On the morning on September 25, 2014 a 6.2 magnitude earthquake struck the Anchorage area. As a result all trains were stopped until the track, bridges etc. could be inspected. This resulted in the AS&G Gravel being tied down on the Palmer Branch at Matanuska Junction. As I was reading the paper later that day which happened to mention that the night of 9.25 would be good night for the Aurora Borealis as the weather was clear and the Aurora had been active. This gave me an idea, the crew would be coming on duty at 4 AM to bring this train to town, perhaps if I was fortunate the Aurora would be out and I could knock an item off my bucket list. So at 3 AM I made the 30 minute drive from my house to Matanuska Junction where 4001, appropriately named Spirit of Alaska, waited for a photograph. I think the early morning and the trip was worth it.
A continuously growing album of photos that IMHO reveal the awesome and seldom-seen beauty of the railroad world from the dimming of day to dawn's early light! From dusk to dawn, trains roll on! (I'm still finding gems of sunset-to-sunrise surprises!)
Not
just heritage schemes, not just commemorative schemes - this album is devoted to some of the world's most interesting paint schemes, past or present.
