WASILLA, ALASKA: WHERE THAT LONESOME WHISTLE BLOWS

I try to limit myself to one train post a day, usually with just one picture, but today is a milestone day for the Alaska Railroad, so I am allowing myself a second. This is this morning's northbound Denali Star, the first Denali Star of the year and thus the opening of the summer passenger train season. Now the schedule calls for a passenger train to pass through Wasilla every day through the summer. The Denali Star had originally been schedule to roll on May 11, but demand was so heavy they moved the schedule up four days.

After I took this picture I brought Sancho inside the Engine 557 Restoration Company and shot a few frames of volunteers working on the rebuild of Steam Engine 557, the last steam engine to serve the Alaska Railroad. It is slated to roll onto the tracks next year, in time for the ARR Centennial Celebration. I’ll post two photos of them tomorrow on Facebook, but just one Instagram. One is a panorama and while its possible to post a panorama on Instagram, Facebook handles them much better. That’s Home Depot and nearby restaurants on the hill with Mount Susitna, better known as Sleeping Lady on the horizon.