for ARR #557, TVRR #1, Operation Life Saver, and AKRR safety and security info. If you are interested in having a photo featured please let me know and send it to my email address durandcasey@gmail.com. Selected photos will be awarded with 4 free calendars. - 9/29/22
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: Bridge on flat car - 9/26/22
yellow diamondRosters: Vernon Carlson captures the progress of the new switch for north end of Cantwell siding - 9/23/22
yellow diamondModeling: Work continues on the N scale coffee table layout plus additional foam board work is shimmed and secured on my Alaska Railroad layout - 9/22/22

yellow diamondRosters: Four incredible shots from the master photographer Frank Keller caboose 1092 at Moose Pass, summer solstice at Healy Canyon, pulling around the south leg of the wye at Portage and work train rolls through Summit - 9/22/22
yellow diamondRosters: Dave Blazejewski's Alaskan Railroaders Of The Finest Kind, Short But Spectacular, The Last Loads and Up On The Ledge - 9/21/22
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: Spencer Whistle Stop - 9/19/22
yellow diamondRosters: Roy Foster shares a nice photo of GP40 #3008 at the Anchorage diesel shops in 1974 - 9/18/22
yellow diamondRosters: Robert Krol shares photos of no. 3011 pulling the Glacier Discovery at Portage Tunnel - 9/18/22
yellow diamondVideo: For those of you who are on Facebook check out this video of a bear running through the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel - 9/18/22
yellow diamondFreight/Passenger: Roy Foster sent photos of gondolas 13323, 13407 and X3000 - 9/16/22
yellow diamondHistorical: A sincere thanks to Gary Chambers for sending photos and newspaper articles of the 1957 Curry Hotel Fire - 9/15/22
yellow diamondHistorical: Gary Chambers also shared family photos of his father's employment at Curry and Broad Pass. I would appreciate receiving any additional information on these photos. - 9/15/22
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: Work train on Turnagain Arm - 9/12/22
yellow diamondRosters: During our visit to Partner's Park I discovered Max was losing his hearing - 9/11/22
yellow diamondModeling: The Whittier Depot is now complete! Foam board bracing is also complete. Additionally, four new flatcars are roaming the rails on my Alaska Railroad layout. - 9/10/22
yellow diamondRosters: Mike Gerenday catches no. 3014 leading the McKinley Express - 9/7/22
yellow diamondRosters: Robert Krol reports the Cruise Train will leave Portage today for Anchorage, get serviced and go to Whittier tomorrow to be the MEX - 9/7/22
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: #557 restoration effort - 9/5/22
yellow diamondNo. 557 Info: The August Engine 557 Restoration Company Progress Report - 9/4/22
yellow diamondRosters: Erik Moore captures photos of loading pipe in Seward - 9/3/22
yellow diamondNews: Alaska Railroad Board seeks applications to serve on External Issues Review Committee - 9/3/22
yellow diamondRosters: Rusty Wendlandt adds a companion photo to his previous Sheep Creek shot. - 9/3/22
yellow diamondWhere Are They Now?: Mike Gerenday informs us F7-A #1508 has been sold to LTEX, Larry's Truck and Electric as of last year. More information to come! - 9/3/22
yellow diamondAdmin: I'm back from my 18 day vacation. Time to start working on the website again! - 9/1/22
yellow diamondModeling: Shingles and chimneys are applied to the Whittier Depot (Nenana Depot LaserKit) and foam board fixing continues on my Alaska Railroad layout. - 8/11/22
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: Next four Pictures of the Week - 8/8/22
yellow diamondModeling: Construction of the Nenana Depot LaserKit draws to a close while foam board fixing continues on my Alaska Railroad layout. - 8/4/22
yellow diamondRosters: Mary Bryan catches the brush cutter near Seward - 8/2/22
yellow diamondNo. 557 Info: The July Engine 557 Restoration Company Progress Report - 8/1/22
yellow diamondRosters: Erik Moore's shots from the 5 day 20m pound offload in Seward. Bags contain frac sand, salt, barite, baroid and proppant. - 7/31/22
yellow diamondRosters: Jonathan Fischer captures a photo of a 6-axle cryogenic tank car in the Anchorage yard plus locomotives #1512, #1804, #2809 and #3001 - 7/30/22
yellow diamondModeling: Foam board leveling and gluing on my Alaska Railroad layout. Rick finishes work on the Nenana Depot LaserKit. John completes ballasting on the N scale layout. - 7/29/22
yellow diamondNews: Putting the Wheels in Motion: Fort Wainwright Stryker Vehicles move out of Alaska - 7/27/22
