The summer-daily Denali Star is 18 miles into it's nearly 400 mile journey to Fairbanks as it crosses Beach Lake Road on the southern side of the town of Birchwood

On it's first run of the season, ARR's Glacier Discovery train trundles south on the siding track at CP 1095 awaiting a meet with the northbound Denali Explorer

The gravel season in Anchorage usually starts by the 1st of May, but due to late snowfall the season didn't kick off in 2023 until halfway through the month. But on May 15th, coincidentally th... (more)

Northbound passenger extra is meeting the special "Mapco Express" oil train. Photo by Jim Satterwhite, from my collection.

"You gotta go to Alaska for a few days". "Oh, darn, alright but you own me." (Never let the good deal monitor know you might enjoy any trip, or you'll never go again. Anyway,... (more)

A special oil train with dignitaries, dubbed the "Mapco Express" pauses at Healy. Photo by Jim Satterwhite, from my collection.

The Alaska Railroad was where the interest in trains started for me. A return trip in 2014, my first time back to Alaska in 27 years, found some of the old engines were still around. 3005 used to... (more)

The southbound Denali Star arrives at Denali National Park.

Just cant beat the spectacular scenery of the Turnagain Arm on a beautiful sunny morning. ARR 4327 leads the Coastal Classic alongside the Seward Highway on its trip down to Seward Alaska.

Its around 10 PM and the Denali Star train shoves back into the yard after arriving in from Fairbanks Alaska.

Its a smokey afternoon in Anchorage due to out of control wildfires in Alaska but that does not affect this empty rock train taking a rest in the siding.

ARR 4006 "The Spirit of Anchorage" is the DPU on an empty northbound rock train tied up in the siding.

Another passenger train heads south passing an empty rock train in the siding at the Klatt Road grade crossing in Anchorage Alaska.

ARR 2003 sits while the crew swaps to the other locomotive as the switching work continues outside of the refinery in North Pole Alaska.

A local rolls through the Christmas theme village of North Pole Alaska on its way south to work the refinery in town and a power plant at the Eielson Air Force Base further down the branch. Wildfi... (more)