Remarks: A line of police vehicles both marked and undercover wait adjacent the ARRC's team track just outside the yard office. They are observing the new Colorado Railcar built DMU pull in account US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is on board having just ridden to and from Spencer Glacier in the company of high ranking US Forest Service officials. They were wooing her for continued Federal Support of their "Whistle Stop" project which is opening up the spectacular but remote interior of the Chugach National Forest for tourism through the use of railroad access provided by this new car which was purchased in part with USFS funds.
Remarks: You never know what you might find in the woods of Alaska. Normally you're excited to stumble upon a bear or moose (at safe distance of course) but you rarely expect to find an F-unit! Nevertheless, while exploring a dirt road out to Bear Lake near Seward I was startled to find this rusting, truckless frame in the woods behind a residence/B&B. It turns out this unit is the former ARR 1514 purchased new by the ARR in 1953. According to sources on John Combs' wonderful ARR railfan page this unit is somewhat historic as it was the very last F7 unit built by EMD as order number 19066. To see a photo of her in happier times click HERE
Remarks: As the yard job slowly makes its way down the yard lead waiting to get authority to come out onto the Dixie controlled siding, a group of kids crosses the main. The kids had a few choice words for this photographer after passing by. Things that cannot be repeated here!!
Remarks: On my way to work this morning, the dispatcher calls to inform me I72 left a track indication between Attica and Marshfield. After obtaining Track Authority, I put my hyrail truck on the rail and found my first broken rail this autumn. This is not a typical broken rail; most are simple vertical breaks and once temporary bars are installed, trains are generally allowed to run over the break at 10 MPH until the rail is replaced. In this case,
however, the seven inch gap was deemed to be too great and the rail had to be replaced before train movements could resume. I didn't have many broken rails last winter, so I hope this isn't an omen of things to come...
