"No matter what you spend on safety, it's cheaper than $9.3 million." 

The speaker is Ernie Piper, whose job is making sure the state-owned railroad's trains operate safely. The $9.3 million is roughly what the railroad has spent so far in its effort to clean up jet fuel spilled in a 15-tanker derailment at Gold Creek 12 months ago. Less than 15 percent of the 120,000 gallons spilled has been recovered, and remediation is expected to continue for years. 

[See story]

The study, financed by the railroad mostly with federal money, will begin within the next few days with a survey of about 400 commuters. It will estimate what it would cost to develop a rider-friendly, regular commuter rail service between the bedroom communities in the Valley and employment centers in Anchorage, and investigate how to pay for it. 

[See story]

In a letter to Knowles on Monday, the groups complained that the railroad has not done enough to improve its spill response abilities in the year since a derailment at Gold Creek dumped more than 120,000 gallons of jet fuel about a quarter-mile from the Susitna River. Less than 20,000 gallons has been recovered. 

[See story]

The spill response and cleanup recommendations are aimed at oceangoing vessels -- other than tankers, which are already regulated -- that carry a lot of fuel and at the Alaska Railroad, which can haul well over 100,000 gallons of fuel in tanker cars on a single train. 

[See story]

A transportation plan the city recently embarked upon is currently under way, but city staff is waiting on a few major components to fall into place before pushing forward with it.

Wasilla's economic planner Mike Krieber said recently the project is moving forward, but staff aren't operating at full speed on it yet.  He explained that the city would like to incorporate information from the plan into the borough's transportation master plan, which has not yet been contracted out.

Additionally, he said, the state Department of Transportation (DOT) will be completing a traffic modeling study in the next few weeks, the results of which will have significant ramifications on the development of the city's plan.

The recent request from Wasilla that the Alaska Railroad Corp. (ARRC) move the railroad out of the heart of the city has caused the city to put a hold on future completion of the plan, as well.  Krieber explained that LCMF Inc., an Anchorage-based engineering firm, is working on completing a draft study of the four relocation routes proposed by the city.

"We hope to have a draft study in our hands by the end of next week," Krieber said.

Once the study is received, Krieber said he plans to send out notices to the potentially affected property owners who live along each of the four routes and schedule public meetings.  He estimated affected property owners could expect to see the draft study and a map of the proposed routes by the end of the year.

If the ARRC agrees to move the tracks, Krieber said it could open up many new possibilities for the city's downtown area.  It would also have significant effects on other city ventures, including development at the city's airport.

"It's a whole domino effect here," Krieber said, "based on what the Railroad decides."

A final decision is also pending from the ARRC as to where to put the commuter rail facility.  Krieber said the final plan for the project should be completed by January or February.  If the location near the Wasilla Municipal Airport is chosen, as the city hopes it will be, there will be more additions made to the city's transportation plan.

For starters, Krieber explained that South Church Road, a project the city has been working on for more than a year, will be extended to meet Mark Road.  Connecting the Parks Highway and Knik-Goose Bay Road will ease traffic congestion at the intersection  of the Parks Highway and Knik-Goose Bay Road.  It will also give emergency responders a much faster response time to emergencies at the airport or the commuter rail station, and will give those who live on Knik-Goose Bay Road a faster access route to both the airport and the commuter rail facility.

The city is not simply biding its time while waiting for these other pieces to fall into place,  Krieber said.

Currently, he said, city staff are working to identity every road within the city limits, determine which entities control those roads (the state, borough, or the city) and what improvements are needed on the roads.

After the initial identification process is completed, Krieber plans to estimate how much it would cost both the city and property-owners involved and send out notices to them that the road improvements process is available.

Krieber said he is currently working on a similar project in the Independence Estates, Ravenswood subdivisions and Bay View Gardens subdivision off Fern Street.

He explained that property owners from Independence Estates recently petitioned the city for a paving project in their area.  Since the other subdivisions share road access and live adjacent to Independence, city staff has contacted those property owners to give them the option of improving the roads in their subdivision at the same time.

Krieber is hoping to convince the DOT to help fund some of the paving and road improvement projects, he said.  He cited an item in the department's budget which generally involves between $15 and $30 million being set aside for a gravel-to-asphalt program.

The funds are generally used to pave state-owned gravel roads or upgrade those roads to reduce maintenance costs.  Often, maintenance on those roads is turned over to the local governing body after they are upgraded.  Wasilla, Krieber explained, does not have any roads which qualify for the project.

"The only state road in the city limits that was not paved [was Old Matanuska Road]," he said, "so the city has not really been able to enjoy the money."

