The Sterling Alaska Railroad John E Manley page

EMD serial # 30055 has had an interesting life. It was acquired new by the Alaska RR in 1965 and started out as Alaska Railroad locomotive 2503, the third GP35 on the railroad. On December 1, 1976 it was involved in a wreck that put it into the Susitna river near Talkeetna after the train it was in hit a mudslide covering the tracks. It was severely damaged. To the ARR's credit 2503 was taken to Anchorage and scheduled to be rebuilt at the railroads own shops.

I was able to see it in its final building stages and took some photos of it before , during and just after it was painted. It was quite the project for the railroad and they were very proud of it.

It emerged in the Spring of 1980 as a completely new and upgraded locomotive rebuilt to GP40-2 specs. It was at this time renumbered to 3051 and also acquired a name, being christened as the "John E. Manley" after the general manager that authorized its purchase originally in 1965. It went into service sporting the new blue and yellow ALASKA paint scheme. Most of that summer it spent a lot of time on the Whittier Shuttle in the publics view.

Unfortunately it suffered another accident at the Klatt road crossing at the end of July that same summer in 1980. A truck pulling a backhoe on a trailer tried to beat it to the crossing and they both lost.

3051 sat at the Anchorage shops for quite awhile before it was again brought in and rebuilt by the ARR. When it emerged again it still had the blue and yellow paint but the lettering for the "John E Manley" and the cab number was a different style and it now sported a new dash 2 cab with a one piece engineers windshield.

Never being the most lucky locomotive it was rebuilt again (several times I believe) and during the 1992 rebuild was renumbered to 3021. It only lasted to 1995 and was then retired.

However it ends up being one of the more lucky retired locomotives, as instead of being scrapped it was sold to a Fairbanks couple who have kept its ALASKA paint scheme and have used it to showcase their Bed and Breakfast, as the Aurora Express.

 

 Builders plate for 2503 - 3051 - 3021
 March 11, 1973 - 2503 three years before the wreck into the Susitna river
 January 11, 1979 - rebuilt from the frame up, sitting behind the Anchorage carshop in red primer paint
 September 11, 1979 - inside the carshop. The body work seems to be done and all the finish work is being done from the looks of all the open panels.
 February 9, 1980 - Inside the carshop paint space with a coat of yellow applied, but no blue yet.
 February 9, 1980 - Inside the carshop paint space with a coat of yellow applied, but no blue yet.
 March 22, 1980 - Stored inside the Anchorage engine house after painting waiting for the big day
 March 22, 1980 - Stored inside the Anchorage engine house after painting waiting for the big day
 March 22, 1980 - Stored inside the Anchorage engine house after painting waiting for the big day
 newspaper article on the John E Manley that was in the Anchorage Times on April 24, 1980
 May 3, 1980 - at the Anchorage passenger station on the Whittier shuttle
 May 3, 1980 - at the Anchorage passenger station on the Whittier shuttle. I sent this photo to X2200 South and it was published on one of the inside covers in mid to late 1980. Sure looks good fresh & clean in the sun!
 May 17, 1980 - Extra 3015 "The Gold Rush Special" to Talkeetna, 3051 as trailing unit. Notice the size difference between the GP40(3015) and the upgraded GP-35(3051)
 May 17, 1980 - Extra 3015 "The Gold Rush Special" to Talkeetna, 3051 as trailing unit
 June 6, 1980 - 3051 with GP7u 1809 arriving Anchorage with a northbound freight. The Whittier shuttle waits for them to pass
 June 6, 1980 - 3051 with GP7u 1809 arriving anchorage with a northbound freight.
 June 6, 1980 - 3051 with GP7u 1809 arriving anchorage with a northbound freight.
 June 6, 1980 - Having dropped off the train 3051 and 1809 arrive at the refueling track at the Anchorage engine house.
 June 6, 1980 - at the refueling track beside the Anchorage engine house.
 June 6, 1980 - a side view of the locomotive on the fuel track beside the Anchorage engine house.
 June 6, 1980 - 3051 getting fuel at the Anchorage engine house.
 June 6, 1980 - now 1809 gets fuel.
 July 20, 1980 - arriving at the Anchorage passenger station to take the Whittier shuttle for another run.
 July, 20, 1980 - leaving the Anchorage passenger station with the Whittier Shuttle.
 August 4, 1980 - The "good" side. One interesting note, notice the patch to the fuel tank from previous wreck I presume.
 August 4, 1980 - The "bad" side
 August 4, 1980 - notice how the cab is distorted and bent along with the front pilot and plow area.
 August 4, 1980 - close-up showing damage to the batteries and electrical areas
 August 4, 1980 - close-up showing the plow/pilot area. Notice that you can still see the tire imprint marks from the accident
 August 4, 1980 - rear handrail torn loose and pretzeled.
 August 4, 1980 - this is the damage on the "good" side, the rear pilot is bent out from the derailment.
 October 11, 1980 - Sitting in front of the carshop on the storage track. The damaged handrail has been cut away on the rear and headlights have been removed.
 June 1982 - behind the Anchorage engine house back in service after being repaired over the winter. Notice that it now has a -2 cab with the one piece engineers windshield.
 Paint scheme diagram for 3051 part 1
 Paint scheme diagram for 3051 part 2
 Paint scheme diagram for 3051 part 3