Among the new safety features will be a collision-avoidance system based on global positioning transmitters. Dispatchers already track trains with computers and radios, but with GPS systems aboard the 52 locomotives, dispatchers will know where trains are within a few feet, and be able to track their speed.

[See story]

The state-owned railroad is predicting revenues of $99 million in 2003, with profits of $1.1 million. That compares to an estimated $107 million in revenues for 2002, with profits of $4.2 million, according to railroad's budget released in December.

[See story]

A shadowy figure recently whispered into my ear that DPU training and implementation has begun.  If you are a novice like me, your first questions would be, "What in the heck is DPU?"  Basically, Distributed Power Units (DPU) means placing locomotives not only on the front of the train, but in other positions in the consist such as the middle or end.  The other locomotives are remotely controlled via the lead locomotive through the FIRE (Fully Integrated Railroad Electronics) system.  Your second question would be, "Why would someone use DPU?"  Well, DPU helps in both climbing and descending grades, managing breaking forces, managing run-in/run-out slack and eliminates the need for manned helper locomotives.  Cool beans, eh?  The ARRC has installed DPU in two SD70MACs so far.  One of the locomotives is 4001 and the shadowy figure couldn't remember the number of the other one.

Anyway, your third question would be, "What is the ARRC using DPU for?"  Well, the word I got is they want to eliminate one of the two daily Williams fuel runs.  Instead of two locomotives pulling 35-40 tank cars twice a day, there will be a single train of 70-80 tank cars with two locomotives on the head and another two on the rear.  The DPU would make this possible and the cost conscience ARRC could eliminate a train crew.  Williams is not sitting still in the midst of all this change.  They plan on loops at each end of the oil tank car run plus buying a switcher for its North Pole refinery.

Junk dealer Fred Sanford (from the TV show Sanford and Son) must be dancing a jig right about now.  Word has it the ARRC is scrapping its 14400 series hoppers (Pullman units built in the 1960s).  Also, there is another hopper series (I can't remember which ones at the moment) , that will be scrapped as they are bad ordered. 

My final rumor for today is the ARRC wants to buy The Dump Train.  Sounds like a bad investment, huh?  Well, The Dump Train (made by Georgetown Rail GREX) is an aggregate delivery system capable of very accurate unloading of up to 2000 tons per hour. Why would the ARRC want one of these toys?  When the railroad has a washout, the traditional stop gap measure is to sand bag it and then bring in dump cars of aggregate.  The Dump Train could be sent out to fix the problem quickly and efficiently.  The railroad also uses dump cars to disperse aggregate for various projects.  With these dump cars there is not much dispersal control and some material is wasted.  Not so with The Dump Train.  This awesome piece of equipment does not come cheap (i.e. millions of dollars) and GREX only wants to opt for a long term lease.  Furthermore, The Dump Train is made up of 20 connected cars which is too long to get on the barge in one piece.  It remains to be seen if the ARRC will make this dream become a reality. 

Just a reminder that all the above are rumors so take them for what they are worth! 
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Stevens soon championed a plan to build an airport train depot. Even before the Alaska Railroad Corporation commissioned an economic study, Stevens had Slater’s support; the Transportation Secretary secured millions of dollars for the potential project. In 1999, Stevens landed the federal appropriation to cover construction of the depot and an elevated track at the airport.

[See story]

This year's print by Sue Dranchak depicts a view of a passenger train traveling through Healy Canyon from the vantage point of a vestibule.

[See story]

As most of us know, there is a new sheriff in town. Frank Murkowski traded a 22-year career in the U.S. Senate to become Alaska's new governor. He is the first Republican candidate to win a gubernatorial election in Alaska since 1978 and replaces Democrat Tony Knowles, who served two terms. So what does that have to do with the Alaska Railroad? Well, this big kahuna gets to make appointments for the ARRC's board. Insider rumors say that we will see a couple of MAJOR changes. When I heard what they were, my jaw hurt from hitting the floor so hard. Stay tuned for more details... 

On December 10th the crossing gates at International Airport Road were stuck down, and traffic had to be re-routed around them. Of course, all this happened in a drizzlin' rain/snow mixture. 

Layoffs continue to ripple through the corporation. One insider reports there were 27 last month, 15 more this month, just in their union group. Losing the coal contract has changed things a lot and they no longer use Healy as a stop, but rather all freights now go straight through from Anchorage to Fairbanks. They use to stop and change crews there so this move will save several crews and away from home expenses. This is also in part because of the realignment just north of Anchorage and better speed and time saved there. 