yellow diamondVideo: Robert Krol, our man in Whittier, catches the Cruise Train and Glacier Discovery.- 7/27/22
yellow diamondRosters: Jonathan Fischer shares images of no. 3012 northbound at Chulitna and southbound oil train with Denali in the background. Additionally he sent a five photo set of ARR 3019 and ARR 3020 leading a southbound Whittier train. - 7/25/22
yellow diamondNews: Curious Alaska: What’s the deal with Anchorage’s airport train station? - 7/25/22
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: Quiet evening at the Anchorage shops - 7/25/22
yellow diamondVideo: Frank Keller shares his 2021 presentation (720p, 905MB) from Austell Railfest in Georgia. If you prefer to view the 1080p 2.43GB version then drop me an email. - 7/24/22
yellow diamondModeling: Scenery work continues on my Alaska Railroad layout. Rick continues work on the Nenana Depot LaserKit. John completes plaster work on the N scale layout. - 7/22/22
yellow diamondHistorical: Robert Krol stumbled across some photos in a desk drawer. He scanned them for us and I created a "Whittier in the 1950s (Addison Family)" in the historical section. - 7/20/22
yellow diamondRosters: The Whittier barge delivers new UPS trucks. Thanks for the photos and video Robert Krol! - 7/20/22
yellow diamondVideo: A very cool video, "Gulf Titan - How Stuff Gets to Alaska" - 7/18/22
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: Gravel hopper infinity - 7/18/22
yellow diamondNews: Moonstone Farm opens new tasting room - 7/18/22
yellow diamondRosters: Steve Katkus adds a bunch of photos to the FRA checking track gauge on the Alaska Railroad page - 7/18/22
yellow diamondRosters: Mike Gerenday adds a bunch of photos to the FRA checking track gauge on the Alaska Railroad page - 7/18/22
yellow diamondModeling: Scenery work continues on my Alaska Railroad layout. John completes plaster cloth work on the N scale layout as well. - 7/15/22
yellow diamondModeling: Walthers is taking reservations for HO scale Alaska Railroad Ready to Run 60' Pullman-Standard Flatcars numbers 17001, 17005, 17010 and 17014 - 7/13/22
yellow diamondRosters: Added Mike Gerenday's photos to the FRA checking track gauge on the Alaska Railroad page - 7/13/22
yellow diamondRosters: Rusty Wendlandt spots no. 4319 is leading the Denali Star out of Denali Park and getting ready to cross Sheep Creek on its way north. - 7/13/22
yellow diamondLinks: My thanks to James Coy for spotlighting the YouTube video Alaska Railroad Denali Star Goldstar Service Fairbanks to Anchorage by Jeb Brooks - 7/13/22
yellow diamondRosters: FRA checking track gauge on the Alaska Railroad - 7/13/22
yellow diamondRosters: Many thanks to Dick Morris for sending roster updates - 310-320 class steam locomotives, #562, #601, #1065, #1514, #1826, #7123, #1018 and #1512 - 7/12/22
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: General Office Building - 7/11/22
yellow diamondRosters: Jonathan Fischer captures ARR 3002 leading a Whittier bound freight - 7/10/22
yellow diamondNews: FRA geometry car to inspect the Alaska Railroad - 7/9/22
yellow diamondStories: Here is my 2021 Alaska Railroad trip journal which contains 339 photos, 73 medium resolution videos and thousands of words that occupy a whopping grand total of 6.59 gigabytes. Please send me an email to tell me what you think of it. - 7/9/22
yellow diamondRosters: Rusty Wendlandt captures the Denali Star making its way under the Old Glenn Highway - 7/8/22
yellow diamondRosters: Yet another geocaching trip with Max at a natural aquifer. - 7/8/22
yellow diamondModeling: Grass and ballasting continues on my Alaska Railroad layout. Rick completes work on the N scale layout and stabilizes and glues foam board on the HO scale layout. - 7/8/22
yellow diamondNews: Gov. Dunleavy signs HB 127, marking major milestone for ARRC Seward Dock update - 7/5/22
yellow diamondVideo: Steve Katkus caught a video of a freight and passenger train in one shot - 7/5/22
yellow diamondRosters: Dave Blazejewski's The Rarest Local and Snow Fleet Southbound - 7/5/22
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: Air dumps along the Seward Highway - 7/4/22
yellow diamondModeling: Ballasting continues on my Alaska Railroad layout while track replacement is underway on the N scale coffee table layout. - 7/1/22
yellow diamondNo. 557 Info: The June Engine 557 Restoration Company Progress Report - 7/1/22
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: Seward Cruise train at Ted Steven's International Airport - 6/27/22
