Chatanika
Dome
Saulich Cache
Standard Dunbar
Manley Nenana
Julius
Clear AFB Rex
Browne Ferry Usibelli Coal Moody
On a crisp and colorful fall day, the southbound Denali Star approaches Rex. Passenger trains on the Alaska Railroad have grown to keep pace with the new influx of tourists.
Cantwell
eight years to complete, and the total cost was closer to $60 million (roughly equal to $1.4 billion today). The total mainline length was 470 miles from Seward to Fairbanks. On July 15, 1923, President Warren Harding traveled to Alaska to drive the golden spike at Nenana. Profits were not immediately forth- coming for the Alaska Railroad; suffice to say population along the “rail belt” just wasn’t sufficient to support the new railroad, and maintaining the 470 miles of main line was a costly endeav- or. World War II provided a much need- ed revenue boost for the Alaska Rail- road, though, as military bases were constructed in Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Whittier, while the state’s popula- tion increased by a third. The sudden increase in traffic was not without problems, though, as it created a seri- ous backlog in Seward. Another year- ’round port was necessary, so in 1941 the Army began construction of the 12- mile branch to Whittier to help allevi- ate the congestion. The branch was completed in 1943 and the Army used it extensively during the war.
Postwar Years
The war years, while profitable, were hard on the road’s infrastructure and Congress approved a $100 million up- grade to the railroad. The program was necessary as the railroad was facing another dilemma in the form of in- creased competition from an improved highway system. In an effort to better compete, the railroad began operating the Aurora streamlined passenger train in 1947. This train significantly improved passenger service between Alaska’s two largest cities, Fairbanks and Anchorage. At the same time the railroad began to cut costs by convert-
NENANA FAIRBANKS HEALY Spencer Grandview PALMER ANCHORAGE WHITTIER SEWARD
Crown Point Johnson
Hunter
Moose Pass Lakeview
Divide Woodrow SEWARD WHITTIER Tunnel
ing from steam to diesel power. The last steam engine dropped its fires in the summer of 1962.
As business and finances continued to improve along the rail belt, disaster struck with the 1964 Good Friday Earthquake, the strongest earthquake ever recorded in North American histo- ry, which caused more than $30 million in damages to the railroad. It was more than a month before the railroad was able to resume operations and about two years to fully complete repairs caused by the earthquake. The railroad survived with help from the govern- ment, and in April 1967 ownership was transferred to the newly formed De- partment of Transportation. Through the 1970s the railroad was heavily utilized during the construc-
Summit Broad Pass
Colorado Honolulu
Hurricane Bridge Canyon Gold Creek Sherman
Curry Lane
Chase Talkeetna Sunshine Montana
Caswell Kashwinta
Willow Chickaloon
Hurricane Chulitna
Healy
DENALI PARK Oliver
Windy Carlo
Clear
Happy FAI Eielson AFB
The Last Frontier
Illustration by Otto M. Vondrak. Not all stations shown. Not an official map. ©2013 Carstens Publications, Inc.
0 10 20 MILES 30 40
Palmer Matanuska
Birchwood Eklutra
Elmendorf AFB
Port of Anchorage ANC
Eagle River Ft. Richardson
ANCHORAGE
Campbell Turnagain
Prince Rupert, BC and Seattle, WA
Car Ferry to
FAIRBANKS Ft. Wainwright
North Pole Bluff
Houston Pittman Wasilla
Indian Bird
Girdwood Kern
PORTAGE
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K
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