Distributed processing units will be installed in some of the locomotives. Hopefully, this effort will go better than some of the past upgrades. 

I just caught a whiff of a rumor that the ARRC contracted out a study for a major modernization of its refueling station in the Anchorage shops. Apparently there aren't funds available in 2003, but at least now they have a plan 

Although the new airport depot had a marvelous grand opening, it may take a while for the general public to get in to see it. This is due to the fact that the C concourse isn't done yet - meaning the fire department won't allow the railroad to use the tunnel which connects our depot to the main part of the airport. 

In the "I know something you don't know" department, I have an interesting tidbit about the upcoming ARRC annual poster. All I can say is stay tuned for further details... 

Another interesting rumor is that the ARRC hasn't really decided if they are going to shut down the Anchorage to Seward leg for the winter. Even though coal will no longer be shipped to Seward and the ski train won't head for Grandview, it appears the ARRC are still leaving their options open. Old man winter is also being gentle and this may be a factor also. 

Just a reminder that all the above are rumors so take them for what they are worth! 
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Depending on one's vantage point, the glassy $28 million federally funded depot that will serve mostly cruise ship passengers is either transportation history in the making or another Alaska boondoggle, courtesy of U.S. taxpayers. Starting this spring, the airport train will operate twice a day, five days a week during the tourist season from May to September. 

The Alaska Railroad Corp. showcased the new rail station to hundreds of invited lawmakers, business executives, policy shapers and society folks who gathered downtown at the Ship Creek depot in early evening darkness. They took a 20-minute train ride to the airport, spilled out into the shiny new terminal and were greeted by waiters holding trays of hors d'oevres. 

"It's years ahead of its time," said U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, who was instrumental in securing funding for the project. "It will make Alaska a tourist mecca." 

Whether that materializes remains to be seen, and the skeptics abound, but the idea is to boost rail traffic by allowing cruise passengers to disembark in Seward and ride the train directly to the airport, instead of having to get off downtown and take a bus or cab to catch a plane. 

"A revolutionary step in an evolving effort to connect road, rail, air and cruise ship travel," is how a railroad brochure describes the project. 

Besides helping to make travel more convenient for cruise passengers, the new station is also meant to spur interest in a commuter rail service linking outlying communities to Anchorage. 

"It's the centerpiece for that," said Bill Sheffield, Anchorage port director and former Alaska governor and railroad president. 

While Sheffield acknowledged that there won't be legions of passengers riding the train in the beginning, it was important to establish a beachhead for the station as the airport undergoes a major expansion. 

"This was our only window of opportunity," said Johne Binkley, chairman of the Alaska Railroad. 

The Sierra Club has endorsed the rail station as a big step toward reducing dependence on cars and buses, and saving wetlands near the airport from being paved for parking lots. 

"It will really set the stage for how Anchorage grows in the future in terms of reducing sprawl and preserving our natural environment," said Cynthia Wentworth, an Anchorage resident and Sierra Club volunteer. 

But critics like former state Rep. Andrew Halcro consider the justifications for the train station as close to ludicrous. Alaska doesn't have the population base to support a commuter rail, he said. And spending $28 million to make life easier for a few thousand cruise vacationers just isn't a good use of public funds, Halcro said. 

"It's another project where people are going to look at it in three to four years and shake their heads and say, 'Here's another government project that can't pay for itself.' That alarms me as a taxpayer," said Halcro, whose family owns the Avis car rental business in Alaska. 

Former Alaska Senate President Drue Pearce and Anchorage Rep. Norm Rokeberg have also questioned the project and the way it came about. The Federal Railroad Administration approved the funding in 1998 but the Legislature didn't hear about it until the next year and had no say over whether the state-owned railroad should build the station or not. Both lawmakers ridiculed it as a waste of taxpayer money and a failure of the public process. 

But there was no talk of that on Wednesday evening, as the inaugural reception was under way. The critics are people who don't understand change but who will see the value of the rail station over time, Sheffield said. 

As far as its long-term economic viability, Stevens displayed his signature pragmatism. 

"It doesn't have to pay for itself. It was a grant from the federal government," he said. 

