The Sterling Alaska Railroad - Ski Train page

 Ski Train March 15, 1980

	At the Anchorage station early AM loading all the skiers and their gear
	Head on shot of 3015 on the point. The headlight really blinds the camera.
	3015 waiting ready to take off with the Grandview Ski Train
	Two steam power cars are used to keep everyone warm P4 & P5
	Baggage car 6321 full of skis and lunch coolers
	The Grandview Ski Train alongside the Seward Highway beside Turnagain Arm just south of Anchorage near Beluga point
	Next photo from the above -2
	Next photo from the above -3 Notice that the engineer turned off the headlight as he went by!
	Next photo from the above -4
	Next photo from the above -5
	Next photo from the above -6 Headlight is back on, he must of thought it would blind the cameras!
	Next photo from the above -7 shows a lot of steam escaping from the powercars
	Next photo from the above -8
	Next photo from the above -9.  notice the the highway is not paved, this is when they were widening and straightening it out. During construction there were times they put planks over the tracks and you drove on the tracks around the construction!
	Next photo from the above -10. This is the "Polka Car" The interior was painted white with different colored circles about 1 foot in diameter, it also had a platform at one end for a band. This car could really get rocking side to side on the trip back when the band was going and  everyone was having a good time!
	Next photo from the above -11
	Next photo from the above -12. All the Ski trains Used a caboose for the train crew to stay in while the Ski train was parked at Grandview for the day.
	Somewhere along Turnagain arm before Girdwood. I took this out the window of Gary Munsey's truck as we were trying to pass it.
	Alongside 3015 on the Grandview Ski Train at speed in the snow hanging out the window of Gary's truck. Actually turned out pretty good, notice the paint flaking off the sunvisor.
	Crossing Bird Creek
	Crossing Bird Creek
	Crossing Bird Creek
	Crossing Bird Creek
	Making the turn away from the highway after crossing Bird Creek heading south.
	Heading south from Bird Creek.
	Here you can count the train, 3 locomotives, 2 powercars, 14 passenger cars, 1 baggage car, 1 polka car and a caboose

The 1981 Ski Train

	Extra 3005 the 1981 Nordic Ski Clubs Grandview Ski Train sits at the Anchorage passenger station waiting for all the skiers to board while the sun starts to think about peeking over the Chugach mountains
	Early morning silhouette of the lead locomotives
	Heading along Turnagain Arm that is me in the vestibule on the right with a camera in my hands.   Photo by Gary Munsey
	Heading south along Turnagain Arm trying to yell something to friends chasing the train. I'm on the right and that is my younger brother Jim on the left.   Photo by Gary Munsey
	South of Girdwood now and the sun is out in force this year.
	Between Girdwood and Portage
	Between Girdwood and Portage
	Between Girdwood and Portage
	Crossing twenty mile river just before Portage
	At Portage passing a snow fleet train on the Whittier wye. A Jordan spreader a GP8, FP7 and Caboose 1076. Caboose 1076 would years later find a Home in Whittier after being retired as the Home of the Whittier Coast Guard Auxiliary.
	Heading uphill from the Placer River valley
	Starting into the first turn on Spencer hill
	The next turn is tighter and into the shadow of the mountain, the locomotives are working hard now on the grade
	Looking back at the turn, this view gives you an idea how steep the grade is, notice the snow slide the caboose just cleared
	Again looking back at curve
	Out of the gorge and past all the tunnels now The Ski Train is approaching the old "loop" district which is now a large sharp horseshoe curve
	What a beautiful day! This is the sharp uphill curve in front of the face of Bartlett Glacier, which is behind the locomotives.
	More into the curve now. When the railroad was first built this area was too close or covered by the glacier. It has since receded and the double loop with tunnels and trestles and bridges was replaced with this upfront view of the glacier.
	Looking back down the train in the middle of the curve. The snow is looking deep and freshly cleared by that Jordan spreader that was passed earlier.
	Another view looking back down the valley from the middle of the curve
	That's some deep snow! and this view shows how close the tracks are to the glacier
	The Ski Train is stopped now on  the Grandview siding and everyone is getting off for a day of skiing in perfect weather with fresh snow.
	Gp40-2  3004 and crew taking a breather as the hoards of skiers claim their gear from the baggage car and start heading out for an afternoon of skiing.
	Another view of the train and all the skiers at Grandview Alaska.
	Most of the skiers have taken off now and we get a view of Locomotives 3004, 3005 and 3008 and the Ski Train in the Bright winter sun. Some stragglers are still claiming their skis and gear from the baggage car.
	The lead locomotive on the trip uphill to Grandview #3004
	The train sitting at Grandview Alaska
	Close up of the train with the Grandview sign out of focus
	Close up of the train with the Grandview sign more in focus, which do you prefer?
	A wider angle view of the area showing more of the grand view
	Back down the train farther even more of the whole scene can be taken in. This is about midway on the train
	This is about midway on the train, the Polka Car is on the curve.
	The locomotives have now switched places with the caboose, what was once the rear of the train is now the front! If you saved your seats and were facing forward in the morning you are now riding backwards!
	Locomotive 3008 is now the lead unit for the trip back to Anchorage.
	A good rear-quarter view of 3008 at Grandview
	3008 waiting for everyone to get back on board. About an hour or so before departure they blow the horn as a warning to return, then again several times as it gets closer to go.
	This is a photo of my Brother in law Rick Moore and my younger brother Jim (sitting) waiting in the baggage car
	The power cars are now at the rear of the train. Here P-4 lets go of some extra steam
	Slowly but surely everyone comes back and loads their skis and gear back into the baggage car
	Caboose 1082 bringing up the rear
	A close up of the Grandview sign
	Another view of the Grandview sign with more of the train in view, which do you like, this one or the above one....
	At the front with the shadows deepening from the sun going down. If I remember correctly the group of stainless steel cars that were on the train were brand new to the ARR.
	At the front locomotives and crew were waiting for everyone to get back aboard
	3008 at Grandview Alaska
	Looking to the north, downhill, back towards Portage & Anchorage
	A view of the telephone or some such wires...were they still in use?
	Under way heading back to Anchorage just to the north of Grandview
	The Big Curve. This view gives you an idea of how much of a grade it is and how sharp the radius
	The locomotives passing in front of Bartlett Glacier
	The locomotives passing in front of Bartlett Glacier
	The locomotives passing in front of Bartlett Glacier
	The locomotives passing in front of Bartlett Glacier
	A close up of the locomotive across from the rear of the train on the big curve
	A close up of someone waving from one of the car vestibules, can't tell but it might be my brother!
	Now off the big curve the turn is reversed to head zig-zagging down the valley. Just above and to the left you can see the top of the big curve
	Along the side of the valley heading downhill
	Looks like a bit of a snowslide was cleared
	As the valley tightens into a gorge on the way down the snow depth is noticeably less, there is a lot more brush and willows showing thru the snow
	This is the section house Tunnel
	Heading into one of the many tunnels in the gorge area near Tunnel
	Ice falls in the canyon
	Between two of the tunnels looking at the Placer river valley below
	The last big downhill stretch....the negative must of been reversed in the scanner as this is curving the wrong way!