yellow diamondRosters: A few more photos from Jonathan Fischer in the Anchorage yard GP40 numbers 3012 and 3017 and GP38 #2001 - 6/26/22
yellow diamondRosters: Jonathan Fischer catches bicentennial locomotives numbers 1510 and 1512 with E9 #2402 and rotary 3 in the Anchorage yard - 6/25/22
yellow diamondRosters: Doug Ellison sent two of his photos to cool us off in this summer weather; P-30 in the Anchorage yard and a string of SD70MACs at the Anchorage fuel racks - 6/25/22
yellow diamondRosters: Dave Blazejewski's A Stark Comparison, Branchline Loadout, Down Whittier Way, Eielson Switcher and Tunnel Siding - 6/24/22
yellow diamondModeling: Ballasting begins on my Alaska Railroad layout. - 6/23/22
yellow diamondRosters: If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Bill Hess captures this sentiment at Krazy Moose Subs. Also, check out this unique view of the Engine 557 volunteers waiving at a passing passenger train. - 6/22/22
yellow diamondRosters: Jonathan Fischer shares his new James Caflin acquisitions with us - F7-A #1506, MRS-1 #1611, GP7 #1802, GP7 #1809, E9-A #2401, GP49 #2802, GP40 #3015, GP40-2 #3018 and GP40-2 #3020 - 6/22/22
yellow diamondRosters: RaeEllen Kurzendoerfer spotted a Loram LRV-5 and caboose 1069 spotted at Portage - 6/22/22
yellow diamondRosters: Many thanks to Doug for providing the diagram for the modern GP paint scheme - 6/22/22
yellow diamondRosters: Robert Krol captures three GP40s pulling a MoW ballast train at Indian - 6/22/22
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: Northbound Budd car - 6/20/22
yellow diamondRosters: Bill Hess captures an empty gravel train at the Engine 557 Restoration Company - 6/19/22
yellow diamondRosters: Dave Blazejewski's Pure Alaskana, 120S At Bird Point and Old School ARR - 6/18/22
yellow diamondVideo: Robert Nelson's incredible video of a ballast regulator plowing snow north of Talkeetna - 6/17/22
yellow diamondModeling: Check out the latest work on my Alaska Railroad layout. - 6/17/22
yellow diamondRosters: Dick Morris provides specifications for steam locomotives 703 and 801 - 6/16/22
yellow diamondRosters: Dick Morris provides a correction plus some additional information regarding caboose 1018 - 6/16/22
yellow diamondRosters: Max is carried across the Great Miami River - 6/16/22
yellow diamondHistorical: Alaska Railroad Travelogue 1934 - 6/14/22
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: MoW equipment in Indian siding - 6/13/22
yellow diamondRosters: Tyler Bell shares the many faces of Hurricane Gulch, first coastal classic of 2022 and SD70MAC #4327 in Seward - 6/12/22
yellow diamondRosters: Frank Keller catches a lengthy freight along Turnagain Arm - 6/12/22
yellow diamondRosters: Dave Blazejewski's Gravel Season Is Here, Coal At Twentymile, Alaskan Relics and Working The Slip - 6/11/22
yellow diamondModeling: Tornadoes, hot fudge, turnout repairs, painted vents and long shanked couplers on my Alaska Railroad layout. - 6/9/22
yellow diamondRosters: Over the winter GP40 #3015 was stored Out of Service (OOS), but is once again working as can be seen by Robert Krol's photo of it picking up cruise ship passengers. - 6/6/22
yellow diamondRosters: Dave Blazejewski's Hot Garbage and Coho Caboose - 6/6/22
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: Targets - 6/6/22
yellow diamondRosters: Bill Hess is out on the rails every day and provides us great photos of the Bear Cars, Northbound night freight and the Southbound Denali Star - 6/2/22
yellow diamondRosters: Beefing up the steam rosters with photos of #561 (from Dick Morris) and #552 (from Casey Durand) - 6/5/22
yellow diamondNews: Passenger and freight rail projects in 32 states get millions from U.S. DOT - 6/5/22
yellow diamondRosters: Bill Hess is out on the rails every day and provides us great photos of the Bear Cars, Northbound night freight and the Southbound Denali Star - 6/2/22
yellow diamondModeling: Barge fascia, table skirts and locomotive images/sound file updates on my Alaska Railroad layout. - 6/2/22
yellow diamondHistorical: Here is another installment of the Civil Aeronautics Administration photos provided by Dick Morris with commentary by Patrick Durand. - 5/30/22
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: Mixed train at Anchorage depot - 5/30/22
yellow diamondNo. 557 Info: The May Engine 557 Restoration Company Progress Report - 5/29/22
