The Alaska Railroad (AAR reporting marks ARR) is a Class II railroad that extends from Seward, in the south of the state of Alaska, in the United States, to Fairbanks, in the interior of that state. It carries both freight and passengers between those two cities and to many destinations between them, including Denali National Park. The railroad has a mainline over 470 miles (750 km) long and is well over 500 miles including branch lines and sidings.. It is currently owned by the State of Alaska. The railroad is connected to the lower 48 via three rail barges that sail between the Port of Whittier and Harbor Island in Seattle but does not currently have a fixed land connection with any other railroad lines on the North American network. In 2006, the company earned a profit of $10.4 million on revenues of $148.9 million, $132.7 million of which was operating revenue.^[1][2][3] Image File history File links Alaska_RR_logo. ... Reporting marks on two CP Rail covered hoppers passing Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, June 20, 2004. ... Official language(s) None[1] Spoken language(s) English 85. ... The dominant rail gauge in each country shown Rail gauge is the distance between the inner sides of the two parallel rails that make up a railway track. ... A foot (plural: feet or foot;[1] symbol or abbreviation: ft or, sometimes, ′ – a prime) is a unit of length, in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... An inch (plural: inches; symbol or abbreviation: in or, sometimes, ″ - a double prime) is the name of a unit of length in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... A millimetre (American spelling: millimeter, symbol mm) is an SI unit of length that is equal to one thousandth of a metre. ... As railways developed and expanded one of the key issues to be decided was that of the rail gauge (the distance between the two rails of the track) which should be used. ... Nickname: Motto: Big Wild Life Location in the state of Alaska Coordinates: , Borough Municipality of Anchorage Government  - Mayor Mark Begich (D) Area  - Municipality  1,961. ... Reporting marks on two CP Rail covered hoppers passing Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, June 20, 2004. ... A Class II railroad, as defined by the American Association of Railroads, is a railroad with an annual operating revenue between $10 million (1978 dollars) and $50 million (1978 dollars). ... The Seward boat harbor Seward is a city in Kenai Peninsula Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. ... Official language(s) None[1] Spoken language(s) English 85. ... For other uses, see Fairbanks (disambiguation). ... Denali National Park and Preserve is located in Interior Alaska and contains Mt. ... This is the top-level page of WikiProject trains Rail tracks Rail transport refers to the land transport of passengers and goods along railways or railroads. ... Harbor Island is a man-made island in the mouth of Seattle, Washingtons Duwamish Waterway where it empties into Elliot Bay. ... City nickname Emerald City City bird Great Blue Heron City flower Dahlia City mottos The City of Flowers The City of Goodwill City song Seattle, the Peerless City Mayor Greg Nickels County King County Area   - Total   - Land   - Water   - % water 369. ... North America North America is a continent[1] in the Earths northern hemisphere and (chiefly) western hemisphere. ...

History

In 1902 a company called the Alaska Central Railroad began to build a rail line beginning at Seward, near the southern tip of the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska, northward. The company built 51 miles (82 km) of track by 1909 and went into receivership. This route carried passengers, freight and mail to the upper Turnagain Arm. From there, goods were taken by boat at high tide, and by dog team or pack train to Eklutna and the Matanuska-Susitna Valley. In 1909, another company, the Alaska Northern Railroad Company, bought the rail line and extended it another 21 miles (34 km) northward. From the new end, goods were floated down the Turnagain Arm in small boats. The Alaska Northern Railroad went into receivership in 1914. Year 1902 (MCMII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday [1] of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... The Seward boat harbor Seward is a city in Kenai Peninsula Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. ... The Kenai Peninsula in Alaska The Kenai Peninsula is a large peninsula jutting from the southern coast of Alaska in the United States. ... Year 1909 (MCMIX) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Cook Inlet, showing Knik and Turnagain Arms The Cook Inlet or Nuti Inlet is a large inlet of the Gulf of Alaska in south-central Alaska. ... Eklutna is located at the head of the Knik Arm of Cook Inlet, at the mouth of the Eklutna River, 25 miles (40 km) northeast of Anchorage, Alaska. ... Matanuska-Susitna Valley shown shaded in red north of Anchorage Matanuska-Susitna Valley (known locally as the Mat-Su Valley) is an area in south central Alaska south of the Alaska Range north and northeast of Anchorage. ... Year 1914 (MCMXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ...

