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Alaska Scenic Railroad

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jonathanhal
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5 out of 5
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Editor Pick

To Mt. Mckinley by Rail

  • September 2, 2009
  • Rated 5 of 5 by stvchin from Tustin, California
To Mt. Mckinley by Rail

My cousin and I wanted to explore Denali and the Alaska Railroad (ARR) is the best way to go about doing it. We had planned to take the ARR from Anchorage to Talkeetna, which is closer to Mt. Mckinley than the Denali stop. We are taking the Denali Star line, which goes from Anchorage to Fairbanks and back, with stops in Wasilla, Talkeetna and Denali.

We ordered our tickets online from Alaska Rail Tours and secured seats on the Holland America sightseeing cars (which are added to the end of ARR trains.) Alaska Rail Tours sells the unsold seats that Holland America doesn’t fill. The tickets were $82 per person one way from Anchorage to Talkeetna, and $82 back. The tickets are regularly $155 each way with ARR’s Goldstar Service, which are tickets on ARR’s Goldstar double decker sightseeing cars, which are identical to Holland America’s double decker sightseeing cars.

Early morning, my other cousin dropped us off at the Alaska Railroad Depot in Anchorage on 411 West 1st Avenue, Anchorage, AK 99501. As we arrived at the Depot, we crossed over the Ship Creek bridge, where there were about 70-80 people fishing. The ARR Depot is a very interesting white colored 3-story concrete building reminiscent of a 1930’s train station with ARR’s first locomotive located on a display in front of the building. We checked in at the front desk and gave the porter our luggage, then headed out to the platform, which is on ground level.

Our train was composed of two engines fitted with small plows, and ten cars, consisting of what appeared to be a baggage/mail car, several single story coach cars, a few double decker Goldstar sightseeing cars, two double decker sightseeing cars branded with the Holland America Line and two Princess Cruises branded double decker sightseeing cars.

We boarded the Holland America car. We have assigned seating, but there are no bad seats upstairs in the observation deck. The windows extend almost to the top of the car, much like a T-top on a car, for our maximum viewing pleasure. The seating is 2 per side, and the seats are not all that different from bus seats, but more padded and comfortable. On the observation deck is a small manned bar area where passengers can purchase drinks. The lower section is the dining area with a full menu. There is a tour guide for each car that provides narration of interesting points, geographic features, and helps to spot wildlife.

We pulled out of the yard at 8:15 AM and the ride out of Anchorage was very comfortable, much like the train ride out of anywhere else. We passed by the Anchorage Railroad Corporate Headquarters, a beautiful newer postmodern design brick building. As we continued out of Anchorage, we passed by Elmendorf Air Force Base, nicknamed the "Top Cover For America," since it was the major air base protecting the United States from any Soviet incursion back in the Cold War. Elmendorf is home to 2 active F-22 Raptor squadrons in the US, as well as several F-15 squadrons. It also regularly hosts the Arctic Thunder, a two day airshow, held in the summer of even numbered years. I do plan on coming back in 2010 to attend the Arctic Thunder.

As we left Anchorage, the scenery changed as we passed Knik Arm, the body of water just north of Anchorage. We saw plenty of trees and beautiful landscapes. Outside of Anchorage, the tracks become a single track, and we did stop a few times on a siding to let freight trains pass. The ride is bumpier and not as fast as rail travel in the Continental US due to track conditions. The conductor explained that most of the tracks in the wild are not accessible by road, and must be repaired by a repair train. Plus, the harsh weather conditions in Alaska, such as constant freezing and thawing, floods, landslides, lead to uneven tracks, and the train travels slower as a result. I don’t think we ever exceeded 50-55 mph on the tracks, and I think we slowed to 25-30 mph on some turns.

The train stopped for 15 minutes in Wasilla to board passengers. We were not permitted to leave the train unless Wasilla was our destination. Wasilla is a very small inland town of about 10,000 people and sits on the northern outskirts of the Anchorage area. After our quick stop, we continued north to Denali.

Most of the scenery consisted of forest, and lots and lots of trees. Every now and then, we would see moose. During one of our quick 5-10 minute stops on a siding while another train passed, I spotted a bald eagle with it’s nest atop a power pole. When the conductor pointed it out, all the tourists went crazy with their cameras. As we arrived closer and closer to Talkeetna, we could see a mountain range in the distance. As we drew closer, we could start to make out a large mountain sticking out of the range. The sheer size of this mountain left us only one conclusion, it was Mount McKinley. A few moments later at 11:20 AM, the train reached Talkeetna, which is only about 55 miles southeast of Mt. McKinley.

The ARR is much superior to buses or renting a car and driving yourself. There is the comfort factor of being able to move around the cars, have fresh, gourmet meals while on the train. There’s also the factor about not worrying about navigation, vehicle breakdowns on the road, nor hitting animals. The train tracks run right up to the wilderness, unlike on a roadway, lest the animals dart in front of your car. If I were to go to Denali/Mt. McKinley again, I’d take the Alaska Railroad.

From journal Homecoming to Alaska

Editor Pick

Alaska Scenic Railroad

  • August 24, 2002
  • Rated 4 of 5 by jonathanhal from new york, New York
Alaska Scenic Railroad

The Alaskan Railroad is not Amtrak! To start with the guides are born and bred Alaskans with a very thorough knowledge of the route, sights, and energy. The cars and seats themselves are very comfortable and there's an enormous amount of leg room and the seats recline almost fully. Every train has a dome car -- which is a car with a 2nd level that has a domed room which affords an even more scenic view of the route. The domed car has rotating open seating with passengers encouraged to stay no more than 30 minutes so other riders can be afforded the same opportunity. The train also has a gift shop and a dining car with serviceable, affordable food. It's as easy to appreciate the scenery from the dining cars as from the regular seats.

The Seward Coastal Classic Route (from Anchorage to Seward) is stunning. The route runs through the Chugach Mountains and passes dozens of glaciers. If you're lucky you'll sight dall sheep and moose along the way. The Denali Star Route is not quite as picturesque but still beautiful and nearly as enjoyable.

The train isn't the fastest way to get point-to-point but is well worth it. For example, the train slows for unique picture taking opportunities which the guides point out well ahead in advance. There are opportunities to shoot tunnels, gulches, glaciers etc.

In summary, we had a wonderful time on the Alaskan Railroad. (There are coupons for free round-trip tickets from Anchorage to Denali, Anchorage to Seward, Anchorage to Whittier in the Alaskan Toursaver booklet -- available from toursaver.com for $99.)

From journal Alaska Vacation

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