yellow diamondRosters: Frank Keller's Bird Point from the dark side, Coastal Classic in route to Seward, crossing Trail Lake on a nice Winter afternoon, an extra work train at Windy, headed for Seward, highway and the tracks all share space, partial rainbow greet the northbound freight, spring run off is in full force, summer passenger season has arrived, CN barge loading and working Whittier yard - 5/27/22
yellow diamondModeling: Scenery, table skirts, locomotive repair and running passenger trains on my Alaska Railroad layout. - 5/26/22
yellow diamondRosters: Casey Durand, Don Marenzi and John Gray provide photos and information on the old Express Refrigerator railcars. - 5/24/22
yellow diamondSchedules: Steve Katkus furnishes you with a 2022 passenger train schedule he created. - 5/24/22
yellow diamondRosters: Steve Katkus captures a rare sighting of a cruise train at the airport depot. Also check out the video as well. - 5/24/22
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: Crossing the Nenana River bridge - 5/23/22
yellow diamondRosters: Dave Blazejewski's 80 Miles To Go... - 5/22/22
yellow diamondHistorical: Dick Morris is providing us with a set of Alaska Railroad related photos taken by the Civil Aeronautics Administration. As Pat Durand (as well as others) provide commentary I will post them. Here is the first installment. - 5/22/22
yellow diamondHistorical: I'm creating a new section holding miscellaneous Alaska Railroad documents. Many thanks to Jonathan Fischer for contributing the first two documents. - 5/22/22
yellow diamondNews: Pretty cool to see the Alaska Railroad has put out an invitation to bid 2023 MOW Leased Track Equipment (Surfacing) - 5/21/22
yellow diamondModeling: John continues scenery work on the canyon at Tunnel, Terry adds more table skirts and Rick finishes coupler work on the Tour Alaska Ultradome and wiring on SD70MAC #4011 on my Alaska Railroad layout. - 5/19/22
yellow diamondRosters: Jonathan Fischer shares his productive photo sessions of ARR 4324 at Talkeetna, ARR 4327 south of Healy, Healy yard, evening in the Healy yard and Talkeetna - 5/16/22
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: First Denali Star - 5/16/22
yellow diamondRosters: New track geometry car - 5/15/22
yellow diamondRosters: Dave Blazejewski's 120S At Bird Point, Geep Reflections, One Of Each At Gorilla Rock, Scenic Ship Creek, Streetside Sandwich, A Simple PORTrait, Looking Back At The Back, Out Behind The Shops, Snaking South, Wasilla!?, Back In The Back Shop, Bold Indeed, and Got Wheels? - 5/12/22
yellow diamondRosters: Max and John "Ah, to be young again!" - 5/12/22
yellow diamondRosters: Mary Bryan captures the company work train near Seward - 5/12/22
yellow diamondRosters: Bill Hess shares drone photos at the 557 Restoration Company and the Palmer Hay Flats - 5/12/22
yellow diamondRosters: Many thanks to Bob Garber and Patrick Durand for providing additional information on USAX #10860. - 5/11/22
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: Koole's 25th anniversary railcar - 5/9/22
yellow diamondModeling: Work continues on the canyon at Tunnel while Rick tests out a new Tour Alaska Ultradome and secures barge wiring on my Alaska Railroad layout. - 5/6/22
yellow diamondRosters: Curt Fortenberry captures MP15 #1552 in the Fairbanks yard - 5/4/22
yellow diamondRosters: Does anyone have additional information on USAX #10860? Also, here's numbers 1530 and 1612 in the Anchorage yard. - 5/4/22
yellow diamondRosters: Jonathan Fischer follows a Whittier freight and shuttle in June 1985 - 5/3/22
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: No trespassing - 5/2/22
yellow diamondRosters: Dave Blazejewski's Love Those Black Geeps! - 5/1/22
yellow diamondFreight/Passenger: Many thanks to Terry Combs for providing updated photos of passenger/baggage cars 110, 204, 205, 207, 451, 522, 651, 653 and 1004 - 4/30/22
yellow diamondRosters: Patrick Durand provides a photo and commentary of tourist car #708 - 4/30/22
yellow diamondRosters: Casey Durand sent us a photo of the Fairbanks Depot taken in the 1940s - 4/29/22
yellow diamondRosters: Frank Keller's photo of three rear DP units reflect nicely in a pond near Girdwood - 4/29/22
yellow diamondWhere Are They Now?: Tim Musgrove provides us with current photos of the railcar Seward and gallery car #600. The Seward was cut in half probably in preparation for scrapping. - 4/29/22
yellow diamondSpecial Features: Railfan Lodging:Will you be in Seward, Alaska this summer? If so you can stay at the The Train Wreck Lodging. Resting mere feet from the harbor, this lodging is located inside a historic WWII rail car made by American Car and Foundry in 1944/45. This unique lodging was lovingly renovated during the winter of 2021/22 and awaits its place on your list of "favorite places I've stayed". - 4/27/22