About this time, the United States Government was planning a railroad route from Seward to the interior town of Fairbanks. In 1914, the government bought the Alaska Northern Railroad and moved its headquarters to "Ship Creek," later called Anchorage. The government began to extend the rail line northward. Nickname: Motto: Big Wild Life Location in the state of Alaska Coordinates: , Borough Municipality of Anchorage Government  - Mayor Mark Begich (D) Area  - Municipality  1,961. ...

An Alaska Railroad engine crossing the Tanana River on the ice at Nenana just prior to completion of the railroad in 1923.

In 1917, the Tanana Valley Railroad in Fairbanks was heading into bankruptcy. It owned a small 45-mile (72 km) narrow-gauge line that serviced the towns of Fairbanks and the mining communities in the area as well as the boat docks on the Tanana River near Fairbanks. The government bought the Tanana Valley Railroad, principally for its terminal facilities. The government extended the south portion of the track to Nenana and converted the existing line to standard gauge. Image File history File links Alaska_Railroad_engine_crossing_the_Tanana_River_on_the_ice_at_Nenana_just_prior_to_completion_of_the_railroad. ... Image File history File links Alaska_Railroad_engine_crossing_the_Tanana_River_on_the_ice_at_Nenana_just_prior_to_completion_of_the_railroad. ... Fairbanks Tanana River The Tanana River (TA-nuh-naw) is a tributary of the Yukon River in Alaska in the United States. ... Nenana is a city located in the Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska. ... Year 1923 (MCMXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1917 (MCMXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar (see: 1917 Julian calendar). ... The Tanana Valley Railroad was a narrow-gauge railroad that operated in the Tanana Valley of Alaska from 1905 to about 1917, when it was purchased by the government and began to be converted to standard gauge. ... Fairbanks Tanana River The Tanana River (TA-nuh-naw) is a tributary of the Yukon River in Alaska in the United States. ...

In 1923 they built a 700-foot (276 m) bridge across the Tanana River at Nenana. This was the final link in the Alaska Railroad and at the time, was the second longest single-span steel railroad bridge in the country. U. S. President Warren G. Harding drove the golden spike that completed the railroad on July 15, 1923 on the north side of the bridge. Year 1923 (MCMXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Warren Gamaliel Harding (November 2, 1865 – August 2, 1923) was an American politician and the twenty-ninth President of the United States, from 1921 to 1923, when he became the sixth president to die in office. ... is the 196th day of the year (197th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1923 (MCMXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The railroad was greatly impacted by the Good Friday Earthquake which struck southern Alaska in 1964. The yard and trackage around Seward buckled and the trackage along Turnagain Arm was damaged by floodwaters and landslides. It took several months to restore full service along the line. Earthquake Damage, Anchorage The Good Friday Earthquake (also called the Great Alaska Earthquake) of Friday, March 27, 1964 (Good Friday, a Christian holy day associated with an earthquake[1]), 5:36 P.M. AST (03:36 3/27 UTC) had a magnitude of 9. ...

In 1985, the State of Alaska bought the railroad from the U. S. government. This article is about the year. ...

