| WHITTIER (AP) -- Brenda Tolman, owner of Log Cabin Gifts, knows businesshas been down since the state started charging a toll to drive throughthe tunnel to Whittier. Her coin-operated reindeer food dispenser tellsher so. This summer her two reindeer, Elizabeth and baby Jolie, which she keepsin a pen along the side of her gift shop, haven't been getting fed as often.That means fewer families with young children are coming to town, she saidSaturday. After the 2.5-mile Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel opened Whittier toroad traffic last June, the former military base turned tourist destinationon Prince William Sound saw a jump in summer visitors. [Seestory] |
| Williams Alaska Petroleum and Government Hill residents have strucka deal that removes a political hurdle in the company's plans to expandits fuel terminal near the Port of Anchorage. Company executives joined with Government Hill representatives Tuesdayevening to announce that Williams will remove three storage tanks withina couple hundred feet of homes if the $10 million expansion becomes a reality. [Seestory] |
| The Yukon Fuel Co. wants to make Seward home to a bulk fuel tank farmagain. Seward's waterfront tank farms were destroyed in the 1964 Good Fridayearthquake. The Anchorage-based fuel distributor is negotiating a long-termlease with the Alaska Railroad Corp. for 10 acres of industrial-zoned landon which to construct six fuel storage tanks, according to Yukon Fuel PresidentLarry Shelver. [Seestory] |
| Nearly two months after a driver crashed his truck into the middleof the historic Nenana Train Depot, the depot's manager says insurancecompany negotiations have delayed repairs on the building, thus hurtingtourism in the town. "Nothing could be removed until they could agree with the contractor,"building manager Joanne Hawkins said. She leases the building from thecity. Hawkins regularly opens the museum and gift shop in the depot May 1.However, workers only started removing part of the chimney stack May 31. Because of the extensive damage to the building, Hawkins speculatesshe may not be able to open the depot for tourists this year, hurting bothher business and the tourist attraction in the small town about 58 milessouthwest of Fairbanks on the Parks Highway. Instead of people bustling in and out of the historic building at theend of A Street, a blue tarp covers the gaping hole in the middle of thedepot. "People see it and keep driving," Hawkins said. Just before midnight March 22, Mark Malin, 47, of Fairbanks drove hisDodge truck off the Parks Highway, down the main road that runs about amile into Nenana and into the train depot. Malin, who was later charged with driving while intoxicated, crashedhis truck into the depot up to the back wheels. A criminal complaint saysMalin had a .17 blood-alcohol level, above the .10 legal limit. He is scheduledto face a jury trial July 9. His truck destroyed the men's bathroom, a hallway and hit an antiquesafe in the museum so hard it flew 40 feet, opening a hole in the otherwall. The safe hasn't been moved from its spot near the railroad tracksoutside the depot, Hawkins said. "He just happened to hit the backbone of the building," Hawkins said. The building, which was completed just in time for President WarrenG. Harding to drive the golden spike signaling the completion of the railroadin 1923, is listed on the National Historical Registry. This, Hawkins explained, is why special care is needed when repairingthe building. Its historical value also adds to the cost of repairs, whichhas increased from Hawkins' estimate of $200,000 to $371,000 because theinsurance company is negotiating with the city. The depot has been damaged four times by a vehicle, but by far the mostdamage was incurred in the latest incident. Hawkins has a 20-year lease to run her gift shop, the museum and a four-roombed and breakfast in the historic building. She also owns a cafe and gift shop in town, which is part of a guidedtour. "The depot is one spoke of a wheel," Hawkins said. "There are five spokesof the wheel and the museum is the hub of that wheel. It really puts acrunch to my business." Nenana Mayor Bob Knight said it's too early in the quarter to see theeffect of the depot's closure. "The road traffic is down, just generally because of the price of gas,"Knight said. He's had to find other attractions, such as the sport carraces at the city's airport this weekend, to bring tourists to town. "It's (the depot) quite a bit of sales tax that comes through here,"Knight said. "Anything that brings in other people to the town will visitthe rest of the town and spend money." |
| This past Friday was a double ship day in Seward. The HollandAmerica had the Ryndam in and Royal Caribbean had the Rapsody of the Seasin. The Alaska Railroad ran a big passenger train for the passengersof both ships. The coaches of the train were stretched out on thedock. This will happen every other Friday through the summer. I was too busy keeping track of luggage on the Royal ship. Princesshas the contract for three years for transportion of the people and luggage. . |