yellow diamondRosters: A wide variety of excellent Frank Keller photos - Bird Sunrise, Contours, Delivering the Goods, Desired Subject, Gorilla Rock, Hospital Train, Jack Creek, Leading the Charge, Moonrise, Southbound Coal at TwentyMile, Seward freight, Summer Sunrise and Winter Beauty - 4/25/22
yellow diamondPeople's Creations: Mike Gerenday begins the process of creating an HO scale RSD-1 - 4/25/22
yellow diamondLinks: Alaska Railroad Review: GoldStar or Adventure Class? - 4/25/22
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: Locomotives and cranes - 4/25/22
yellow diamondModeling: Scenery, table skirts and the Wilderness Express on my Alaska Railroad layout. - 4/24/22
yellow diamondNews: 13 Ravens owner purchases Train Wreck, opens lodging car - 4/24/22
yellow diamondRosters: The prolific Dave Blazejewski posted a wide variety of photos - 120S To Whittier, 120N Freight, Hello And Goodbye, Portage Reflection, North At 99, Usibelli Bound, The Backshop, By Land, By Sea, Or By Air, Saturday At The Shop, Waiting In Whittier, Foggy Morning, Warm Late Winter Light, Manny!, Make The Train Small, Across The Great Divide, Wheeling To Whittier, Memories Lost...Memories Found, Saturday Night At The Shops, Railroading Under The Midnight Sun, Under The Rainbow, Steam Sunday - Coming Home, Solstice 120S, Beneath The Shadow Of Pioneer Peak, That Alaskan Summer, Alaskan Glory, Switching In The Snow At Ship Creek and Top Cover And Global Engagement - 4/20/22
yellow diamondRosters: I updated Dave Blazejewski's killer drone shot of the winter Aurora crossing the Talkeetna River - 4/19/22
yellow diamondWhere Are They Now?: Many thanks to Jason Daily for sending us an update on ex-Alaska Railroad E9 #2401 which became Aberdeen, Carolina and Western Railway 103 - 4/19/22
yellow diamondRosters: Frank Keller catches a photo over the top over Potter Hill - 4/19/22
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: Maintenance of Way equipment - 4/18/22
yellow diamondVideo: YouTube video of a review by Rusty Wendlandt of Casey Durand's resin Alaska Railroad HO GP40-2H phase 2 shell - 4/17/22
yellow diamondRosters: Jonathan Fischer provides us with roster shots of RSD1 #1027 and #1028, GP7-L #1830 and #1839, and caboose #1082 - 4/17/22
yellow diamondRosters: A big thank you to Jonathan Fischer who sent us digital copies of timetables 55 (1, 2) and 71 (1, 2) - 4/17/22
yellow diamondStories: Bob Kooren worked over three decades for the Alaska Railroad and was kind enough to submit his resume for the Stories Section. - 4/17/22
yellow diamondPeople's Creations: Check out Blake Kennis's Runaway Train in HO scale - 4/15/22
yellow diamondRosters: An insight into Max sleeping - 4/15/22
yellow diamondRosters: Frank Keller's A Bit Too Close, A Full House and Blue Hour Freight - 4/15/22
yellow diamondRosters: In post modern style Stefanie Coppock captures three SD70MACs head a freight train at near downtown Anchorage - 4/14/22
yellow diamondVideo: A rare Bill Hess video of a freight train at the 557 Restoration Company's building - 4/14/22
yellow diamondWhere Are They Now?: Many thanks to the Columbia and Walla Walla Railroad for allowing me to us their new photos of GP49 #2802 - 4/14/22
yellow diamondRosters: Many thanks to Andy Henderson for bird dogging a engineering diagram of the Pointe St Charles caboose - 4/14/22
yellow diamondModeling: Construction of my Alaska Railroad layout is finally complete!- 4/14/22
yellow diamondRosters: A pair of Rusty Wendlandt photo three GP40-2's climb the hill with the ballast train along Fireweed Road and the Denali Star crossing Sheep Creek - 4/13/22
yellow diamondNo. 557 Info: The March Engine 557 Restoration Company Progress Report - 4/12/22
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: This Budd's for you! - 4/11/22
yellow diamondAdmin: I've just returned from a ten day trip to Italy and will resume updating the website. We did indulge ourselves in three train trips (Rome airport to Rome, Rome to Florence and Florence to Naples) on ItaliaRail. - 4/10/22

yellow diamondAdmin: April marks the 25th anniversary of John's Alaska Railroad Web Page. Thanks so very much to everyone who has supported this page throughout the years! I couldn't have done it without you! To kick off the celebration photographers have submitted special photos for my Picture of the Week. If you would like to contribute to the celebration then send your photo to me. - 4/10/22