Old Matanuska Road was recently paved by the DOT, but not under that program, since DOT continues to provide road maintenance.

Krieber said he took part in a transportation symposium held at the Third Annual Valley Economic Development Conference held recently by Mat-Su Resource and Community Development.  He is scheduled to speak at the Tuesday meeting of the Greater Wasilla Chamber of Commerce.  The meeting will be held from noon to 1 p.m. at Mat-Su Resort.

The railroad won the 2001 Overall Onboard Services Award for outstanding overall service integrating all elements related to passenger safety, comfort and enjoyment in a railroad environment.  In addition, the railroad received the Diamond Award for Outstanding Uniforms and a Diamond Award for Outstanding Onboard Services.

President and CEO Bill Sheffield said that all Alaskans should be proud of the awards.  "These awards confirm that we offer an outstanding experience to people who ride our trains.  We provide them the best service through some of the world’s most magnificent scenery.  We couldn’t do it without our outstanding employees and the people throughout this state who provide the overall Alaska experience to our visitors," he said.

Laurie Herman, Director of Passenger Services, said employees work hard every day to make sure Alaska’s visitors have the trip of a lifetime.  "This is truly an honor to be recognized as an industry leader in delivering outstanding service to our passengers.  We are ecstatic that we have received the awards."

Last season, Alaska Railroad moved approximately 700,000 passengers.  Within the next three years, the railroad expects to move more than a million passengers.

Alaska Railroad provides daily passenger service between Anchorage and Fairbanks, Anchorage and Seward and Anchorage and Whittier, mid-May through mid-September.
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Commissioned by the Alaska Railroad and conducted by three engineering professors and a hydrology expert, the study concluded hydrocarbons from the fuel either have or will soon reach the salmon-rich Susitna. 

[See story]

"The past year has been extremely arduous." Sheffield said, "The Railroad experienced an unfortunate string of events in 1999 and it has taken us some time to get those areas straightened out. I had considered leaving earlier, but since the accidents happened on my watch, I felt obligated to fix what was wrong before I moved on."

Sheffield has held the position since 1997 and has overseen a period of dramatic growth in Railroad operations. During his tenure, Sheffield sought and won millions of dollars in federal money for much-needed improvements to the line. "Our highest priority was to take the Railroad we inherited and bring it up to national standards," he said. "With the active assistance of our delegation in Washington, we've received more than $240 million in federal funds to accomplish in four years what had been put off for the past 20. I'm proud of all the employees who are making this accelerated schedule possible."

Alaska Railroad Board Chairman, Johne Binkley, said Governor Sheffield brought leadership and vision to the Alaska Railroad. "The Alaska Railroad is a far better railroad than it was when Governor Sheffield took over. We are safer, we serve our customers better, and we are more profitable. I admire and appreciate the lifelong dedication Governor Sheffield has given to Alaska."

Binkley said Sheffield has set us on course to better meet the Alaska Railroad's mission to foster economic development and improve Alaska's transportation system.

The Railroad has more than 20 capital projects currently underway, including; constructing a new freight dock in Seward and renovating the existing dock into a passenger service facility, constructing new rail depots at Ted Stevens International Airport, Fairbanks and Denali Park; upgrading and realigning track between Anchorage and the Mat-Su Valley and installing improved signalization along that corridor. The latter improvements will make commuter service feasible between Wasilla and Girdwood.

The Railroad also just embarked on a three-year, $60 million program that will install electric heated switches, and extended sidings along the rail line. The upgrades are designed to improve safety and efficiency and will enable the Railroad to move more and longer trains in meet and pass situations. Sheffield oversaw the addition of new locomotives and passenger equipment to meet the Railroad's growing needs and saw the Ship Creek master development plan through to completion.

Sheffield said he thinks the board will complete its search for a new CEO quickly. "We have an excellent team of professionals at every level of the Railroad and a terrific board of directors. It doesn't take a railroad professional to do this job but rather somebody who knows the state and its people," he said. "It shouldn't take long to find the right person."

Sheffield said he has no immediate plans past retirement. "I've been working since I was 14 years old and I've held the two best jobs in Alaska - the opportunity to serve the public as Governor and Railroad President. It might take me awhile to figure out what I want to do next.
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Also see:
     Anchorage Daily News
     Fairbanks Daily News-Miner
     MS NBC

If you want to be part of the crew at the Museum to assist in this effort contact Pat Durand at 907 696 2373.   You will then be on the call list when the move is scheduled.
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THESE INCIDENTS HAPPEN at railroad crossings and all along the Alaska Railroad route.  Hundreds of tons of steel up to a mile long and no where to go but straight ahead on track.