| Now that summer officially has arrived, it's time for all good Alaskansto come to the aid of their visitors. When friends and relatives come to town, it seems I'm better off keepingthe car full of gas and ready to go at a moment's notice. This summer we'llbe headed to Denali one weekend, the Kenai Peninsula the next, with dinnerat the Glacier Brewhouse squeezed in for good measure. But it takes an army of folks to shepherd visitors around the state.One of the most successful programs designed to match up local studentswith visitors is a school-business partnership between local high schoolsand the Alaska Railroad. [Seestory] |
| Sen. Frank Murkowski, long a promoter of a rail line from Alaska toCanada, thinks a natural gas line to the Lower 48 could make both moreeconomically feasible. Murkowski, R-Alaska, visited British Columbia last week for the U.S.-CanadaInter-parliamentary Conference. He said he's asking North Slope gas ownersto consider the idea as they study ways of bringing gas to the Lower 48. Murkowski has long promoted the idea of a rail line from Alaska to Canada.The new track would stretch 1,150 miles from Eielson Air Force Base, nearFairbanks, to Fort Nelson, B.C. -- the northern terminus of the North Americanrail network. [Seestory] |
| Selected as Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement for 2001 The Whittier Access Project has been awarded the 2001 Outstanding CivilEngineering Achievement Award, one of the most prestigious awards in engineering,Gov. Tony Knowles announced today. The award is the highest honor givenby the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and recognizes civilengineering projects that contribute to community well-being, demonstrateresourcefulness in planning, solve design challenges, and use innovativeconstruction methods. "I am pleased and proud that the Whittier Access Project received thishighest of national engineering awards," Knowles said. "It provesthe outstanding professional ability of the Alaska Department of Transportationand Public Facilities and the resourcefulness and power of Alaskans workingtogether to come up with a creative solution to the longstanding issueof providing better, cheaper, and more convenient access to Whittier andwestern Prince William Sound." The Whittier Access Project was selected from among 17 other outstandingprojects throughout the United States. Past winners of the award includethe Trans-Alaska Pipeline, relocation of the Cape Hatteras Light Station,Interstate Highway H-3 in Hawaii, Denver International Airport, GatewayArch in St. Louis, Launch Complex 39 at Cape Canaveral, and the World TradeCenter in New York. "The Whittier Access Project not only serves as a symbol of engineeringingenuity, but also represents a significant contribution to Alaska communities,providing the Whittier community with improved access to retail services,social and cultural activities, and recreational facilities," said RobertW. Bein, P.E., ASCE. "We commend all of those involved from the AlaskaDepartment of Transportation to Kiewit Construction Company for the superbjob they did in working together to successfully and efficiently completethis challenging work." "The Whittier Access Project joins the ranks of the most innovativeand outstanding engineering achievements in the United States of the past50 years," said Joseph Perkins, P.E., commissioner of Alaska Departmentof Transportation and Public Facilities. "We are all very proud of beinga part of this project. I appreciate the massive effort on the part ofmy staff and our consultants who successfully completed Alaska's firstmajor design/build transportation project. I also appreciate the involvementof the public, especially the residents of the City of Whittier. The WhittierAccess Project is truly a legacy project for all of those involved andfor all it serves." The Whittier Access Project provides highway access for the residentsof Whittier, a vital cargo port, recreational area, and tourist destinationlocated on Prince William Sound. Separated from the nearest highway byfive miles of rugged mountains, lakes, and glaciers, residents previouslyhad to load their automobiles onto shuttle trains and travel through a2.5-mile-long railroad tunnel to connect with the highway system. The Whittier Access Project met the community's need for better accessby converting the 2.5-mile long Anton Anderson Memorial railroad tunnelinto a multi-modal facility, the only combined highway/railroad tunnelin the world and the longest highway tunnel in North America. The tunneluses an innovative design of precast concrete panels with embedded railroadtracks for the road surface. The project also included two bridges, a 500-foot-longhighway tunnel, 2.6 miles of road, and support facilities. To comply with Federal Railroad Administration safety requirements,the project pioneered the use of an integrated tunnel control and trainsignal system to ensure that cars and trains are not in the tunnel at thesame time. It is the first tunnel in the United States that features safehouses spaced at 1600-foot intervals to provide emergency shelter for travelersand a ventilation system of jet fans mounted in the tunnel ceiling. Speciallydesigned portal buildings at both ends of the tunnel can withstand avalancheloads up to 1,000 pounds per square foot. Construction was completed without impacting the freight trains runningto Whittier and most of the work had to be done in brutal winter conditionswith winds greater than 120 MPH, minus 40 degree temperatures, snow upto 43 feet deep, and avalanches that shut the project down for four days. The Whittier Access Project has received an unprecedented number ofawards from industry associations. In addition to the ASCE award, the projecthas also won Outstanding Heavy/Highway Project and Outstanding Design Projecthonors from the F. W. Dodge Awards program; Total Program Excel Award forPublic Involvement with a Consultant from the American Association of StateHighway Transportation Officials; the 2000 Globe Award for EngineeringExcellence from the American Road and Transportation Builders Association;the 2000 Excellence in Construction Award from the Associated General Contractorsof America; 2000 Concrete Bridge Award from the Portland Cement Association,and the 2001 Grand Award from the American Council of Engineering Consultants.Tom Moses, the project manager, also received the president's award asthe top highway engineer in the U.S. by the American Association of StateHighway and Transportation Officials for his work on the project. Major contributors to the project include: Alaska DOT/PF; Alaska RailroadCorporation; CH2M-Hill, designer of Portage Lake Segment; Hatch Mott MacDonald,designer of Tunnel Segment; HDR-Alaska, EIS, RFP, and technical supportduring tunnel segment construction; Herndon and Thompson Inc., contractorof Portage Lake Segment; and Kiewit Construction Company, design-builderof tunnel segment. Other engineering firms who contributed to the projectinclude: ABKJ; AGRA Earth & Environmental; Dryden & LaRue; Fergusson& Associates; Golder Associates; Lachel & Associates; Land DesignNorth; Parsons Brinkerhoff Quade & Douglas; Peratrovich, Nottingham& Drage, Inc.; RIM, Inc.; RSA Engineering; SESCO Co. Inc.; TrafficManagement Associates; and USKH. Numerous Alaska firms also helped in theconstruction of the project. . |
| A Gold Creek couple is suing the Alaska Railroad for alleged damagesrelated to a 1999 fuel spill near their home. Kathy and Leeroy Zeroth contend their property and livelihoods weredamaged when a train derailed about 40 miles northeast of Talkeetna, dumpingabout 120,000 gallons of jet fuel in the wilderness surrounding their home. The couple's complaint was filed in Superior Court in Palmer. [Seestory] |
| Williams Alaska Petroleum has applied for permits to expand its Anchoragefuel terminal, a move some Government Hill residents oppose unless Williamsagrees to relocate storage tanks that lie just below their neighborhood. ..... The project calls for building a double-track rail loop to allow Williamsto unload fuel from tank cars more efficiently. The company runsa refinery in North Pole and ships jet fuel, gasoline and other productson the Alaska Railroad to Anchorage. Each track would handle up to 60 cars at a time, Williams told the Corpsof Engineers. Williams said it would build four 100,000-barrel and two-40,000 barrelfuel tanks inside the rail loop, but that part of the plan apparently changedFriday. [Seestory] |
| It is definitely spring time in Alaska, the gravel trains are running,the passenger equipment is being cleaned, and MOW is out and about! The gravel train right now is standing at 83 cars. Yes, you sitat a crossing and the thing just keeps coming and coming. It is beingpowered by either 3 GP40s or 2 70MACs, whichever is available. Itseems that the old GPs make better time. Could it be because theMACs DON'T replace the GPs 2 to 1 like advertised? Gee... The passenger trains start this coming weekend, with the addition ofa new private car to each Express. The Royal Celebrity tours areadding a brand-new Ultra Dome to each Express. There big white carsand cartoonish animals definitely stick out. And no these are notlike the Princess cars. They are a full 18'1" tall and the interiorsare totally different. Something that is interesting is they willnot fit into the shops! The biggest shop door is 17'8"! Soundslike fun! But wait, if we can clear a car at 18'1" what about double stack containers. Yes a rumer has been heard as to a report on the ability to accommodatedouble stack container service. MOW is running all over! Tie replacement has been cut from 80,000to 40,000 this season, all in favor of the re-alignments. Gravel,rock, junk dirt, is being dumped all over the side of the right a way betweenAnchorage and Wasilla. The hope is to shorten the 1.5 hour run to.75 hour. The airport terminal is under way. You can see cast columns beingerected at the airport, next to the parking garage. As of now the Anchorage double track project has been tabled so moreattention can be focused on the realignment. Also we are already short of crews and motive power! That's rightbefore passenger season has started! The projection for the summeris that we will be short 2 locomotives a day this summer. So muchfor the idea that the 16 MACs could satisfy our needs! We shouldhave kept those 40s we sold! |
| A respected leader in the Alaska business community, Carl Marrs ofthe Anchorage- based Cook Inlet Region, Incorporated (CIRI) has been namedto the Alaska Railroad Corporation board of directors, Gov. Tony Knowlesannounced today. "Carl Marrs has an exceptional record of success as the head of oneof Alaska's most successful corporations and his business savvy and dedicationto Alaska will be an asset on the state-owned railroad," Knowles said."Carl will be a tremendous addition to the new management team at the railroadheaded by former General Patrick Gamble." Of Aleut descent, Marrs was born and raised in Seldovia. He startedhis career with CIRI in 1973 and worked his way from land manager to presidentand CEO, a position he has held since 1995. With 7,000 shareholders, CIRIhas emerged as the most successful of the regional ANCSA Corporations withholdings in telecommunications, real estate, construction, heavy equipment,and natural resources. Committed to the local community, Marrs has volunteered for the UnitedWay of Anchorage, Special Olympics, and the Western Alaska Council of theBoy Scouts of America. He has served on the Fiscal Policy Council of Alaska,Resource Development Council, and Commonwealth North. He is president ofthe Association of ANCSA Corporation Presidents and CEOs, member of theAlaska SeaLife Center board of governors, and trustee of Alaska PacificUniversity. "Gov. Knowles has made an excellent choice in naming such a proven businessleader as Carl Marrs to the Alaska Railroad board," said Johne Binkley,chairman of the Railroad board. "We welcome Marrs' experience, skill andcommitment as we work to continually improve the Alaska Railroad's safety,customer service, and profitability." Purchased by the state from the U.S. government in 1985 for $22 million,the Alaska Railroad operates on 611 miles of track from Fairbanks to Seward.With 58 locomotives and more than 1,700 cars, the railroad carried 500,000passengers and 6.2 million tons of freight last year, and reported totalrevenues of $94 million. Marrs fills the seat of Dale Lindsay of Seward,who resigned last June. |
| A bill moving through the Legislature would help Fairbanks entrepreneurJoseph Fields build a passenger railroad from Healy to Wonder Lake insidethe wilds of Denali National Park and Preserve. The bill would transfer up to 3,500 acres of state land in an area knownas the wolf townships to the Denali Borough. The transfer would provide a corridor for Field's company, KantishnaHoldings Inc., to construct the first 30 miles of the rail line to theeastern edge of the park. To continue the remaining 55 miles to WonderLake, the company would need an easement from the National Park Service. [Seestory] |
| Track problems caused 19 accidents on the Alaska Railroad over thepast decade, costing millions of dollars. The railroad's top-ranking officials were in Washington, D.C., Wednesday,looking for more federal financial help to underwrite improvements. Patrick Gamble urged a House Transportation subcommittee to pass legislationsetting up a new grant program for track work on small railroads. Gamble,who took over as president of the Alaska Railroad two weeks ago, also encouragedCongress to make sure the corporation would be eligible for the grants. [Seestory] |
| The Alaska Railroad Corp. made a $16.7 million profit in 2000, thelargest since the state bought the railroad from the federal governmentin 1985. The number is so big mainly because of a timing and accounting quirk. [Seestory] |
| The Alaska Railroad agreed Monday to pay the state of Alaska at least$530,000 to avoid civil and criminal charges stemming from five recentfuel spills, and to pay additional costs to implement its spill responseand prevention program. The spills occurred between October 1999 and July 2000 and includedthe Gold Creek spill north of Talkeetna in which 120,000 gallons of jetfuel spilled near the Susitna River. The agreement also covered a February2000 spill in the Anchorage rail yard in which a railroad mechanic wiredopen a safety valve to drain fuel during repairs. That incident resultedin the state bringing criminal charges against the railroad. [Seestory] |
| The corporation has released its annual report, which says that netincome for the year was up and the rate of injuries was down. Johne Binkley, chairman of the board, says the railroad has been turnedaround, bothoperationally and financially. The railroad reports that the frequency of injuries dropped 25 percentfrom 1999, and was down almost 45 percent from the end of 1997. |
| FAIRBANKS (AP) -- A Cantwell man suffered broken ribs and a gash tohis forehead after he drove into a moving train near Hurricane on the ParksHighway Wednesday evening, according to Alaska State Troopers. A dog inthe back of his station wagon died. James L. Miller, 60, was driving south toward Anchorage when he hitthe 54th car of a 64-car train crossing the Parks Highway at Mile 169,Trooper Sgt. Sonny Sabala said. The crash occurred about 11:30 p.m. Miller was taken by ambulance to Talkeetna and then flown to ProvidenceMedical Center in Anchorage for treatment. He was hospitalized in stablecondition Friday. [Seestory] |
| A respected leader in the Alaska business community, Carl Marrs ofthe Anchorage-based Cook Inlet Regional Corporation (CIRI) has been namedto the Alaska Railroad Corporation board of directors, Gov. Tony Knowlesannounced today. "Carl Marrs has an exceptional record of success as the head of oneof Alaska's most successful corporations and his business savvy and dedicationto Alaska will be an asset on the state-owned railroad," Knowles said."Carl will be a tremendous addition to the new management team at the railroadheaded by former General Patrick Gamble." Of Aleut descent, Marrs was born and raised in Seldovia. He startedhis career with CIRI in 1973 and worked his way from land manager to presidentand CEO, a position he has held since 1995. With 7,000 shareholders, CIRIhas emerged as the most successful of the regional ANCSA Corporations withholdings in telecommunications, real estate, construction, heavy equipment,and natural resources. Committed to the local community, Marrs has volunteered for the UnitedWay of Anchorage, Special Olympics, and the Western Alaska Council of theBoy Scouts of America. He has served on the Fiscal Policy Council of Alaska,Resource Development Council, and Commonwealth North. He is president ofthe Association of ANCSA Corporation Presidents and CEOs, member of theAlaska SeaLife Center board of governors, and trustee of Alaska PacificUniversity. "Gov. Knowles has made an excellent choice in naming such a proven businessleader as Carl Marrs to the Alaska Railroad board," said Johne Binkley,chairman of the Railroad board. "We welcome Marrs' experience, skill andcommitment as we work to continually improve the Alaska Railroad's safety,customer service, and profitability." Purchased by the state from the U.S. government in 1985 for $22 million,the Alaska Railroad operates on 611 miles of track from Fairbanks to Seward.With 58 locomotives and more than 1,700 cars, the railroad carried 500,000passengers and 6.2 million tons of freight last year, and reported totalrevenues of $94 million. Marrs fills the seat of Dale Lindsay of Seward,who resigned last June. |
| My dad said two blue and yellow domes came off the barge today andtwo silver cars.Ê The silver cars might be the two diners they couldn'tget rebuilt. . |
| Days until the state begins charging drivers to use the Whittier tunnel:1 Round-trip toll for cars: $15 Maximum round-trip toll for a commercial vehicle: $250 Average number of vehicles using the tunnel each day last summer, whenit was free: 891 Number of times per day in summer that vehicles in each direction getpriority over trains for access to the tunnel: 6 Time, in minutes, of each guaranteed opening for vehicles: 15 Yearly cost to operate the tunnel: $3.6 million Cost of constructing the tunnel and access roads: $80 million Capacity of tunnel in cars per hour: 800 Amount the state spent for each car the tunnel can handle per hour:$100,000 Amount the state would pay to build a mile of one-lane road, assuminga similar price per car of capacity: $40,000,000 Sources: Whittier tunnel Web site (www.dot.state.ak.us/whittiertunnel),Daily News files, Alaska Department of Transportation public affairs office. |
| Senate Bill 123 is barreling through the Capitol like a runaway trainthreatening to flatten hopes for Fairbanks' new rail depot. The proposed legislation, introduced by Sen. Drue Pearce only weeksago, would give lawmakers veto power over new Alaska Railroad projectsexceeding specified dollar values. Whatever rationale exists for mandating such legislative oversight islost in the blur of this legislation's fast-track ride toward passage. Alaska Railroad projects aren't funded by the state. The federal governmentand the railroad's own profits are used the pay for ongoing track improvements,new engine purchases and other capital improvement projects, such as thenew depot planned for Fairbanks. Those projects are all contingent on approval from the Alaska RailroadCorp.'s managing board, whose members are appointed by the governor. Federal environmental studies, with all their accompanying public review,are required for projects having a major impact on local communities. Thatwould be the case with the proposed track realignment to eliminate unsaferoad crossings in the Greater Fairbanks area. Yet, former Senate President and current Senate Rules Committee ChairPearce apparently feels another layer of legislative oversight is required.Her bill would force the railroad to seek passage of a new law before commencingso much as the design of any facility worth $5 million on up, or trackimprovement if it's expected to cost $10 million or more. SB 123 cleared its first committee, Senate Transportation, after a singlehearing and was forwarded to Senate Finance on Friday. Assuming it clearsthat last station of Senate committee scrutiny, Pearce, the bill's sponsor,controls the scheduling of a chamber floor vote. That discretionary power to schedule what comes before the full Senatemay well give Pearce political steam to push her legislative train throughthe House. But that would be unfortunate. If SB 123 passes, design workon the railroad's new Fairbanks depot will be set back at least a year.And we can expect similar delays ahead on a whole range of projects. Pearce has represented Anchorage in the Legislature since 1984. Sheis considered one of Juneau's true power brokers, and may be accustomedto having state entities conform to her personal schedule and priorities. But is this any way to run a railroad? Let's keep the Legislature's hands off the throttle. Professional engineersand Alaska Railroad's appointed board are far better prepared to keep thetrains moving in orderly fashion, and take the politics out of rail-improvementprojects. |
| FAIRBANKS -- A pickup truck moving between 55 and 70 mph slammed intothe historic Nenana railroad depot Thursday night, sending an old safeflying through a wall and knocking out the building's windows. The driver, Fairbanks resident Mark A. Malin, was taken to FairbanksMemorial Hospital where he was treated for his injuries and released. Nenana Police Chief Milton Haken said Malin had a .17 blood-alcohollevel and he was charged with driving while intoxicated. The depot, completed just in time for President Warren G. Harding todrive the golden spike signaling the completion of the Alaska Railroadin 1923, suffered about $200,000 in damage, said Joanne Hawkins, who managesthe city-owned building. It is listed on the National Register of HistoricPlaces. [Seestory] |
| Just received word that Atlas will be coming out with an N scale GP-38painted in the Alaska RR scheme. Two road numbers will be available. Suggested price will be somewhere between $89.00 and $99.00 dollars. Webmaster's additional remarks: This new model will be offered in two variations: one with a factory-installedLenz decoder and the other with a PC board designed for easy conversionto DCC if desired. Features Include: Coming in June! MSRP Range: $89.95 to $99.95 |
| Juneau -- Calling the plan to build a train depot at Anchorage's internationalairport "a failure in the public process" and "a $28 million waste of taxpayermoney," lawmakers urged a Senate panel Thursday to pass a bill to requirethe Alaska Railroad to get the Legislature's approval before starting anynew big projects. Plans for the airport rail station moved forward without legislativeinput and lacked a public review process despite affecting hundreds ofresidents and possibly needing future state dollars, Sen. Drue Pearce toldthe Senate Transportation Committee. [Seestory] |
| RDC 711 hit a frost heave around Klatt Road on Wednesday, March 14. The plow was destroyed. . |
| Call it the last dance. Rising insurance and operating costs, worries about avalanches, redtape and regulations have caught up with the polka-swaying ski train toGrandview Valley. After more than 30 years of sponsoring the rolling spring party train-- with its oompah band strolling the aisles and playing for booted dancers-- the Nordic Ski Association is calling it quits. The last ski trainsare scheduled for March 24 and 25. [Seestory] |
| FAIRBANKS (AP) -- The Alaska Railroad Corp. is proposing to relocatea Fairbanks line between Sheep Creek Road and the median of the Parks Highway. The new alignment would move onto the Tanana River Dike and stay therepast North Pole to the Moose Pass Road interchange, eliminating 48 roadand trail crossings. That plan also cuts out about 18 miles of track. Thomas Engineering and Peratrovich, Nottingham & Drage Inc. draftedthe conceptual designs for the project. Bob Thomas, with Thomas Engineering,said the project has a price tag of about $90 million. Thomas estimated project completion to be six to 10 years from now. [Seestory] |
| Royal Celebrity Cruise Line has accepted delivery of two passengercars from Rader Railcar near Denver. These two cars eventually will goto Seattle for furtherance to Alaska for service up there. They will makea short "tour" on their way to Seattle, however. Car numbers are RCIX 1001 and 1002. RCIX 1001 & 1002 will display Denver CO 2/28 & 3/1. RCIX 1001 will route BNSF to FWWR 3/2 thru 3/5 RICX 1002 will route Denver - Richmond CA (via Barstow) on BNSF manifesttrains 3/2 thru 3/9. |
| Channel 2 News had a story on tonight about the safety of the Portof Anchorage. The news story says the fire foam system Williams installeddoesn't work and hasn't passed Anchorage Fire Dept. inspection. Williamswasn't required to put in the fire system at the tank car unloading racks,but put it in as a safety precaution. The story was directed towardsWilliams and not the Alaska Railroad. . |
| The Anchorage Assembly unanimously agreed on Tuesday to set aside acorridor for a possible railroad extension up the Girdwood Valley, butseveral conditions must be met before tracks could be built. Among the conditions: the Alaska Railroad would build a multimodal transportationcenter at the valley entry, the city would hold an advisory vote on therail spur, and the Assembly would consider information on things like trafficlevels before making a decision. [Seestory] |
| Wasilla -- Not many people get hit by a train and live to tell aboutit. Vicki Wohlers doesn't remember much. One minute the Anchorage woman was reaching down to grab her snowmachinetrying to free it from the railroad tracks. The next she was flying throughthe air. [Seestory] |
| Alaska Railroad locomotives 3013, 3014, 3015 left Seattle this morningand are headed for Illinois for a rebuild. Check it out on theBNSFequipment trace. . |
| Wasilla -- A woman suffered a broken leg Monday after nearly beinghit by a train while riding a snowmachine along the railroad tracks inWasilla, Mat-Su public safety officials said. [Seestory] |
| A $1.8 million grant was awarded to the Alaska Railroad to build apedestrian safety access facility in Whittier. The money will be used tobuild a pedestrian underpass below the Whittier train yard. The underpass will include lighting, heating, ventilation and videosafety surveillance. |
| I read Cynthia Wentworth's Compass piece (Jan. 30) with equal surpriseand pleasure. Her points were all quite accurate, but all too frequentlyoverlooked by those in the general public who dismiss railroads as 19thcentury technology. The amazing capacity of a railroad track and the tremendousfuel efficiency of a steel wheel on a steel rail are well established facts.As a 30+-year career railroader, I know those facts, but once in a whileit's nice to see someone outside the industry does too. I would, however, like to add another point to her list, and I suggestit belongs at the top. Directly below Ms. Wentworth's article is a cartoondepicting three citizens shivering in fear at the prospect of crossinga street. This page was printed only hours after a man lost his life righthere in Anchorage just because he was on the other side of the street fromthe restaurant at which he planned to have breakfast. North American passengertrains are orders of magnitude safer than our highways. Last year we replaced the Alaska Railroad's Whittier Shuttle with ahighway. The railroad had provided service for 50 years without a singlefatality or major injury. The highway's record failed to reach 50 days. The price we pay in human pain and suffering for our "modern" automobilesis beyond imagination. Call railroads 19th century if you will; they stilloften beat the best the 21st has to offer. -- Joshua D. Coran |
| There were two protests with the award for the rebuilds to 3013, 3014and 3015. However, the units are now en-route in anticipation ofresolution of the protests. . |
| In case you haven't scoped out the ARR Bid section.Ê They have outfor bid: new vehicles, new or used flat cars, new or used COFCs,watering spots for passenger cars, Seward dock eng. services, passengercar cleaning and food service, depressed flat car, equipment leases, and shoulder ballast and ditchcleaning services. They also have quite a few jobs open right now too. |
| A group of Assembly members failed to muster enough votes Tuesday nightto delay a major study of a possible rail spur up the Girdwood Valley forup to 15 years. Two votes to delay the project ended in a 5-5 tie, so the Assembly willtake yet another vote Feb. 20 when an absent member is present. [Seestory] |
| Anchorage, Feb. 5 - It appears a change in presidents has stalled astudy to connect Canada and Alaska with a railroad. Yukon Premier Pat Duncan says she hasn't heard from U.S. officials aboutbuilding a railroad. Alaska Sen. Frank Murkowski is calling for thejoint study to see if the project is feasible. President Clintonapproved $6 million for the three year study. He hoped to link the AlaskaRailroad to the Lower 48 by way of Canada. Murkowski believes thatcould tap coal and mineral resources in Alaska. Officials say theyexpect the railroad initiative will wait until President Bush gets settledinto office. The connection would require about 1,100 miles of trackat a cost of between $1 billion to $2.3 billion. |
| GP40-2 numbers 3013, 3014 and 3015 (to be rebuilt at National Railwayin Illinois) arrived in Seattle today. They are currently showingup on theBNSFtrace. . |
| The directors of the Alaska Railroad have picked a four-star generaland former head of the Alaskan Command to be the next president of thestate-owned line. Gen. Patrick K. Gamble will take charge of the railroad in mid-March,when he retires from a 31-year career in the U.S. Air Force. A former directorof air and space operations for the Air Force, he is currently based inHawaii and commands all Air Force installations in the Pacific. He heldthe Alaskan Command from 1996 to 1998. [Seestory] Also see thestoryin the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner Also see thestoryand photo in MSN NBC Also see the Alaska Railroad'spressrelease |
| GP40-2 numbers 3013, 3014 and 3015 headed out on the barge January20th to be rebuilt with head end power (HEP) at National Railway in Illinois. They will use the F40 system so the rebuild will fit in the present carbody. The paint scheme will be like that on the 3009-11, a modified SD scheme. . |
| This news item may be a little bit dated, but still noteworthy. The Alaska Railroad has a new locomotive crane. ARRC LC111 is an American60-Ton Locomotive Crane built in 1982 and rebuilt in 1996. It had recentlybeen leased to AMTRAK to install catenary lines on the Eastern corridor.TheARRC purchased the crane from Eastern Railway Supplies in Buffalo, NewYork in October 2000. Its first job on the Alaska Railroad was insupport of rail grinding operations. . |
| Friday [January 12th] I witnessed the building of the first Whitierfreight to go out this weekend. On the point were three 2800's, a4000, 3015, 3014, and 3013. I thought they were just sending extrapower down to Whitier to do the second barge while half the power broughtthe first barge back to Anchorage. . |
| The Alaska Railroad is holding an open house Jan. 24, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.at Railroad Headquarters, 327 West Ship Creek Avenue, to provide a statusreport and solicit public comment on its capital improvement projects. The open house will cover the Railroad's program of projects from Sewardto Fairbanks with an emphasis on Anchorage area capital projects including: The meeting will be an open house format from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. withpresentations given at 6 p.m. on the track realignment project, South Anchoragedouble-track project and the Airport Rail Station. The objective of the meeting will be to inform the public, governmentrepresentatives and special interest groups about the Railroad's variousprojects and solicit input on the Railroad's capital improvement plan. People unable to attend can submit written comments by e-mail atpublic_comment@akrr.comor by writing Capital Projects, P.O. Box 107500, Anchorage, Alaska, 99510-7500. |
| If you haven't seen the ARR Bid page recently, the following is upfor bid: Renovation of the First Floor of the Depot Building, DepressedFlat Car. . |
| Last night on Channel 2 News they reported the high wind gust was 102mph in Bear Valley. There are two Bear Valleys, I'm not sure if itwas Bear Valley near Whittier or Anchorage. The tunnel was closedand people were trapped on both sides. Anchorage people were trappedin Whittier and Whittier people were trapped in Anchorage. I heardtrees were blocking the Portage Glacier Road. The winds have dieddown now. Power was or is still out in Hope, Moose Pass, and partsof Anchorage. . |
| Tom Koole brought it to my attention that there are several fine AlaskaRailroad posters for salehere. . |
| MTH Premier willadd an ARR SD70M diesel engine box set to its line. It has an estimateddelivery date of June 2001 and will cost $599.99. Features include Directionally Controlled Headlights, Metal Wheels andAxles, Die-Cast Truck Sides, Pilots and Fuel Tank, (2) Remotely ControlledProto-Couplers, Authentic Paint Scheme, Operates On O-42 Track, Metal Handrailsand Decorative Horn, All Metal Wheels and Gears, Illuminated Number Boards,Lighted Marker Lights, Spinning Roof Fans, Metal Body Side Grills, OperatingMARS Light, (2) Precision Flywheel Equipped Motors, Intricately DetailedABS Body, Metal Chassis, Lighted Cab Interior, (2) Engineer Cab Figures,Operating Ditch Lights, Operating Smoke Unit and Proto-Sound 2.0 With TheDigital Command System Featuring - Variable Locomotive Speed Control, IndependentLight Control, Diagnostic Memory Features, Customizable, Downloadable Sounds,Simultaneous TMCC Operation, Squeaking Brakes, Passenger Station Proto-Effects. |
| FAIRBANKS (AP) -- Cigarette smokers who work on the Alaska Railroadmight want to start chewing Nicorette. Former-Gov. Bill Sheffield, president and chief executive officer ofthe state-owned railroad, signed an order Tuesday banning smoking by employeeswhile working in railroad-owned vehicles or buildings. [Seestory] |
| ANCHORAGE (AP) -- President Clinton has signed legislation cratinga bilateral commission to study the feasibility of building a rail linkbetween Canada and Alaska. The legislation was sponsored by Sen. Frank Murkowski, R-Alaska. It creates a 24-member commission, with half the members from the U.S.and the rest from Canada. The commissioners are to study the economic andtechnological feasibility of such a rail link. Negotiations would have to be opened with Canada to encourage that nationto accept the measure and appoint its 12 members. It appears likely Clinton will leave the matter to President-elect GeorgeW. Bush to implement later this winter, Murkowski said. "It is wonderful that America has taken the step of creating and fundinga commission to thoroughly study whether it makes economic and environmentalsense to improve transportation through Northwest Canada to Alaska," Murkowskisaid in a prepared statement. "A railroad extension may be the best way to solve the region's long-standingtransportation needs in a way that makes good environmental sense." |
| The assessment is being done because of the costly Gold Creek cleanup,at nine-point-three million and rising. Less than 15 percent of the 120-thousandgallons spilled north of Talkeetna a year ago has been recovered. |
| The rumor on the street is that once Bill Sheffield terminates hisemployment with the Alaska Railroad, he will work for them as a consultantin the area of securing federal funding for the railroad. . |