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: The next two Pictures of the Week - 3/28/22
yellow diamondModeling: Photographic Examples: Some detailed photos of SD70MAC #4325 for modeling purposes . - 3/27/22
yellow diamondRosters: Frank Keller's photo showing the Talkeetna Mountains standing tall as the south freight rolls by MP 145 - 3/27/22
yellow diamondRosters: Bill Hess catches the American flag at half mast mourning the loss of Don Young - 3/25/22
yellow diamondRosters: Jonathan Fischer shares photo sets from 1986 - Whittier Shuttle southbound at Potter and Bird and the Whittier Shuttle arrives - 3/25/22
yellow diamondModeling: Replacing the west Anchorage depot siding turnout as well as adding to the ginormous mountain on my Alaska Railroad layout. - 3/24/22
yellow diamondLinks: Marty Benard's Alaska Railroad's Denali Express, A Chase, Summer 2009 - 3/24/22
yellow diamondRosters: Steve Drassler captures tender 0034 in the Anchorage yard - 3/24/22
yellow diamondWhere Are They Now?: In Caswell you'll find Repeater Air Car #2 - 4/24/22
yellow diamondRosters: Frank Keller's Crossing the Matanuska - 3/24/22
yellow diamondRosters: Some additional photos of dome #523 - 3/24/22
yellow diamondRosters: SD70MAC #4324 in Talkeetna from photographer Rusty Wendlandt - 3/24/22
yellow diamondVideo: Rusty Wendlandt's Alaska Railroad 2002 (GP38-2) takes one car to Alaska Mill and Feed on the APU spur - 3/24/22
yellow diamondHall of Fame: The 2022 inductee to John's Alaska Railroad Web Page Hall of Fame is Rusty Wendlandt. Congratulations! - 3/23/22
yellow diamondRosters: Rusty Wendlandt grabs some photos of the Denali Star at the Old Glenn Highway and a crane at Portage Creek Bridge #1 - 3/23/22
yellow diamondRosters: Don Marenzi provides additional information for passenger car #75 - 3/22/22
yellow diamondRosters: John Gray provides historical information and photos of passenger car #75 - 3/21/22
yellow diamondRosters: Freight meets Maintenance of Way at Indian and Anchorage Aurora courtesy of Frank Keller - 3/21/22
yellow diamondSpecial Features: Snow fighting: Photos of spreader 8 and spreader 9 - 3/21/22
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: The Spirit of Delta Junction - 3/21/22
yellow diamondIndustries: Rusty Wendlandt provides photos for industries U.S. Ecology Services and Weaver Brothers - 3/20/22
yellow diamondRosters: Bill Hess catches the northbound Aurora near Three Bears - 3/17/22
yellow diamondSpecial Features: Snow fighting: Mike Gerenday gives chase to the recent snowfleet. - 3/17/22
yellow diamondRosters: Max and his busy day - 3/17/22
yellow diamondRosters: Mike Criss captures an aerial view of the northbound Aurora - 3/17/22
yellow diamondRosters: Jonathan Fischer fattens the rosters up with GP7 nos. 1803 and 1808 plus 1802 leads a southbound Whittier Shuttle and in Seward for dawn - 3/17/22
yellow diamondModeling: Barge controls paint, removing the hump and ginormous mountain support on my Alaska Railroad layout. Many thanks to those of you who told me you've started working on your layouts after seeing the progress reports on mine! - 3/17/22
yellow diamondRosters: Erik Moore's photos of Spenard Building Supply offload and fracking sand going to rail in Seward - 3/16/22
yellow diamondRosters: A huge smattering of Dave Blazejewski photos - 125N at Bird Flats, A Thousand More Feet to Go, Alaska Commuter Train, AquaTrain, Back at Moose Pass, Big Train Bigger Country, Hauling Hoppers, Just a Geep, North Fox, Northbound at Reves, Perfectly Manicured, Seward Dockside, Something Different Down the Street, Sure Bruce, The Sign Says it All and Valentine's Delight - 3/15/22
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: Death of a Repeater - 3/14/22
yellow diamondModeling: Turnout derailments, shim fills and hump removal on my Alaska Railroad layout. - 3/12/22
yellow diamondRosters: Bill Hess brings Sancho to visit 557 and also captures the winter Aurora at Bella Vista West apartments - 3/9/22
yellow diamondIndustries: Rusty Wendlandt provides an incremental photo shoot of the APU spur - 3/9/22
yellow diamondRosters: The Diesel Locomotive Operating Manual No. 231 6 for Model E 9 - 3/9/22
yellow diamondVideo:Alaska Railroad - US - From Fairbanks to the South - 8mm - Alaska - North America - 1977 - 3/9/22
yellow diamondRosters: The Glacier Discovery is captured by Rusty Wendlandt - 3/9/22
yellow diamondIndustries: - Rusty Wendlandt shares photos of Alaska Basic Industries, Alaska Mill and Feed and Alaska Mill and Feed's fertilizer building 3/8/22
