Passenger Trains > Alaska RR Coastal Classic, Anchorage-Seward

Here's a trip we took on Monday, 8/30/21.  This trip runs round trip from Anchorage (MP 114) to Seward (MP 0) on the main line.

1. Train at Anchorage, getting ready for a dawn departure (6:45am).  Power was 4327 and 4324. We rode the second bi-level car; each had an open air platform on the upper level.
2. Moving through the ground fog near Portage.
3. An M/W crew getting ready to head out.

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4. This route runs through five tunnels in a narrow gorge along the Placer River
5. Another Placer River tunnel and bridge view 
6. This is the fomer depot at Seward; trains terminated here until the 1964 earthquake and tsunami. 
The depot survived, but many other buildings did not.  The Alaska RR retrenched inland about 1.5 miles.

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7. Train is ready for departure from the current depot.  In the left background, former passenger cars are used as a bike rental business.
8. Retired ARR boxcars (without trucks) used for storage on the edge of Seward.  Current freight cars are just lettered "ARR" though some have the newer ARR logo.
9. The Seward yard; that RDC is lettered for Alaska RR.

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10. Much of the mainline has the former telegraph line poles in place, with insulators. 
11. A view of a glacier along the route.  As with the Whittier trip, we had great weather again...

Thanks for looking. 

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casco17 Wrote:
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> Here's a trip we took on Monday, 8/30/21.  This
> trip runs round trip from Anchorage (MP 114) to
> Seward (MP 0) on the main line.

The first mile and a half of the Alaska Railroad were wiped out in the tsunami and don't exist anymore.  Industry was destroyed and most of it was never rebuilt.  Therefore, there is no MP 0 or MP1.  It's a hoot to be in Seward on July 4 and see RV's parked parallel for 1.5 miles along the water.  Supposedly, there are submerged tank cars in the water still.  Also missing is MP50 or 51 due to the removal of the loop.  Hopefully your tour guide on the train announced that while traversing through the area.  The tunnel area is quite spectacular.  Nice photos!  Got a cab ride through there.  Actually we were on the running board behind the cab.

Regarding the RDC, they used to run them for the Hurricane Turn train.  They had three of them.  One time I was aboard, the engineer was heating up his lunch on the heater.  Lots of fun to be up front like a cab ride.

You had great luck with the weather.  Even rainy weather can yield good photos.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/12/21 21:08 by TerrapinStation.

Loving these posts and your photos. Looks like a great trip.

Posted from Android

Is that a former SP/Transisco Tours gallery car?

mp51w Wrote:
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> Is that a former SP/Transisco Tours gallery car?
IIRC the hi level cars were built for the Alaska Railroad by Colorado Railcar.  Because they have open platforms, I'm pretty sure they were custom built.

The RDC's also used to cover the Anchorage-Seward run.  I wish we had domes when I rode that route!

Thank you - I've enjoyed your photos.  chris uk.

Great pics, but from the pics I saw after that tsunami and the earthquake, I don't blame the ARR or the industries on not rebuilding in that neck of the woods, that wasn't a pretty sight, I'm surprised the depot survived though!

Nixe shots!

RC Lundgren
Elgin, TX