[See story]

ONE OF THE ENGINEERS punched a couple of buttons that automatically switched the track, allowing his train to move onto a railroad siding to let the other train pass. It may not sound like much, but the event signaled what could be the beginning of a much more modern era for the railroad in Alaska. 

[See story]

Fairbanks suits Mike Olson just fine.

Olson is an expert on Alaska communities, at least those on the railroad system. He's been up and down the line from North Pole to Seward countless times during his 29 years with the Alaska Railroad.

Enough times to know where he doesn't want to be.

"Whittier. At any given time, you can see rain, wind, ice, hail," said Olson, the railroad's Fairbanks terminal superintendent. "In fact, you can see all the different weather in 15 minutes. Sixty below in Fairbanks beats a good day in Whittier." 

Olson came to Fairbanks in 1994 to take his current job with the railroad. He oversees the loading and unloading of passengers, petroleum, coal and freight at the Fairbanks yard of the Alaska Railroad. He also supervises the maintenance of the track and equipment in the yard as well.

"I love the railroad," Olson said as he looked back over his decades with trains. He was a week shy of his 18th birthday when he took a job in the railroad's Anchorage freight house running a forklift. He was right out of high school in 1971. Before that he had been visiting Alaska in the summers to see a sister.

Olson intended to go to college and study history, but soon he was promoted to brakeman, a job were he rode the rails picking up and dropping off cars as part of a crew.

By 1975 he was a conductor and was heading his own crew. He was elected as a union officer in the United Transportation Union in 1978 and became general chairman in 1980.

Gov. Walter Hickel appointed Olson to serve on the Alaska Railroad board of directors in 1990, a position he resigned when he accepted the superintendent position in Fairbanks in 1994.

"He has a very difficult job," said Johne Binkley, railroad board chairman. "It's probably a lot like conducting an orchestra. There's a lot going on at the same time."

The railroad moves about 1.2 million gallons of petroleum south daily from the Williams Alaska Petroleum Inc. refinery in North Pole. Olson and his crew have to make sure the tank cars are at the refinery's loading dock.

"He's organized. There are times they are under pressure. If I were him, I'd probably be screaming and yelling." said Ed Sanborn, Williams' refinery shipping supervisor. 

Olson understands it's important to keep his customers happy, Sanborn said. "He makes me feel comfortable when I call him with a problem," he said.

Sometimes Olson has to call Sanborn. When the railroad had a derailment last summer, Olson called Sanborn at home in the middle of the night to let him know there was a problem.

"He won't give any more (information) then what he knows," Sanborn said. Olson won't speculate about details--simply offers what he knows with a promise to keep him updated, Sanborn said.

Other railroad customers appreciate Olson's reliability. 

"Getting a train here on time is very important for us," said Warren Mattielli, Usibelli Coal Mine, Inc.'s vice president of operations. Mattielli estimates about 800,000 tons of coal go through the Fairbanks yard, part of 1.2 million tons transported every year by the train.

"That's our lifeline for getting coal out of here," Mattielli said. "He'll be right there on the job. I'm afraid Mike puts in a lot of hours."

When Olson's not on the job, however, he's with his family. His wife Sherri is the daughter of a Washington state railroad man.

"It was love at first sight," Olson said. "We hit it off." The couple have two boys who attend Joy Elementary School. Olson praised the borough's public schools, saying they are the best in the state. Both he and his wife volunteer in their children's classrooms.

Additionally, Olson coaches Kyle's Pop Warner football team. Last season, Olson led the Fort Wainwright Cowboys to a division championship and a second-place finish in the state. 

Olson's favorite football team is the University of Washington Huskies. His boys like the University of Oregon and UCLA teams.

"They broke their dad's heart," Olson said. 

In the summers, Olson sticks the camper on the truck and the family heads to Tolsona to fish.

"It's our favorite little campground," Olson said. Fishing, football and family helps him deal with the stress of his job, he said. 

But railroading is a way of life. Managing trains takes organization and creativity, Olson said. "It's like putting a jigsaw puzzle together. It can be a lot of fun," Olson mused. 

Mike Olson Age: 47
Occupation: Alaska Railroad Fairbanks terminal superintendent
Hometown: Bremerton, Wash.
Wife: Sherri
Married: 13 years
Children: Erik, 11; Kyle, 9.
Recent book: Tom Clancy's "The Bear and the Dragon."
Favorite all-time movie: "Shane"
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The first of what will be 80 heated, radio-controlled switching systems at sidings from South Anchorage to Fairbanks goes online at noon today. It will allow trains to pass each other more safely and efficiently, cutting up to 90 minutes off travel time between the state's largest cities. 