yellow diamondVideo: A short video clip of the Aurora at the Anchorage depot from my February/March 2022 trip. The snow was absolutely pouring down! Anchorage received 11.8 inches of the white stuff on March 5. "Saturday’s daily snowfall record was also enough for a top-15 placement in the all-time record books. The 11.8 inches ties for the 13th-biggest snowfall at the airport since official record-keeping began in the early 1950s, and is the biggest one day total since January 21, 2017. Additionally, March 5, 2022 is the 5th snowiest March day on record." - 3/7/22
yellow diamondModeling: Checking out the Anchorage yard on my Alaska Railroad layout. - 3/7/22
yellow diamondNo. 557 Info: The February Engine 557 Restoration Company Progress Report - 3/7/22
yellow diamondNews: Railroad solicits ideas for 2023 official art print - 2/10/22
yellow diamondRosters: Bill Hess provides two photos on Deuces Wild 2/22/22 of a special passenger train with freight - 2/22/22
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: The next three POTWs - 2/21/22
yellow diamondRosters: Rusty Wendlandt's photo of the Denali Star as it approaches Windy and Sheep Creek - 2/18/22
yellow diamondVideo: YouTube video The Whittier Connection (1979) - 2/18/22
yellow diamondModeling: Work on the ginormous mountain is complete and it is put into place. Rick continues work on passenger car coupler boxes and unsoldered joints on my Alaska Railroad layout. - 2/17/22
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: ARR 2501 & ARR 2504 are seen on a parked work train at Potter - 2/14/22
yellow diamondRosters: Jonathan Fischer catches ARR 3004 meets ARR 3012 at Potter - 2/13/22
yellow diamondModeling: Master craftsman Rick fixes the passenger car roll issues as well as the hump on track east of the swing gate. John begins painting the ginormous mountain on my Alaska Railroad layout. - 2/10/22
yellow diamondRosters: Frank Keller's photo smattering: coal turn is south out of Nenana along the Nenana River, crossing the new bridge over Indian Creek as they head south, more summer goodness, work train at Pioneer Peak and the PTC test train - 2/10/22
yellow diamondNo. 557 Info: 557 Restoration Company selling HO scale collection to raise funds: This HO scale train collection was donated by the Hal Smith estate. He was more of a collector than an operator so many items saw little or no use. You will find the current listing here. Condition is a subjective judgement but I can tell you there is NO JUNK HERE. I believe the prices are more than fair. Always use the most current listing available at alaskarails.org. Note these are private sales and are not to be considered “tax deductible donations”. All proceeds go directly to Engine 557 Restoration Company which is a 501 (C) 3 non profit EIN#46-2663256. - 2/10/22
yellow diamondRosters: Dave Blazejewski provides us with a smattering of photos: Alaskan F, F is for Forest, Wobbling Thru The Weeds, A Dangerous Railroad, Nineteen Car Star, Work Train Trifecta, Urban Wilderness and The Back Alleys Of Anchortown - 2/10/22
yellow diamondNews: Railroad solicits ideas for 2023 official art print - 2/10/22
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: Out of the Mountains - 2/7/22
yellow diamondRosters: Frank Keller catches a freight train as the snow flies... - 2/6/22
yellow diamondRosters: If you think you hate winter take a tip from Max - 2/6/22
yellow diamondModeling: Mountain building continues on my Alaska Railroad layout. Rick checks siding and stub continuity and discovers a few unsoldered joints. During an operations session he discovers a passenger car turnout ankle biter. - 2/3/22
yellow diamondRosters: It is pretty chilly here in the Dayton, Ohio area so Dave Blazejewski's Frosty Matanuska Morning is very apropos today. - 2/3/22
yellow diamondNo. 557 Info: The January Engine 557 Restoration Company Progress Report - 2/2/22
yellow diamondVideo: Rusty Wendlandt compares the HO scale Athearn 40 foot ballast hopper to Atlas Hart ballast hopper. - 2/1/22
yellow diamondRosters: Rusty Wendlandt scores a personal touchdown by capturing a Gleaner Combine on an Alaska Railroad freight train - 2/1/22
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: Wild Wonderful Whittier - 1/31/22
yellow diamondNo. 557 Info: Today is my birthday! Would you like to show your appreciation for all the work I've poured into this website for nearly 25 years? Make a contribution to the restoration of steam locomotive 557! - 1/29/22