Reporter Paula Dobbyn can be reached at pdobbyn@adn.com or 907 257-4317. 
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The railroad unveiled the depot Wednesday night, taking hundreds of lawmakers and business leaders on a 20-minute ride from downtown Anchorage to the new $28 million depot. 

[See story]

As many as 600 people came to tour the new depot. 

The $28 million budget built a very nice facility -- no one is disagreeing with that -- but this is one project that has had critics from the beginning. 

[See story]

[See story and photo]

The ARR just completed modifying seven GP38's and three GP40's with EcoTrans auxiliary power units. 

Yesterday the ARR did a dress rehearsal for the Airport Rail Station dedication with two passenger trains and will do the real thing today. 
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Patrick Flynn, Alaska Railroad's public affairs officer, said gravel-hauling in 2002 was just 8,000 tons short of 1999's record-breaking haul of more than 36,000 100-ton hopper cars.

[See story]

Where are we at?    There are seven diesel electric locomotives in our collection, four of which are stored operable.   With the help of Bob Nilles we were able to operate GE Switcher #1604 on three occasions this summer while building track into the train shed.   Due to recent rail donations by The Railroad Co. we have materials to build another 800 ft of track.    Four complete switch (turnout) kits are ready to assemble. 

Dry locked storage for donations of materials and tools is provided by the two Alaska Railroad Box cars donated in 2001.   These are examples of the W.W.II Troop cars converted to box cars  for the ARR in 1948. 

The Chitina Autorailer, and four section gang cars of various sizes are operational and awaiting track to run on.  The 1967 Chrysler Town and Country station wagon on Hy-rail gear could also be put in service after a major cleanup. 

Informal work parties have done wonders in laying track and doing occasional maintenance.   In order to move forward efficiently and safely more effort has to be made in planning and training crews for the wide variety of tasks at hand.    No better time for this than winter.  An organizational meeting will be set in January for those who wish to participate in the volunteer crews.   A tour of the rail collection, and history of the rail collection will be provided as an orientation.

Where can we go?  That depends on the energy of volunteers.   A long range informal plan has envisioned building double track the length of the Museum property, about 1800 feet, adjacent to the Alaska Railroad right-of-way.  With turnouts at both ends, this would allow an outbound and inbound track for operational equipment.    A formal track development plan needs to be completed, presented to the MATI Board for approval and then implemented. 

On the immediate horizon is an opportunity to shine and show our stuff for visiting railfans.  On Friday, June 13, 2003, the Trains Unlimited Alaska Railfan Adventure will be at MATI for the day.     We expect 20-30 serious railroaders from around the world in this group.    For the day we will need greeters and docents to facilitate the days activities.     We have promised to have #1604 and possibly #1718 in operation.   The Chitina Auto railer, and section cars are to provide rides for the visitors. Guided tours of our unique rail collection will complete the package. 

Now we have a target date of June 13, 2003 to help us focus energy on dressing up the collection.    I have a list of projects for volunteers to cogitate.   Let us turn it into a list of priorities and see some of them complete by then.

1.  Complete the fascia reconstruction and trim on Tilliy's Caboose along with exterior paint.  (materials on hand)

2.  Complete the electrical hook up to the train shed so batteries for #1718 can be charged. (Wire is in place, needs breaker box installed and connections made.)

3.  Wash and wax the Baldwin Twins, #1500, #1718 and #1604.

4.  Clean and repaint  #1000, ALCO RS1, Alaska Railroads first diesel electric locomotive.
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Stevens, R-Alaska, said Tuesday that the Department of Transportation is releasing $2.7 million. The money will go toward improving facilities in Seward used by cruise ship passengers, bus passengers and rail line passengers.

[See story]

Jet fuel at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport has flowed at record levels, reaching a peak of 3.3 million gallons a day Oct. 23, about 400,000 gallons more than the previously pumped daily record, according to Bert Mattingly, administration manager for Aircraft Service International Group.

[See story]

The status of Seward's coal terminal, owned by the state and Hyundai Merchant Marine Co. Ltd., is still unclear after Usibelli Coal Mine Inc. lost its valuable export contract to South Korea.

[See story]

The Alaska Railroad no longer has an economic reason to keep its southern track open all winter. And without a clear track, the Nordic ski club has had to cancel its Grandview Valley ski train.

Don't despair, though. The ski train will roll on, this time heading north. 

