1st to Alaska?

[Conrail]

Who do you think will give Alaska train service first?

 

[battalion51]

Last time I checked Alaska RR already provides rail service within the state. Other than that, keep dreaming.

 

[jccollins]

http://www.alaskarailroad.com/arrc8.html

 

[sechs]

I was just talking to someone this afternoon about taking the boat/train combo in Alaska....

 

[MrFSS]

I was just talking to someone this afternoon about taking the boat/train combo in Alaska....

My wife and I did a near month long Alaska trip in "95 combining land (bus) rail and ship. The ship only trips don't really show you much of Alaska. It was one of the greatest trips of our lives. The train from Anchorage to Fraibanks is nice. Several of the shiplines have their own rail cars that hook onto the rear of ARR's train in summer months. Great trip. Here are some pictures I took back then.

Alaska RR Pictures

 

[Trogdor]

Are they still running those dome cars? Those photos look amazing.

I believe Alaska (or some company that operates in Alaska) bought some Colorado Rail Cars, which aren't actual "domes" per se, but are more like Superliner Sightseer Lounges with wrap-around windows, but no forward or backwards view.

 

[MrFSS]

I believe Alaska (or some company that operates in Alaska) bought some Colorado Rail Cars, which aren't actual "domes" per se, but are more like Superliner Sightseer Lounges with wrap-around windows, but no forward or backwards view.

I know Holland America and Princess were both getting some new cars and I think you are correct they are from Colorado Car. If I remember correctly they are very similar to the Rocky Mountaneer cars from Colorado Car Company (which I had the privledge of riding earlier this year).

Here is a picture of the front of one of those cars on the Mountaneer. There is glass in front, but all you can really see is the next car.

 

[sechs]

The cars owned by the cruise lines seem considerably more posh the ARR standard fair.

 

[Amtrak OBS Gone Freight]

Who do you think will give Alaska train service first?

Taking what I believe you mean if I read you correctly, I voted for VIA Rail. I know it is true that the Alaska RR provides "scenic service" already within the state. I am assuming you mean the first one to connect the state with the outside world by rail! Someone has obviously done it before as they have trackage and equipment there now, and it had to get there somehow via Canada. OBS...

 

[MrFSS]

Someone has obviously done it before as they have trackage and equipment there now, and it had to get there somehow via Canada.

All rail equipment, cars, etc, come to Alaska by barge from the lower 48. There are large barges that can hold many freight cars or several passenger cars at once and they are taken up the inside passage to a port where needed in Alaska, then.

 

[Guest_Amtrak OBS Employee]

Someone has obviously done it before as they have trackage and equipment there now, and it had to get there somehow via Canada.

All rail equipment, cars, etc, come to Alaska by barge from the lower 48. There are large barges that can hold many freight cars or several passenger cars at once and they are taken up the inside passage to a port where needed in Alaska, then.

Wow...... learn something new everyday! OBS... B)

 

[AlanB]

Someone has obviously done it before as they have trackage and equipment there now, and it had to get there somehow via Canada.

All rail equipment, cars, etc, come to Alaska by barge from the lower 48. There are large barges that can hold many freight cars or several passenger cars at once and they are taken up the inside passage to a port where needed in Alaska, then.

Wow...... learn something new everyday! OBS... B)

That's what makes life interesting and fun.

 

[MrFSS]

Here is a picture of one of those barges in Seattle getting loaded to go north.

 

[Yerry]

Unless there's some incredible traffic change that requires many cars moving betwixt Seattle and Anchorage, any continuous rail line won't happen. (It would be nice if it did, though). The BC-funded barge lines use the Seattle-Alaska traffic, revenue and profit to cover losses elsewhere in their network (just like rail service to Churchill and Moose Factory, it's a at-loss service), and the BC and CAN gov't both know that a direct rail line will result in a much higher subsidy payout. Job protection is an isue too. (Why they don't tell them that rail work is better,I don't know)

The closest anyone has gotten to a continuous line involved the BCRY's Dease Lake Extension, the fampus unfinished line to nowhere. the barge lines bitterly fought it, and even after many promises NOT to make it a through line, tehy still managed to make BCRY shorten it. Contractors that won grading or construction bids simply didn't show up, and the line was never completed to even the barge line's "demanded" short plan. Plus, a chunk of the northernmost line was abandoned some time later.

there was an article in TRAINS about this some years ago; the convoluted bov't happenings almost required a scorecard to keep track of things.

If you checked out the neat link to the barge pic (above), you may notice that almost all the cars were private. Most of the traffic flow is specialized materials for factories, and non-wood construction materials. Coal is moned in Alaska, pretty darned good stuff, too, but it's burned locally. I have no idea if the foodstuffs arrive in containers of boxcars; perhaps someone woth more frequent visits to Seattle can expound further.

 

[Conrail]

I'm not talking about ARR h34r: :angry:

 

[Guest_Amtrak OBS Employee]

I'm not talking about ARR h34r: :angry:

Well if you would, in the future, try to be a little more specific. Not all of us may comprehend your question the same way! I read your question the same way as it seemed to appear to bat51 and started to respond the same way he did! He just beat me to it! OBS...