R a i l 08/07/12

Saturday, 23 June 2012

14:12:06

excerpt from : The Historical Atlas of World Railroads by John Westwood pub Firefly Books Ltd 2009

Across Canada

3000 miles long and two railroads wide

The construction of the Canadian Pacific Railroad helped weld the far scattered provinces of Canada into a strong and united nation.The route through the mountain ranges of British Columbia aptly named The National Dream.

The Canadian Pacific was first through to the West Coast by way of Kicking Horse Pass.The Yellowhead Pass further north had been the original choice for the line came later.

Two rivals to the Canadian Pacific ; the Canadian Northern and the Grand Trunk Pacific headed west north west covering different parts of the intervening country when both were merged into the Canadian National System.

The line through Saskatoon was chosen for transcontinental services.Great pioneer engineer Sandford Fleming had good reason to recommend this route west of Edmonton, the approach to the rockies is relatively gentle.

The scenery is beautiful as it draws near to Jasper there is some stiff climbing in its final approach to Yellowhead Pass.

Beyond the Yellowhead  the routes diverge.The Super Continental turned South and downhill into the valley of the Thompson River and reaches Kamloops in the morning.The Fraser River joins the Thompson River at Lytton.

The Canadian Pacific on one side and the Canadian National  on the other side follow an amazing run through the canyons never out of sight of each other until they reach tidewater where they execute a scissors movement –each crossing from one side to the other as the viaduct of one strides over the viaduct of the other at Cisco.

Nowadays Via Rail operates a thrice weekly transcontinental service using the Canadian National route but carrying the old Canadian Pacific title of Canadian.

Tourist companies also run occasional trains through the Rockies.

The last section from Squamish to Vancouver had and may have again a vintage steam run scheduled and worked by the magnificent Royal Hudson 4-6-4 locomotives.

Next : Across America

The Alaska Railroad extends from Seward, in the south of the state to Fairbanks, in the interior.It carries freight and passengers between the two cities and destinations between,including Denali National Park.

The railroads mainline is more than 470 miles (750km) long.It is connected to other states via three rail barges sailing between the Port of Whittier and Harbour Island in Seattle but has no land connection with any other railroads on the North American network.

P 215 The Historical Atlas of World Railroads by John Westwood pub Firefly Books Ltd 2009

Next : Across Canada

Tuesday, 12 June 2012

16:49:33

Trains at Whittier

Portrait of a Railroad man

My father, who was section foreman in Whittier from 1953 to 1958, has told me of times that they would finish clearing the main line only 30 minutes ahead of the afternoon northbound passenger train (#4) and that, if there was enough fresh snow and wind, the train would get stuck between the depot and the first tunnel.

See  http://www.alaskarails.org/historical/whittier-60/index.html by John Gray

Thursday, 7 June 2012

15:23:55

A L A S K A  b y  R A I L

Our Trains

Our trains operate daily in the summer and weekends only in the winter

Summer is mid-May to mid-September and winter is mid-September to mid-May

We have three main summer trains:

Denali Star - two trains, one runs south from Fairbanks to Anchorage and the other runs north from Anchorage to Fairbanks. Both stop at Talkeetna and Denali.

Coastal Classic - one train departs Anchorage for Seward, stopping at Girdwood, and then returning from Seward the same day.

Glacier Discovery - one train departs from Anchorage to Whittier, stopping twice at Portage before continuing on to Spencer Whistle Stop and Grandview. This train returns to Portage and Whittier, but not Anchorage. Passengers returning to Anchorage take a motor coach from Portage.

The Hurricane Turn operates Thurs-Sun from Talkeetna in summer, travelling north to Hurricane Gulch and then back to Talkeetna.

This train only operates the first Thursday of the month in the winter.

The Aurora Winter train travels north from Anchorage to Fairbanks each Saturday and south from Fairbanks to Anchorage each Sunday of the winter season.

Coastal Classic Train Information

The Coastal Classic Train is a local favorite that winds through the stretch of wilderness between Anchorage and Seward. A string of massive glaciers visible from the track enriches the journey. This train travels to the shores of Resurrection Bay for convenient connection to Kenai Fjords National Park, whale watching, sea kayaking, tidewater glacier viewing, fishing, and dog sled rides.

Seward

Your journey starts in Seward, the southern terminus of the railroad. It quickly begins its climb through primeval forests of Sitka spruce. After crossing Snowy River, Kenai Lake comes into view, set off with its stunning aqua color and surrounded by soaring mountains.

Moose Pass

Thirty miles into the trip, the track winds through Moose Pass, a former railroad construction camp on the shores of Trail Lake. As the rail ascends into the Kenai Mountains, it leaves behind the forests and reveals mountain meadows and streams of gin-clear glacial waters. Trail Glacier appears on the right and soon after, the summit of Grandview at 1,063 feet and the historic Loop District - named for a complex series of trestles built to handle the steep grade in the age of steam engines. In the same stretch, Bartlett Glacier crowds the track just 800 feet away.

Placer River Valley

After passing through a series of short tunnels, the track descends to the Placer River Valley near Spencer Glacier. Moose, bear and wolves populate the valley among the willow and alder trees. Trumpeter swans migrate through in spring and fall and arctic terns hover above the ponds and river looking for small fish and insects. Twelve miles later Turnagain Arm appears, where 40-foot tides rush into the narrow confines of the Chugach Mountains. Beluga whales pursue salmon and other schooling fish. Next comes Girdwood, home to Alaska's premier ski resort, a 40-mile commute from Anchorage.

Chugach National Forest

The Chugach National Forest borders Turnagain Arm, some six million acres, the second largest in the U.S. Bald eagles cruise the thermals above and Dall sheep come to feed on the low plants growing on the cliffs bordering the track. Next comes Potter Marsh in the Anchorage Coastal Wildlife Refuge. Anchorage is the final stop, 114 miles out of Seward.