The 1982 Ski Train

	Early morning finds us already at the Potter flats. Weather down Turnagain arm doesn't look too promising. Your eyes are not deceiving you. We have FOUR F units leading the Ski train this year!
	A better view of the locomotives approaching the Beluga point area. 1530 is leading with B unit 1505 then 1500 & 1502
	Between Beluga Point and Bird Creek. It is about high tide beside the tracks at this time otherwise you would see mostly mudflats with blocks of ice stranded until the next tide
	Near Bird Point. The sun looks like it might break through!
	Looking back at the rest of the train along Turnagain Arm with the Chugach mountains behind
	Bird Point
	The hill at the end of the Placer river valley near Spencer Glacier
	The engines are pulling hard on the grade judging from the exhaust
	Working hard on Spencer hill
	I think I can
	Looking back towards the caboose. Shows the many types of passenger cars being used around this time
	Spencer hill just before going into the tunnels and the river gorge
	Past Tunnel and nearing the old loop area
	This is an interesting photo. It is looking uphill towards the big horseshoe curve area which the top of the curve ends up on the top of the hill in the center of the photo. In the foreground you can see the bridge abutments from the big double loops that used to be in the railroad through this area
	Doing some zig-zags gaining elevation just before the big curve
	Still climbing
	and climbing
	and climbing
	at the bottom end of the horseshoe curve
	The horseshoe curve with Bartlett Glacier behind it
	This and the next  photos are all taken on the horseshoe curve in front of Bartlett Glacier. It gives you an idea how sharp the curve is and it's something like a 3% grade
	Quite a sight to see the F's pulling hard uphill in the snow
	The big snow covered mound behind the lead engine is the face of Bartlett glacier. In the summer you can see how blue glacier ice is as your right next to it!
	I think I can, I think I can!
	The higher we go the thinner the clouds and the sun is finally showing itself
	about the middle of the curve, the end of the train snakes back around downhill still
	The engines heading for the top of the hill
	Looking across the curve at the back half of the ski train
	let there be sunshine!
	Another neat view from the top of the curve. We just climbed all the way up that valley from sea level and look how the track is below us at the bottom of the curve
	Off the steep part and heading toward Grandview now
	a nice shot of the locomotives and the two power cars
	almost to Grandview and the top of the grade