Instead of heading south to Grandview, the ski train will go to Curry, 20 miles north of Talkeetna.

[See story]

There were three trains (two freight and one passenger) on the rails between Fairbanks and Anchorage.  These trains were stopped after the initial quake so the track could be inspected for damage.  Three hours later it was reported no damage to the rails were detected and the trains resumed operations.
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The Anchorage-based factory is making plans with the Alaska Railroad Corp. to lease land and build a home for the expanding company, according to Patrick Flynn, railroad spokesman in Anchorage.

Flynn said the company currently leases from the railroad on East Ship Creek Avenue. The new building the factory wants to build will not stray far from its current location, Flynn said.

The railroad will receive $18,000 annually beginning in 2003 from the Ulu Factory, Flynn said.

[See story]

Williams switcher is an ALCo (Probably an S1) core that has been completely rebuilt and repowered with a Detroit Series 60 prime mover (605 h.p.). Most of JRS's repowers are with MTU units, but the 60 was specified here.  It has a 6NL brake valve, but the rest of the brake system is fully self-maintaining.  The problem they had coming up from Whittier was where someone not familiar with the system disabled the brakes.  All it took was a phone call to JRS and it was immediately straightened out.

The unit looks nice, like a spruced-up ALCo.  There is four inches of cab insulation vice the normal two.  I believe it has remote control, but that's not confirmed.  Mike H. trained about 12 Williams personnel on systems and will train some operators in the next few days.  ARR is going to provide bottom end (trucks/ traction motors/ brakes) maintenance for this unit.  Mike will train some of their folks as well. I'll try to get some digital pics soon, but you can see a very similar (same blue with white stripe) unit at the bottom of the page at this link:

http://www.railspur.com/Process%20Locomotives/photo_gallery-01.htm
 

Mike says this is the last unit with the basic ALCo sheet metal left on. Following units will have all new sheet metal and style.
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The switcher was supposed to get out of there about 5:30 a.m. Friday morning.  However, it is still stuck in Whittier.  Something about the brakes would not release.
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Almost all available trucks in the state and Washington were pushed into service during the weeklong shipping shutdown that ended Oct. 4 when the Pacific Maritime Association agreed to hire longshoremen to load ships owned by Totem Ocean Trailer Express Inc. and CSX Lines LLC.

[See story]

Alaska Railroad officials, in a public meeting Sept. 30 in Eagle River, discussed plans to realign 30 curves on their railline and answered questions about the timeframe and scope of a project that has been in the works for almost four years.

[See story]

A container vessel operated by Totem Ocean Trailer Express is the first to deliver goods under an exemption granted by dockworkers in the labor lockout that has idled 29 West Coast ports for the last 10 days. 

[See story]

The train carrying about 6,000 tons marked the end of an era for Usibelli Coal Mine, which lost its contract with South Korea-based Hyundai Merchant Marine Co.

Usibelli has used the state-owned railroad two or three times a week for the shipments to Seward and South Korea-bound freighters for 18 years. Over the years, about $250 million of Alaska coal has been shipped.

[See story]

About 100 longshoremen are working, driving containers on board the vessel Northern Lights by truck.  The Northern Lights is owned by Totem Ocean Trailer Express.

The union and TOTE agreed to cooperate to help customers in Alaska who need the supplies. An agreement has also been worked out to load Alaska-bound ships for CSX Lines. 

[See story]

The board of the Alaska Railroad voted to suspend plans to drastically cut back on scheduled train runs on the Hurricane Turn, a popular rural 55-mile portion of the Alaska Railroad system between Talkeetna and Hurricane.

[See story]

The Alaska Railroad Corp.'s board was considering reducing the unprofitable flag-stop service, which lost $136,000 last year. But on Thursday at a railroad board meeting in Fairbanks, its chairman directed the state-owned railroad to look at other ways to save money.

Chairman Johne Binkley said letters from dozens of locals who rely on the flag-stop train prompted him to consider other ways to cut costs. The train is the only practical way into a remote area defined by 55 miles of track weaving through dense forest on the south slope of the Alaska Range north of Talkeetna. 

[See story]

[See story]

A frail labor peace between shipping lines and West Coast longshoremen collapsed Sunday when workers were barred from the docks at all 29 major Pacific ports for the second time in less than two days.

The Pacific Maritime Association, representing shipping lines and sea terminal operators, ordered the lockout until the longshoremen's union agrees to extend their lapsed contract. 

