Alaska Railroad (ARR) 3010 - EMD GP40-2

ARR 3005

ARR 3010

ARR 3010 heads toward Whittier in the early afternoon

ARR 3010 heads toward Whittier in the early afternoon

ARR 3010 heads toward Whittier in the early afternoon

ARR 3010 heads toward Whittier in the early afternoon

ARR 3010 loads the Whittier Shuttle in the early afternoon

ARR 3010 loads the Whittier Shuttle in the early afternoon

ARR 3010 loads the Whittier Shuttle in the early afternoon

ARR 3006 heads south in the early morning

ARR 3020

Anchorage shops seen from the C Street overpass in the afternoon

Anchorage shops seen from the C Street overpass in the afternoon

An Alaska Railroad relay crew turns and forwards the "State Fair Train" from Anchorage Yard to the Anchorage Depot. In just a short time the train will make its first of%three days worth of trips to the state fairgrounds at Palmer. The conductor of a another job working the Port of Alaska waves to the crew as they roll over the switches he lined up for them.

The real star from the 1985 action movie "Runaway Train" had an easy assignment during the week of my trip to Alaska of shuttling passengers to and from downtown Anchorage to the State Fairgrounds in Palmer. Shortly after arriving from a northbound deadhead run the crew pripares the train to turn back south for its last trip of the night.

Not too far behind the heals of the Southbound "Denali Star," the second-to-last Anchorage-bound State Fair Train of the evening makes its appearance along the Glenn Highway on the outskirts of Chugiak, AK.

A mid-day fair train has just arrived at the Palmer fairgrounds with a fresh batch of passengers from Anchorage.

ARR 3010, running long end first, stops for passenger loading on a sunny afternoon

ARR 2801 leads the passenger train north on a cloudy afternoon

ARR 3010 & ARR 2801 lead a northbound train in reverse (southbound), as apparently the train didn't get turned at FBX the night before

ARR 3010 & ARR 2801 lead a northbound train in reverse (southbound), as apparently the train didn't get turned at FBX the night before

ARR 3008, as part of a trio of road units, during a layover

ARR 3010 holds the siding as the northbound Hurricane Turn passes

ARR 3010, note the newly modified 'B' end

ARR 3010, note the newly modified 'B' end

ARR 3010 is home for repairs

ARR 3010 has disbursed its passengers and now is heading across C Street to tie up for the night.

ARR 3010 heads back to town on a beautiful evening.

ARR 3010 leads the Whittier Shuttle around the southern tip of Bird Point

ARR 3010 hauls a mid afternoon move toward Whittier on an early spring day

ARR 3010 at the grade crossing

ARR 3010, south crossing 20 Mile River bridge

ARR 3010, with the Coastal Classic, arriving at the modest station stop

ARR 3010, with the southbound Coastal Classic, early in the morning along Potter Marsh. Mt. Susitna is visible at the end of the train

ARR 3010, and the northbound Coastal Classic northbound late in the evening

ARR 3010 leads the northbound Coastal Classic along the Seward Highway, north of Portage

010 brings up the rear as the daily Glacier Discovery works its way north over Placer Creek and into Portage Tunnel.

ARR 3010 arriving into Anchorage

ARR 3010 at Beluga Point, what a day!

ARR 3010 heading north

The daily Glacier Diqcovery runs north over Twenty Mile River and through the incredible scenery that exists south of Anchorage. Wanna see this scene in HD video? Here you go: http://www.ylutube.com/watch?v=4EB0M96ml5U

The Glacier Discovery pops out of the Portage Tunnel and into Bear Valley. This train is headed for Whittier.

The Glacier Discovery pops out of the Portage Tunnel on it's way north out of Whittier.

The Glacier Disocvery makes it into Whittier on a rare sunny day in the small Alaska port town. It's rare to catch a dome on the Discovery yet this one has two!

The Glacier Discovery pops out of the 5,050'-long Portage Tunnel as it runs north out of Whittier for Portage. If you think the water looks weird, it's not...that's what the water of a glacier-fed creek looks like!

The wind whisks the snow off the mountain tops as ARR 3010 pops out of the 5,050'-long Portage Tunnel in Bear Valley. If you've seen the movie 'Runaway Train', you've already seen this particular unit (it was the lead unit in the movie) as well as this tunnel and bridge!

A beautiful trio of matched GP40-2s leads a southbound freight train over the mostly-frozen Twentymile River on their way to Whittier.