Hot Rocks Just a simple little photo from the way back machine some 14 years ago. The Alaska Railroad's southbound morning AS&G gravel train (155W) was on duty at 0400 and has made a turn up to Matanuska Junction and the loadout a few miles up the Palmer Branch. Now the two SD7OMACs are hustling the 80 loaded 100 ton steel hoppers back toward their destination at the unloading trestle in south Anchorage where they will dump them and then get the empty train back to the yard to start the 12 hour cycle anew at 1600. These trains and hoppers are a marvel of efficiency in the summer with a car utilization rate enough to make any Class 1 fleet manager faint! Here they are reaching the defacto north end of double track at CP 1213 though technically this is still a single main and the track at left is the 4 1/2 mile long Elmendorf Siding extending all the way to CP 1170 at the north throat of Anchorage Yard. US Army Fort Richardson |