yellow diamondModeling: Barge controls fascia, RDC fine tuning, mountain building, passenger fleet weighing and coupler replacement on my Alaska Railroad layout. - 1/28/22
yellow diamondFreight/Passenger: Rusty Wendlandt provides us with a much needed photo update of the Halliburton railcars. - 1/28/22
yellow diamondRosters: Frank Keller captures the iconic photo of a southbound freight approaching Cascade - 1/28/22
yellow diamondRosters: Added more Dave Blazejewski's photo of #2113 to the roster page - 1/28/22
yellow diamondHistorical: Many thanks to Ira Silverman for allowing me to share his delightful photos from four Alaska Railroad trips. I used my JuiceBox app to put these in an easy flow format with preceding contact sheets showing the actual dates of these photos. If anyone needs a higher resolution version of a photo then just let me know. - 1/26/22
yellow diamondRosters: Jonathan Fischer chases the Whittier shuttle in 1986 and captures GP40 #3020 leading a work train - 1/25/22
yellow diamondNews: You Can See the Northern Lights From This Alaska Train - 1/25/22
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: Northbound passenger at Old Glenn Hwy - 1/24/22
yellow diamondRosters: Bill Hess's The Conductor - 1/23/22
yellow diamondRosters: Added Dave Blazejewski's photo of #2113 to the roster page - 1/23/22
yellow diamondModeling: Painting fascia, running trains, building framework and giving birth to an RDC on my Alaska Railroad layout. - 1/20/22
yellow diamondRosters: Bill Hess captures a freight train passing the old Wasilla depot - 1/18/22
yellow diamondRosters: Dave Blazejewski's Daylight Freight Memories, Don't Look Close..., Left Turn, Mixed Train Weekly, Railroading At 30 Below!, Arctic Moonrise and Real Alaska Heritage - 1/18/22
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: Moose on the track - 1/17/22
yellow diamondModeling: Making mountains out of mole hills, framing up barge controls and weighing down TOFC units on my Alaska Railroad layout. - 1/16/22
yellow diamondAdmin: Donald Wendlandt was lucky enough to have the Alaska Railroad pick one of his pictures for the calender this year. He would be honored if you would vote for his picture. Click here to vote. - 1/12/22
yellow diamondRosters: J. Waide captures GP40 #3011 in Whittier - 1/12/22
yellow diamondRosters: Dave Blazejewski's Everyone Has a Hobby - 1/12/22
yellow diamondRosters: Frank Keller captures 3012 idles the night awaiting the next call to duty, Aurora Borealis across the Birchwood Yard and Denali Star rolls through Elmendorf siding. - 1/11/22
yellow diamondRosters: Dave Blazejewski tribute to Steve Culver in All Aboard as well as The Last Coal Train - 1/11/22
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: The Wreck of No. 5 - 1/10/22
yellow diamondNews: The Wreck of No. 5 - 1/10/22
yellow diamondRosters: Max on watch - 1/9/22
yellow diamondRosters: Dave Blazejewski captures three different GP40 paint schemes on a Work Train South and the retirement of tank cars on the End Of The Line - 1/9/22
yellow diamondRosters: Caboose 1092 as captured by Rusty Wendlandt - 1/9/22
yellow diamondFreight/Passenger: Rusty Wendlandt's depressed center flat car (905574) - 1/9/22
yellow diamondModeling: I test out the barge by loading and unloading it on my Alaska Railroad layout. Work takes place on the mountain and Rick tweaks the swing gate transition. - 1/7/22
yellow diamondRosters: Frank Keller captures a freight train as it crosses the Eagle River Bridge. - 1/3/22
yellow diamondPicture of the Week: Passenger train at Portage - 1/3/22
yellow diamondNo. 557 Info: The December Engine 557 Restoration Company Progress Report - 1/2/22
yellow diamondFreight/Passenger: Added five more photos and additional commentary to Marty Bernard's segment on DMU 751 - 1/2/22
yellow diamondAdmin: Happy New Year! - 1/1/22
yellow diamondRosters: A festive #4323 rests in the Anchorage yard - 1/1/22
yellow diamondNo. 557 Info: 557 Restoration Company selling HO scale collection to raise funds: This HO scale train collection was donated by the Hal Smith estate. He was more of a collector than an operator so many items saw little or no use. You will find the current listing here. Condition is a subjective judgement but I can tell you there is NO JUNK HERE. I believe the prices are more than fair. Always use the most current listing available at alaskarails.org. Note these are private sales and are not to be considered “tax deductible donations”. All proceeds go directly to Engine 557 Restoration Company which is a 501 (C) 3 non profit EIN#46-2663256. - 1/1/22