Proposed Expansion

Currently, there is a proposal to extend the railroad from Fairbanks to Delta Junction to handle the agricultural and construction activity in that region. Also, the United States government during the Clinton administration formed an international commission to investigate the building of a rail link through the Yukon to connect British Columbia and Alaska railroads; Canada was asked to be part of the commission, but the Chrétien (1993-2004) and Martin (2004-2006) governments did not choose to join the commission and commit funds for the study; the Harper government has not yet acted; the Yukon government is interested. A June 2006 report by the commission has recommended Carmacks, Yukon as a hub with lines to Fairbanks (or Alaska Railroad's northern end-of-track), Terrace, British Columbia and either Haines or Skagway, Alaska (the latter by way of the vicinity of Whitehorse, Yukon, which are both served by the narrow-gauge White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad). Delta Junction is a city located in Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, Alaska, USA. As of the 2000 census, the population of the city is 840. ... William Jefferson Bill Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III[1] on August 19, 1946) was the 42nd President of the United States, serving from 1993 to 2001. ... Joseph Jacques Jean Chrétien, usually known as Jean Chrétien, PC, QC, BA, BCL, LLD (h. ... Paul Edgar Philippe Martin, PC, MP, BA, LLB, LLD (h. ... Stephen Joseph Harper (born April 30, 1959) is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party of Canada. ... Carmacks is a village in the Yukon on the Yukon River along the Klondike Highway. ... Mayor Jack Talstra Councillors Lynne Christiansen Marylin Davies Brian Downie Carol Leclerc Rich McDaniel Brad Pollard Land area 42. ... Haines is a city located in Haines Borough, Alaska, United States. ... Broadway Avenue, Skagway, May 2007. ... Whitehorse (IPA: /ʍaɪt. ... Comparison of standard gauge (blue) and one common narrow gauge (red) width. ... The White Pass and Yukon Route (WP&Y, WP&YR) (AAR reporting marks WPY) is a narrow gauge railroad linking the port of Skagway, Alaska with Whitehorse, the capital of Canadas Yukon Territory. ...

A map of the Alaska Railroad during the 1930s.

Image File history File links Download high resolution version (300x614, 50 KB)Image obtained via http://memory. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (300x614, 50 KB)Image obtained via http://memory. ... The 1930s (years from 1930–1939) were described as an abrupt shift to more radical and conservative lifestyles, as countries were struggling to find a solution to the Great Depression, also known as the World Depression. ...

Routes and Tourism

The railroad is a major tourist attraction in the summer. The Alaska railroad coach cars feature single-level seating throughout the train, with dome cars which are available for any passenger to enjoy. The wide windows on the cars and domes provide a great view to enjoy the Alaskan scenery. The Alaska Railroad began featuring GoldStar Service in 2005 which provides plush, luxury seating and dining for passengers willing to pay a moderate price. Private cars owned by the major cruise companies are towed behind the Alaska Railroad's own cars, and trips are included with various cruise packages.

• The Denali Star runs from Anchorage to Fairbanks (12 hours one-way) and back with stops in Talkeetna and Denali National Park, from which various flight and bus tours are available. Although the trip is only about 356 miles, it takes 12 hours to travel from Anchorage to Fairbanks as the tracks wind through mountains and valleys; the train's top speed is 59 miles per hour but sometimes hovers closer to 30 miles per hour.
• The Coastal Classic winds its way south from Anchorage along Turnagain Arm before turning south to the Kenai Peninsula, eventually reaching Seward. This 114 mile journey takes around four and a half hours due to some slow trackage as the line winds its way over the mountains through switchbacks.
• The Glacier Discovery provides a short (2 hour) journey south from Anchorage to Whittier for a brief stop before reversing direction for a stop at Grandview before returning to Anchorage in the evening.
• The Hurricane Turn provides rail service to people living between Talkeetna and the Hurricane area. This area has no roads, and the railroad provides the lifeline for residents who depend on the service to obtain food and supplies. One of the last flag-stop railway routes in the United States, passengers can board the Hurricane Turn anywhere along the route by waving a large white flag or cloth.
• The AuRoRa is available in winter months (sept. 15- May. 15) on a reduced weekend schedule between Anchorage and Fairbanks.

Whittier is a small city located in the Valdez-Cordova Census Area of Alaska. ... Talkeetna is a census-designated place (CDP) in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska, United States. ...

References

1. ^ http://www.akrr.com/arrc190.html
2. ^ http://www.akrr.com/pdf/PR_2335%202007%20ARRC%20Media%20Release_%202006%20Annual%20Report1.pdf
3. ^ http://www.progressiverailroading.com/10eastnews/default.asp?id=10465

External links

A train pulls into the Denali Station in July, 1998.

• Alaska Railroad official website
• A current route map for the ARR
• John's Alaska Railroad Web Page unofficial website

Photo of Alaska Railroad at Denali station, taken July 1998 by User:Stan Shebs File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Photo of Alaska Railroad at Denali station, taken July 1998 by User:Stan Shebs File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Denali redirects here. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ...