Western Railroad Discussion > Museum of Alaska Transportation and Industry - Wasilla, Alaska

This weekend I’ve been putting my office space back together after killing and cleaning up a nasty black mold invasion I had in the corner of a closet here courtesy of the damp and rainy weather we’ve had in Anchorage this summer. In the process I started sorting through some files on my computer to archive them and I realized that I never posted this set that I took last summer at the Museum of Alaska Transportation and Industry in Wasilla, Alaska.

http://www.museumofalaska.org

I’ve been trying to post images from the various museums I’ve been able to visit the past few years in my travels but weirdly enough, I didn’t visit the one nearest me until my kids came up to visit last summer from California. So continuing the tradition of photo posts from previously visited museums, here are a few from last July here in Alaska. For those interested in the series, here are a few of the most recent previous museum visits I’ve posted.

Inland NW Rail Museum - Reardan, WA: https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,4133529

Central British Columbia Railway & Forestry Museum - Prince George, BC: https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?15,4229662

West Coast Railway Association - Squamish BC: https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?15,3623079

Museum of Transportation - St Louis, MO: https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?11,2354153

1. My kids posing next to the museum sign that faces the Alaska Railroad main line adjacent to the museum property.

2. Planes, trains, and automobiles featured in one of the inside displays.

3. Boats, planes, dog sleds, snow machines, you name it

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4. Automobiles and telecom history.

5. Vintage platform sign.

6. Alaska Railroad F7A No. 1500 with a string of passenger cars.

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7. Another angle of No. 1500.

8. Alaska Railroad’s first diesel locomotive, Alco RS-1 No. 1000.

9. “Mine Rescue” car.

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10. Old Matanuska depot sign. Matanuska still exists as a CTC controlled siding and a junction with the Palmer Branch but the depot is long gone.

11. Early ARR truck trailer decal.

12. No. 1018, “Tillie’s Caboose” was the last wood caboose used on the Alaska Railroad. Built in 1917.

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13. Alaska Railroad tank car last used in waste oil service.

14. Alaska Railroad flat car No. 2827

15. GE 45-tonner No. 7324

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16. Former troop sleeper No. 6.

17. Alaska State centennial herald on troop sleeper.

18. Wood sheathed box car.

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19. Hopper last used in coal service for the Healy Power Plant.

20. Steam derrick and boom car.

21. Spreader.

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22. Old Anchorage Sand & Gravel International truck. AS&G is still an important Alaska Railroad customer.

23. Chitina “Auto Railer” railbus. Chitna Power Company ran this bus from McCarthy to Copper River after the Copper River & Northwestern shut down in 1938.

24. Mini Alaska Railroad dog sled caboose. Pulled by three sled dogs in the 1955 Fur Rendezvous parade in Anchorage.

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25. Chrysler station wagon converted into a “Hy-Rail Motor Car” by Fairmont.

26. Fairmont badge close-up.

27. Alaska Railroad MRS-1 No. 1718 which has a very colorful history serving the US Army in Germany, France, and Belgium before going to the USN’s Hawthorne, Nevada ammo depot (connecting with the SP IIRC), then coming to Alaska in 1977.

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Last three...

28. Steel ARR box car.

29. Old McKinley National Park Route logo.

30. USAF Baldwin S-12 locomotives which were used at Eielson AFB near Fairbanks, Alaska to move coal hoppers and tank cars loaded with jet fuel as well as diesel around the base.

Cheers!

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Interesting stuff..!! Thanks for sharing.

Very interesting post. Thanks for sharing.

trainjunkie Wrote:
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> 27. Alaska Railroad MRS-1 No. 1718 which has a
> very colorful history serving the US Army in
> Germany, France, and Belgium before going to the
> USN’s Hawthorne, Nevada ammo depot (connecting
> with the SP IIRC), then coming to Alaska in 1977.


Is that an Alco or EMD MRS-1?

SD80MACfan Wrote:
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> Is that an Alco or EMD MRS-1?

The roster information I have says EMD, as does alaskarails.org

Way cool, nice collection.

Posted from iPhone

Never seen photos from there.

Thanks for posting.

Regards, Jim Evans

Excellent coverage and great pics!

GREAT STUFF! Thanks for posting

I have never heard of the Museum, thank you for sharing!!!

Very interesting. Thanks for posting these great photos. Like all museums though, you would like to see more equipment under cover, especially with the weather they experience there.

Jim Barton