Alaska Rail

 

Our train conductor on our first ride from Anchorage to Seward was the best conductor. He was jolly and personable and I could tell he loved his job. He said his Dad worked for Alaska rail so he grew up playing on trains. He even said "All Aboard!" He reminded me of Ringo Star on Thomas the Tank Engine. He asked me for my ticket. I hauled it out of my back pocket, all crinkled and rumpled. This conductor didn't mind. He used an old fashioned hole cutter and cut the stars so my ticket looks like the state of Alaska flag. I kept that ticket because I thought it was cool he took the time to do that for every passenger. None of the other three conductors did that for us.

We were always assigned to car D. Cars E and F were behind us. At first I stayed in my seat. I heard all the hospitals in Alaska were full and I didn't want to risk an injury. I know someone who fell down the steps of the train in Alaska and ended up in a coma for a week in Anchorage. By the second ride on the train I conquered that fear. I used the dining car. We spent most of our time in car F because we could go upstairs and see the view from the car with all windows. I guess we weren't supposed to stay there all the time so other guests can rotate in and out but car F was never completely full. Each rail car is old. Our first ride was in a car from the 1950's. My seat reclined completely and I could hardly reach the foot pedals on the seat in front of me. Using my winter coat as a pillow I even snoozed a little bit after the boat cruise. The rail cars from the 1960's were also comfortable but had considerably less leg room. The engineers on the train would spot wildlife and an Alaska rail employee would say, "Look for two moose on the right just behind those trees. Oh, now they are running into the trees. Too late, they are gone." Car F didn't get to see as many moose as the cars ahead. From the train we saw moose, beluga whales, bald eagles, golden eagles, trumpeter swans, mallards, and robins. We saw glaciers and coal mines. The train went through small towns and the view from the train is very different than the view from the highway. The train made both whistle stops and flag stops. People would stand at a flag stop and the conductor would stop and pick them up. Backpackers wanted to get off so the train would stop and let them walk into the wilderness. Three out of four train rides were late in arriving. The train went very slow when we were going around curves or next to rock cliffs. Once I could see the front AND the end of the train in the same view. The voice on the speaker would say, "Once we get through this tunnel, turn around in your seat and take a picture right away because this river blah blah blah." The voice told us how to tell the difference between black spruce, white spruce and tamarack trees. Once, in the F car a conductor came by to chat. He told us the entire town of Ferry, Alaska, moons the train on the 4th of July. Wow! The state of Alaska contacted the police department in the town of Ferry about the mooning behavior and the police said he could talk to them but it would only make things worse. I have not downloaded the pictures and movies from my camera yet but I might have a movie to blog about if I can remember how to do that.