Most of the cargo destined for Alaska is loaded at the Port of Tacoma, which is affected by the lockout. Dock workers in Anchorage are represented by a different union, so goods can be unloaded if they find their way north.

[See story]

"The train is absolutely essential to me," said the 56-year-old retired bank auditor.

But Strasenburgh and his neighbors stand to lose much of a train service that stops for people who wave it down along a remote 55-mile stretch of rail. 

The Alaska Railroad Corp. is considering drastic cuts to the last regular flagstop run in the nation.

[See story]

Packed with about 6,000 tons of coal dug from the Healy hills, an Alaska Railroad train chugged south through the night to dump its final load in the Port of Seward. A waiting freighter will haul the fossilized plant matter to South Korea, where a longtime customer will turn it into electricity.

It's a routine that has played out two to three times a week for 18 years. But this week's shipment from Healy to Seward marked the end of an era for a coal company, a railroad and a port town that together have moved about $250 million worth of Alaska coal to South Korea since 1984. 

[See story]

Mr. John Eng of The Railroad Company donated 60,000 pounds of surplus 70 pound rail and track jewelry which is all inventoried at MATI along with an extensive stock of track tools, switches and parts obtained from State of Alaska Surplus.   Track gangs can look forward to laying four switches and another 800 ft of track next season.

MRS1 #1718, in Alaska Railroad paint, is now under the train shed where the services of an electrician are needed to make final connections for the battery charger.   This 1952 EMD grad of Military Railway Service started life as #1818 and in 1954 ventured to Europe where she proudly demonstrated US Diesel electric technology in Belgium, France and Germany.    The double ended "Bear Face" first generation European Diesel locomotives share her component design under the skin having been built under license from EMD.    After return to North America with the U.S. military she eventually found her way to the ARR and then the US Air force as the locomotive for the ALCOPS mobile command post train.   Upon demise of the Cold War she went back into military service with the Coal Crew Clear, shifting coal cuts at the Clear Air Force Station 20 megawatt power plant.     Thanks to private donations to the #1718/1818 Preservation Fund both #1718 and #1604 were purchased for MATI upon their retirement from Clear.

Volunteers are invited to join the crew at MATI, in formulating long term preservation and operational plans for rail artifacts.   Expect to see these locomotive in operation for special events at the Museum. 

[Click here to view the photo of Nos. 1604 and 1718]
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Engineers, conductors, firemen and brakemen will receive increases of between 30 percent and 57 percent over the next six years.

The contract was accepted by the United Transportation Union on Sept. 5, according to the Alaska Journal of Commerce. 

The total package for the six-year contract is worth about $78 million, railroad and union officials said.

[See story]

[Webmaster's note: If you folks living in the lower 48 states see one of these, make sure and send me a photo of it!]
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But the contract accepted Sept. 5 by UTU Local 1626 also spells the end of cabooses in Alaska, since most trains will now be operated with a two-person crew instead of three, a move that mirrors railroad standards in the Lower 48.

[See story]

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The state-owned railroad's revenues will be slashed by some $4 million annually now that Usibelli Coal Mine Inc. has lost its contract with South Korea-based Hyundai Merchant Marine Co. Ltd.

The railroad had forecast coal-hauling revenues to rise from $3.8 million this year to $4.2 million in 2006, or about 5 percent of its freight earnings overall.

[See story]

Some 400 cars in the ARR fleet carry liquefied gas for the Williams refinery.  Others carry hazardous materials for mining and other industries. 

[See story]

Holland America Line Westours Inc. has four luxury double-decker dome cars under construction that the company and the manufacturer say will be the largest and longest passenger cars ever built.

The cars, slated for service next spring in Alaska, are 89 feet long, about 4 feet longer than any competitor's, said Dave Beagle, Holland America's vice president of transportation in Seattle.

[See story]

The state-owned railroad's revenues will be slashed by some $4 million annually now that Usibelli Coal Mine Inc. has lost its contract with South Korea-based Hyundai Merchant Marine Co. Ltd.

[See story]

The largest share -- $9 million -- is to straighten the track. It's part of a $78 million project to straighten nearly 70 curves between Anchorage and Wasilla, which the railroad says will cut travel time and increase safety. A straighter track is expected to reduce Anchorage-Wasilla travel time from 90 minutes to just under an hour.