[See story]

[See story]

[Webmaster note: If you recall, I had a 2/27/98 news item titled, "ARRC to Purchase EMD F59PHIs".  It said the ARRC was considering purchasing two EMD F59PHIs for passenger service at an extremely good price. They were the
"Marlboro Train" locomotives which were scrapped in the wake of the cigarette law suit and project delays and cost overruns.  However, the operations folks adamantly objected to this and the idea was dismissed.  Well, it now appears the pendulum has swung back the other way.]
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[See story]

This map is right now nothing but a dream.  I do not know if any actual surveys have been made and what the status is of the lands that the different routes cut through.  You cut the two curves on the right side off (MP154), and to the RR these are a major problem as that stretch of track also involves a short but significant grade.  Therefore, I would guess that for the railroad route D would be the preferred route.  As to what right of way problems would be involved, I have no information at this time.  You can see from the map that the City of Wasilla is also looking at commuter service to Anchorage.
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The bad news is that the Alaska Railroad is planning at this time to convert the P30 to two axle trucks.  Hopefully, the Alaska Railroad is able to protect the old monster A-1-A trucks so the UP can convert it back some day. 
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ALASKA SEN. FRANK MURKOWSKI hopes to link the Alaska Railroad to the Lower 48 via Canada. He said that would help tap coal and mineral resources in Alaska.  The connection would require 1,150 miles of new track. The track would stretch from Eielson Air Force Base to either Fort Saint John or Fort Nelson in Canada.  It could cost more than $2 billion.
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THE RAILROAD will be using an 800-foot-long machine with 96 computer-controlled grinding wheels to smooth the railroad through late December.  Railroad officials say the work was needed because the rail surface breaks down and gets rough through years of use.   The railroad says fuel consumption and equipment maintenance increase with a rough track.
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The bill, which now goes to the House for consideration after being approved Friday, would set up a joint U.S.-Canada commission to conduct the study. The bill also authorizes Congress to spend $6 million over the next three years to carry out the work. Appointments to the 20-member commission would be split equally between the U.S. president and the Canadian government.

The track now ends at Eielson Air Force Base. The closest rail in Canada is near Fort Nelson and Fort St. James. The distance in both cases is about the same.

[See story]
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The new Vegetation Control Vehicle, "weed burner", should be done by the end of the month.  It is basically a Hy-rail truck with arms capable of reaching 20 feet either side of the track.  Should be a nice tool to have around.

The track work on the Open Rip in Anchorage is almost done.  The Open Rip " repair in place " track has been moved over near lower 3, and a new switch cut in just above the C street bridge.  This is all to accommodate a track and service building for the Royal Celebrity Tours cars.  This facility will be next to the present Princess shop.

While on the topic of passenger equipment, the mass of passenger equipment is overflowing out of the coach barn.  A two track shed/addition has been proposed off the side of the car barn to help with this.

No. 2004 is almost totally stripped down in the electrical bay in Anchorage.  It is slated to be totally rebuilt in the Anchorage shop, frame-up.

It is rumored that no more equipment will be sent to LRC, " Livingston Rebuild Center ", due to problems encountered with 2002 and the two RDCs.

It is also rumored in the Passenger services department that next summer might be the magic season when we see four passenger trains on the Anchorage Subdivision.  With Westours running six and seven cars, Princess running five, and Royal running two, on each train, that will stretch the current trains too much.  We quite possibly will see two "Cruise Express" and two "Aurora Express" trains a day.
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[See story]

The 420-foot-long by 100-foot-wide barge is equipped with rails so railcars can roll on and roll off. Deck space also can be used for break-bulk cargo and containers.

[See story] 

[See story]

The public response differed from an Assembly hearing in Girdwood last week, during which most speakers opposed the plan. 

[See story]

[See story]

Also work continues on the rails by the airport.  Last weekend crews were replacing the rails at the road crossing on International Airport Road.  The ramp leading up to the new terminal has been partially built, dirt was built up making a nice ramp. 
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The new business / observation car, the AURORA, has made a few trips since it got here almost three weeks ago.  It is a sharp looking car, but not a replacement for the Denali.  Unlike the Denali the Aurora does not have a full kitchen, and true sleeping accommodations.  But the Aurora does have a larger vestibule and a good sized conference table. The major plus is FRA glazing.  Maybe every one could get together and charter it sometime, if we could find a coordinator do do all the dirty work!

