The Sterling Alaska Railroad Action-Passenger Trains page

A Day on the Whittier Shuttle

Summer 1981

	Here we are leaving Whittier at the head of Passage Canal
	Leaving Whittier, looking at the east portal of the Whittier tunnel heading westbound
	On the flats close to Portage looking at the train behind us
	The flat cars and coaches behind the locomotive
	Our power for the day 1802. Posing on the front is Gary Munsey
	Switching the shuttle around at Portage here we are waiting for all the vehicles to drive off the flatcars
	A view from inside 1802 looking south with the Seward Highway beside the tracks. Note all the dead trees, this is from the ground level in this area dropping as a result of the 1964 earthquake and the water table rising and killing the trees along with salt water from extreme tides
	Heading east from Portage at the Portage yard
	Leaving the Portage yard limit
	Looking back at the shuttle behind us, the locomotive has switched ends of the train from before
	The portal for the first tunnel heading east from Portage
	Inside the west or Portage tunnel which is 4900 feet long
	In Bear Valley, the area between the two tunnels, looking at the west entrance to the Whittier tunnel
	The west tunnel portal to the Whittier tunnel
	Inside the Whittier tunnel. This tunnel is 2.5 miles long. For the tunnels current website Click Here
	Arriving at Whittier with a crowd gathered to get on the shuttle for the trip back to Portage and out of the rain
	1802 uncoupling and going to the other end for another trip back through the tunnel.
	The bridge over Whittier creek
	Another view of the shuttle on the Whittier creek bridge
	Back in Portage this view is from one of the passenger cars as 1802, with caboose 1776, changes ends yet again for another trip back to Whittier
	The vehicle loading platform at Portage for driving onto the flatcars. Note the double spaced track used to get the flatcars close to the loading platform so there is only a small gap for vehicles to drive across