[See story] 

Of the DOT funds, $9 million will go to the Alaska Commuter Rail project, which involves straightening curves to reduce travel time and increase safety along the line near Anchorage.

[See story]

The company, Lynden, plans to use it as a staging area for cargo transfers from marine vessels to rail cars and trucks. Fishing will still be allowed at the property's edge, a railroad spokesman said. 

A Diamond Parking lot, a bait shop and a small pond sit on the land. The property, 1.4 acres, sits inside a curve in the creek, so it has water on three sides and people catch salmon all around the perimeter. 

[See story]

Construction of the depot was originally to have started this summer, but an air quality review delayed the work, a railroad spokesman said.

[See story]

However, a Yukos spokesman declined comment on a report by Russian daily Vedomosti that Williams, of Tulsa, Okla., has offered Yukos a preferential price for the refineries.

[See story]

Each will be an "A"-"B" pair, where the "A" car has a dining room, full kitchen and small leading vestibule while each "B" car has a dining room, small wait station, small enclosed rear lounge and a large rear platform. Each type of car will seat 88 passengers on the upper level.

The cars will have slanted windows on the ends like traditional domes - Westours did not want the 'bread box' or 'brick' look of the other ultra domes.
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[See story]

The signage isn't entirely accurate, gender-wise, but it's pretty close.

The Alaska Railroad Corp. has 670 employees, 94 of whom are women who mostly fill office and administrative jobs. For those who run the engines, only five of 180 conductors and engineers are women, a number that has stayed about the same for the last 20 years.

[See story]

A report issued July 30 by the San Francisco-based environmental group report called the new $44 million interchange linking the Glenn and Parks highways in the Matanuska-Susitna valley as one of the worst.

[See story]

Testing and computer models show the buried plume of fuel is stable, and further efforts to recover or neutralize it are impractical or too expensive, according to the Alaska Railroad and its consultants. In a proposal being circulated for public comment this month, the state Department of Environmental Conservation says the fuel will naturally degrade over decades, and it proposes letting it do just that.

[See story]

The money also will be used for crossing and wayside signals, continued construction of an additional track from the Anchorage rail yard to the Eagle River and environmental work, he said.

[See story]

And those were the adults.

It's hard to know why trains capture the imagination, but there is a certain and unmistakable mystique. 

"I've always searched my soul to find out what I like about trains," said Jack Klingbeil, a co-founder of Alaska Live Steamers Inc., the nonprofit organization that runs the miniature steam train attraction.

[See story]

Railroad officials say that trips from Anchorage to Talkeetna, and from Talkeetna to Denali may be increasing $3. 

A round-trip ticket from Anchorage to Seward also may be going up $5. 

The fare increase is in the review process, and still needs board approval. 

[See story]

Patrick Flynn, Alaska Railroad Corp. spokesman, said through June about 170,000 people had ridden the rails, about 2,500 more riders compared with the same time period a year ago.

[See story]

Spokesman Patrick Flynn said about 170,000 people had ridden the rails through June, about 2,500 more riders than a year ago for the same period.

Most of the increased traffic comes from the Grandview train that transports cruise ship passengers from Seward to Anchorage and back. The Grandview service began in 2000 after the $3.6 million purchase of nine passenger cars from Florida.

[See story]

Check this link out http://www.railmerchants.net/e9fp7/index.html
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Murkowski filed legislation in Congress last week to start the process. He said the railroad extension is needed to reduce construction and operation costs at the national missile defense system test site at Fort Greely. He titled his bill the "National Defense Rail Connection Act."

[See story]

Lynxs Alaska CargoPort is a joint venture between the Lynxs Group of Austin, Texas, and Williams Alaska Petroleum Inc.'s subsidiary, Williams Air Cargo Properties LLC.

[See story]

"Obviously, we're tracking the issue," said Pat Flynn, Alaska Railroad spokesman in Anchorage.

Flynn said the railroad suffered no losses or capacity when Williams Cos. purchased MAPCO in 1998. The railroad expects the same to hold true after the sale of Williams.

[See story]

Alaska Railroad spokesman Patrick Flynn told Channel 2 News that the workers were on two pieces of equipment that ride the rails when they collided.  The workers weren't seriously injured, but were transported to the Healy Clinic to be examined.  The names of the workers and details of the crash have not yet been released. 

[web site]