An order has evidently been placed for a new Jordan spreader.  This would be the first one made in I believe 23 years!  It will have an all new closed loop hydraulic system powered by a small Detroit.  The thinking is that this will be a demo for other railroads looking to replace their ageing fleet.

There is talk in the Heavy Mechanical shop that someone wants to parallel the baggage car generator sets with the HEP units generator set.  This would be quite a project, with extra wiring and computer additions, but we will see if this actually happens.

There is a very strong possibility that next summer we will see the addition of two Royal Celebrity Tours (owned by Royal Caribbean International) cars to the north and south bound express.  Their shop would be placed behind Princess in the area of the lumber yard and dead line.

The Museum's locomotives are still at Clear.  Dick Morris has taken charge of the move for the museum.  The 1718 has been fixed, and filled with coolant good to -20F and the GE is being used intermittently to keep the batteries hot.
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While thousands of Alaska hunters are prowling the country for a moose, a handful of agents for the Alaska Railroad are patrolling the woods looking for hunters who illegally use the railroad tracks.

"Hunting is probably our worst time of the year for four-wheelers," said Dan Frerich, chief special agent for the Alaska Railroad in Anchorage. "They are a big problem."

According to state statute, it is illegal to trespass on the railroad right-of-way, which extends 100 feet on each side from the track's center line. But hunters often take advantage of the railroad to get to places they otherwise couldn't reach.

Fairbanks special agent Gary Wing spent last weekend patrolling the railroad crossing on Standard Creek Road, which winds through a large woodcutting area about 20 miles south of Fairbanks. The area is popular among moose hunters, many of which use the railroad track to scout for moose.

"I was amazed at the number of people who passed through the area," Wing said.

He encountered people walking, riding mountain bikes and driving four-wheelers and motorcycles along the railroad tracks.

"They were all on the track and they were all hunting," Wing said.

In one case, Wing said he intends to file a complaint with the Fairbanks district attorney's office and bring charges against the hunter, though he declined to discuss the details of the incident.

Hunters using railroad tracks is a problem every year, agents said.

"Some years are worse than others," Wing said. "This year seems to be exceptional."

The railroad covers almost 500 miles from Fairbanks to Seward and cuts a giant trail through some prime and remote moose hunting territory.

"It's a helluva a path," acknowledged railroad public affairs officer Scott Banks.

The 25-mile section of railroad track from Murphy Dome to Dunbar, which includes the Standard Creek Road crossing, is the biggest problem area in the Interior for trespassing, Wing said.

The problem of people trespassing on railroad tracks is not confined to hunting season, Banks said.

"If it's not hunting season it's fishing season," he said. "If it's not fishing season it's snowmachines. It's a concern to us every day."

Trespassing on the railroad tracks is a Class B misdemeanor and is punishable with a fine of $1,000 and up to a year in jail. Violators typically pay a $500 fine, according to Frerich.

More often than not, hunters are issued a warning to stay off the tracks. Repeat offenders are cited.

"Our goal is not to go out there and arrest people and fine them and take them to court," Banks said. "Our concern is the safety of people out there and the safety of our crews."

Four-wheelers pose the greatest hazard for the railroad during the hunting season.

"They're big and bulky," Frerich said. "If you get them stuck on the rail it's hard to get them off.

There have been cases when hunters have abandoned four-wheelers in the face of oncoming trains. It takes a fully-loaded train 1-1[1/2] miles to come to an emergency stop, Banks said.

"Generally at the last second they'll abandon the four-wheeler and get out of the way," Frerich said. "We've had them keep on running and never come back for the machine."

Of course, if the four-wheeler has been run over by a train, which has happened on several occasions, there's not much to come back for.

"When a train hits a four-wheeler at 40 mph there's not much left," Frerich said.

One incident near Broad Pass several years ago sticks out in Frerich's memory.

"The most remarkable incident I can remember was a guy with a four-wheeler towing a trailer with a 100-pound propane tank in the trailer and the trailer got stuck in the middle of the trail," Frerich said. "A passenger train came around the corner and hit the trailer. Luckily the bottle didn't burst."

As for the hunter, "As soon as he saw the train he just started running," the agent said.

Four-wheelers also cause damage by eating away gravel around the ends of railroad ties, Frerich said, which increases the chance for derailment.

"The person driving the four-wheeler doesn't have a clue he's putting lives in danger by doing damage to the rail bed," Frerich said.
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I feel compelled to respond to the inaccuracies in the editorial for the sake of our employees and the people of Alaska who own this railroad. The editorial suggests that the Alaska Railroad would be better off sold to a private company. But what it didn't address is the railroad's ability to improve and expand due to its unique state-owned status. Over the last five years, the Railroad has received more than $150 million in federal funding. Most of this federal money would simply not flow to a private company.

That means there would be no track straightening, double track, improved sidings, remote controlled signals, or new depots planned for Fairbanks and Denali without these federal matching funds. That's why it is so important that the Alaska Railroad is a public corporation, owned by the people of this state. These projects cost millions more than the Alaska Railroad, publicly or privately owned, could generate on its own.

With the part of the money not earmarked by the federal government for specific projects, we have been aggressively improving our track. But you certainly wouldn't know that from reading The Times editorial.

For example, railroads our size typically replace 30,000 ties per year. With the help of federal funding, we have replaced 100,000 ties per year for the last five years. In fact, we have spent more than $80 million on rails, ties and ballast since 1995 to revamp a railroad that was worn out when the state purchased it in 1985. And this improvement to the system is noticeable.

Gary Wolf from Rail Sciences Inc, a national, independent consulting firm who investigated our last derailment said, "I saw this railroad in 1995. Today it's almost night and day with the improvements they've made."

The Times also alleges that, while the people of Alaska are the railroad's shareholders, they do not have much say in the line's operation. That is also incorrect. Every day we respond to a host of inquiries, complaints and requests for information from Alaskans. It's part of our job and one we take seriously. In fact, we have formed a community advisory board made up of representatives from rail belt communities to make sure we remain responsive to the public.

Furthermore, the board of directors and management has to report to the governor and the Legislature about the railroad's operations. Anyone who believes that isn't adequate oversight hasn't had to appear before a legislative committee or before the governor and made to answer hard questions.

The truth is, as a state-owned operation, we have more than half a million bosses out there watching what we do. They all have our telephone number and many aren't shy about using it.

The Alaska Railroad is mandated to "foster and promote the long-term economic growth and development of the state." That means by law we are directed to look for ways to improve our service and make it easier and more efficient for our passengers and freight customers to use the railroad. Every last cent of revenue this railroad generates goes right back into fulfilling this mission and growing this railroad.

And growing we are. Last year the railroad posted record revenues in its three main sectors: freight, real estate and passenger services. In 1999, we carried more than 670,000 passengers and hauled more than 7 million tons of freight, primarily commodities such as gravel, coal and, of course, fuel. These are basic commodities Alaskans depend on every day for heating facilities and homes, building new infrastructure, operating airports, etc.

People often don't realize the vast role the railroad plays in our state's economics. For example, every 747 cargo plane that takes off from the International Airport carries 47,000 gallons of fuel. That equals 2 1/4 tank cars of the 120 tank cars hauled by the Alaska Railroad from North Pole to Anchorage everyday.

Finally, the editorial stated that the railroad would have to abide by rigid regulations imposed by the state if it were in private hands. Maybe this fact isn't widely known, but the Alaska Railroad operates under federal regulations, just as all railroads in the Lower 48 do.

Additionally, we are in no way exempt from state regulations. We will be fined and penalized just like any private company for the fuel spilled in our derailments that cannot be recovered. We have spent nearly $10 million dollars at the Gold Creek derailment site and will be working for many years to restore the environment and protect the Susitna River.

In essence, as long as the state owns the railroad, the question of whether to sell or not sell it will periodically rise. That's appropriate. We are a state asset and whether we are sold is an appropriate public policy debate. In this debate, however, it is essential that Alaskans discuss this issue based on the facts -- not mythology.

The Alaska Railroad has been operating in Alaska for more than 75 years. It has helped to shape our history and build our state. Like our many homegrown businesses, it is a cornerstone of our economy. It employs about 700 dedicated and hardworking Alaskans today and it will play a key role in the way Alaska develops through the next millennium. The railroad does all this and doesn't require one dime of state funding. I think that is an asset worth keeping.

Bill Sheffield is a former governor of Alaska.
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2002 is finally out of the ARR shop after rebuilding by LRC. I believe its maiden run was yesterday, bringing a train to Fairbanks arriving this morning. The other bud car at LRC is due to be inspected by ARR next week. 702 is already in state.

All the former fun train cars have arrived, some are in use, some are still being inspected and prepared for service. I personally can't see these going into the long distance ANC=FAI route. It would be torture to sit under all that glass all day long. The seats are narrower than normal due to the A/C ducts being by the windows, and aisles being wheelchair accessible. Plus there is no overhead storage, and no underseat space either. Plus all coach (really a low level dome without the benefits of a dome) seating is face to face.

The GP40's have joined the retirement line pending disposition. 3016, 3017, 3019, and 3020. 3016 was temporary brought back to life, but will go back to the deadline.

The Army must have cleaned out a siding. Former ARR troop car boxcars have shown back up, stenciled: Retired, US Army Property, do not switch. Included in these 8 cars is one still painted in the 1953 McKinley Route arched lettering, and another troop car hi-cube boxcar (this would make 2 still existing)

4016 suffered a serious electrical fire, and is sidelined. ARR also seems to be having a short life expectancy with the display monitors. Availability of the MAC's is between 60-70%.
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The fine adds to troubles that seem to have sprung up like weeds for the state-owned train line in recent months, including derailments and environmental infractions. 

[See story]

The Alaska Railroad and its Gold Creek contractor have submitted a draft report to state environmental officials outlining plans to enhance the cleanup of a 120,000-gallon jet fuel spill in the remote valley north of Talkeetna. 

On another front, a senior official with the state-owned railroad said it apparently has assuaged the concerns of state and federal agencies about the emergency bulldozing of a section of Trail Creek on the Kenai Peninsula last month. A tributary was diverted to prevent the tracks there from flooding, and the work was done without a permit from the state Department of Fish and Game. State biologists feared the work might threaten salmon habitat.

The state coordinator on the Gold Creek cleanup, Leslie Pearson, and railroad vice president Ernie Piper said agency and railroad officials discussed extending a vapor extraction system to a heavily contaminated area on the east side of the tracks in a meeting at the site this week.

A private landowner who owns property on that side of the tracks has pressed for months for more remediation there, and state Department of Environmental Conservation officials fear that heavy rains or seasonal runoff could push contaminants toward the Susitna River, about a quarter-mile west of the spill. 

Piper said Fish and Game biologists and representatives of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers visited the Trail Creek site this week, too. 

"I think once everybody looked at it, the energy level came down," he said. "The Corps called us later today, and their concern dropped quite a bit, too." 

Representatives of Fish and Game and the Army Corps could not be reached for comment Friday night. KTUU-TV reported that Fish and Game found no damage to salmon habitat at the site and the Corps of Engineers said the railroad was allowed to do the work under nationwide regulations. 

Railroad engineers are continuing to work on a long-term design change to cure seasonal flooding problems where the railroad crosses a broad delta near Trail Creek, Piper said. 

The work likely will involve the railroad improving fish habitat in the area in return for altering the stream's flow -- "some type of one-for-one tradeoff on habitat protection," he said. 

At Gold Creek, the railroad has drilled dozens of recovery and monitoring wells since a Dec. 22 train derailment dumped fuel from a half-dozen tank cars along both sides of a section of track nearly 40 miles north of Talkeetna.

Less than 15 percent of it has been recovered. Most of the rest is bound up in soil between groundwater about 30 feet deep and the surface. 

The railroad is burying a network of pipes that will be used to suck air through the soil and stimulate naturally occurring bacteria which eat hydrocarbons. The process is expected to take years.

Piper said the recovery wells should be more effective in winter, when the water table drops and fuel is expected to collect atop it again.

The Associated Press contributed to this story. Reporter Don Hunter can be reached at dhunter@adn.com 
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(Published July 22, 2000)
A deteriorating rail bed on a problem curve caused an Alaska Railroad train to jump the tracks near the Palmer Hay Flats State Game Refuge last week, a consultant hired to investigate the accident said Friday.

Gary Wolf, president of Georgia-based Rail Sciences Inc., said the outer, or "high rail," on the curve had gradually cut into the wooden ties over a period of years. That allowed the distance between the rails, or gauge, to widen. When the train passed July 12, pulling 45 tank cars of fuel, the outer rail slid out far enough to pull one car's wheels off the inner rail. That car and several others lost the track and tumbled down an embankment, spilling a still-disputed amount of gasoline.

The problem developed on a section of track earmarked for replacement and straightening two years ago, but startup had been delayed by federal funding procedures. The "wide gauging condition" on the curve at Mile 153 was spotted by a maintenance crew using a track-measuring device on May 25, and "gauge rods" were installed to draw the rails closer together.

That section of track is inspected almost daily, and the rail gauge was within federal standards, according to Wolf and Loren Mueller, the railroad's newly hired chief operating officer. The inspector thought the rails would hold.

"The inspector had been right every day for 20 years," Mueller said.

This time, he wasn't.

After the derailment, Mueller said, track inspectors walked every curve of more than 3 degrees on the entire Seward-to-Fairbanks track. They found three  other spots with similar conditions: One was about one-quarter mile north of last week's derailment, and two others were in the Healy Canyon.

