North At 99 It may seen hard to believe, but this location is only about 15 miles from the Alaska Railroad's classification yard in the heart of the state's largest city home to some 330,000 people. But in Alaska, the wilderness comes quick and down here at MP 99 along Turnagain Arm it's nothing but the mountains and the sea and a few motorists on the Seward Highway. There aren't many train on this stretch of railroad during the non-passenger season...maybe 4 to 6 freight trains a week now that export coal trains to Seward are gone. But if you can catch one in good light going the right way you are in for one of the greatest railfan chases in all the land. This 7000+ foot long 120N from Whittier to Anchorage loaded down with cars of BNSF & UP interchange along with flats loaded with containers all of which arrived on the Alaska Marine Lines barge made for one of many such epic chases during the decade I called Alaska home. This location is from the grassy hillside atop the little cut at MP 99, and I'm looking railroad south toward a curve that sweeps around the point by McHugh Creek in the distance. In just a couple miles behind me the train will leave the water level running and march up Potter Hill into the southern outskirts of the 49th state's largest city. South of Anchorage, Alaska |