New ties have been installed at those locations, and the railroad has asked for $456,000 in expedited federal funding to replace the four curves, including Mile 153, where the existing 12-degree curve will be reduced to 3 degrees.

"That needs to be done right away," Mueller said.

Eventually 70 curves between Klatt Road in Anchorage and Wasilla will be replaced, Mueller said.

Wolf said the rail section that failed last week under a heavy fuel train wouldn't have given way beneath a lighter passenger car. "I've never seen this kind of activity under a passenger train," he said.

Unlike most other rail lines, the Alaska Railroad has hundreds of curves, many much more acute than the 2- to 3-degree curves prevalent on other lines.  The sharper the curve, the bigger the problem for the railroad, Wolf and Mueller said.

Still, the Alaska track is "in extremely good shape for the tonnage (the railroad) hauls," Wolf said, and major upgrades have been made in the las  five years.

"I saw this railroad in 1995," he said. "Today, it's almost night and day with the improvements they've made."

The derailment near the Hay Flats was the third in about eight months for the railroad. On Oct. 31, a fuel train partially derailed at Canyon Creek north of Talkeetna, spilling about 12,500 gallons of jet fuel. On Dec. 22, a fuel  train derailed at Gold Creek, a few miles south of Canyon Creek, spilling about 120,500 gallons of jet fuel.

Railroad officials insist that less than 100 gallons of gasoline was lost in the Palmer derailment, but the state Department of Environmental Conservation pegs the spill at nearly 600 gallons.

Ernie Piper, a railroad vice president, said he measured the rate of the gasoline pouring from a valve at Palmer and believes no more than 70-odd gallons could have splashed out. DEC officials, subtracting the amount still inside the derailed tank car from the amount pumped into it at a Fairbanks refinery, come up with 578 gallons missing.

Friday, Piper said that about 170 gallons of gasoline remained in "nooks and crannies" of the leaking tanker after it was offloaded and that much of the rest likely evaporated during the lightering process.

The Palmer spill appears to have been contained in a natural marshy basin between a gravel roadway and the railbed, and both railroad and DEC officials have said it seems unlikely to escape. The Gold Creek cleanup has cost the railroad about $9 million so far, and less than 15 percent of the 120,000 gallons spilled has been recovered.

Reporter Don Hunter can be reached at dhunter@adn.com
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AURORA has a large open platform on the rear.  Inside the glass topped car is a large room which will have a dining area separated by a glass partition from a lounge area.  Presently, the car floor layout is empty.

9News showed great views of the AURORA's exterior and interior.  Gregg was shown on the open rear platform from the ground and an elevated camera.

A Colorado Railcar, LLC, spokesman was interviewed by Gregg.  Views of other cars were shown during the early morning live news feature.  Cars shown Rocky Mountaineer Railtours and the Princess Tour bi-level, glass roof cars.
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Now I am ready to schedule a trip to Clear AFS for July 10 or 11 to complete installation.  At that time a progress report with all the newsletter articles will go out to the contributors.   Please advise the #1818/1718 family of friends that progress is being made and we expect the locomotive to move to Anchorage at the end of the very busy Alaska Railroad passenger season after September 15, 2000.

Richard (Dick) Morris, has agreed to coordinate that move with the railroad in my absence from Alaska this fall.  We are asking the ARR to store the locomotives in Anchorage until spring 2001 when they can be moved back north 48 miles to the Museum under their own power.

At the Museum we have a Naval Reserve Unit of SeaBees (Naval Construction Battalion)  17 people strong, doing construction work on a volunteer basis for two weeks.  These folks men and women are all from the New Orleans, LA area and are putting in 12 hour days.  Funding is from from an "Ice Tea"  DOT grant passed through from the State of Alaska and the Matanuska Susitna Borough.   One of the jobs is laying track to receive the locomotives.   There may be money left to buy the steel for a 40 ft by 60 ft building to house two locomotives.

Progress can only be made in response to plans laid in advance.  Thanks to all you folks who helped realize the purchase of both #1718 and #1604 so we can realize some of those plans.     Pat Durand
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Additional note from Curt Fortenberry: This was included in the batch of the Florida fun train cars, but it was never finished nor part of the FFT. It was called a sun room conference car.

Additional note from an anonymous source: The 2000 is a new car built on a CN baggage car underframe. Mechanically it is like the other "sunroom" Florida Fun Train cars.  It was built to demonstrate the concept for the Florida Fun Train, but never completed and it is thus a "new" car.  It will be an entertainment car, mostly for charter or company use
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