ALASKA TO NORTH ALASKA RAILROAD TOUR 2018
October 9, 2018 Dear Alaska Railroad Tour members, Thank you for making North to Alaska, the 2018 Motorcar Operators West excursion on the Alaska Railroad such a huge success. Our 22 motorcars each operated 976 safe and incident free miles through the scenic heart of Alaska. Thank you to all participants for your safe operations and eager cooperation. In the spirit of giving back to the community, our Group Dinner and Auction raised over $4,200 for the Alaska Museum of Transportation in Wasilla. This souvenir booklet is intended to help us remember events, places, and people. Included here are our class photos, an itinerary of the 17-day event, and a log of each of the nine days on the rail. Everyone is asked to share their photos at https://mownorthtoalaska.shutterfly.com. The following people worked tirelessly with us, taking the bare bones of the Railroad s permission and fleshing it out to the trip-of-a-lifetime it became. Thank you to: Isabelle Bornemann, Alaska Travel Connection: hotels and local transportation Terry Devine and John McAmis: Container loading Chico, CA John Martin: Container loading in Wasco, CA and Mechanical Officer Renee McAmis: Dinner planning and Auction Coordinator Bill Pardee: Radio Technical Advisor Dr. Sue Pardee: Medical Officer Wayne Parsons: Tour Booklet and Souvenir Booklet Two-mile Joe Schnyder: Rear Excursion Coordinator and provider of push car for the blue room Alaska Railroad: Douglas Engebretson: Retired COO Clark Hopp: Chief Operating Officer Jon Garner II: Superintendent of Transportation Dale Wade: Vice president of Marketing & Customer Service David Greenhalgh: Director Strategic Marketing & Guest Service Lloyd Tesch: Maintenance of Way Finally, special thanks go to: our Escorts Gene Lewis and Shaun Sanderlin, who made our rail days a delight; John Martin and Frank Luft for pulling the Blue Room; John McAmis and Terry Devine for encouraging me to revive the Alaska excursion; and all of the Volunteers who helped trailer motorcars to and from set-on. Sincerely, Dave & Carol Balestreri
Photo by Carol Balestreri
1 2 Dave and Carol Balestreri Sacramento, CA Rigo Abarca - Hamilton City, CA Mardie & Terry Devine - Orland, CA 3 4 John & Renee McAmis Chico, CA (not pictured: John & Lisa McAmis) Rick & Vickie Smith Fairfield, CA 5 6 Susan Haynes (Merced, CA), Jim & Jennifer Blasingame (Glide, OR), Richard Haynes Stephanie & Karl Hovanitz Arroyo Grande, CA
7 8 Craig Kent & Wendie Newby Solvang, CA Ron & Kay Zammit Arroyo Grande, CA 9 10 Rich & Linda Gunn Wilton, CA Wayne & Nancy Parsons Simi Valley, CA 11 12 Barb Melioris & Ross Kallenberger Bakersfield, CA John Martin - Wasco, CA Tony Queirolo - Lathrop, CA
13 14 Frank Luft & Betty Brinck Felton, CA Don & Johnna Borden Redding, CA 15 16 Ken & Ann Bilodeau Palo Alto, CA Steve Weiss Paramus, NJ 17 18 Jeff & Toni Zeleny Shelton, CT Mike & Donna Springer Huntington Beach, CA
19 20 Diane & Brian Holmgren Warrensburg, MO Susie & Bill Pardee Tempe, AZ 21 22 Virgil Hill & Kym Ciccia Asheboro, NC Joe & SuAnna Schnyder Phoenix, AZ 1 3 6 14 Judy & Jim Culbertson Courtland, CA Mike & Joann Good Chico, CA Eric Hovanitz Pasadena, CA Eric Myers Tucson, AZ
Gene Lewis and Shaun Sanderlin Escorts, Alaska Railroad Corporation
ALASKA RAILROAD MOTORCAR OPERATIONS 2018 Sun., Sept. 9, 2018 10:15 AM 114.30 Anchorage 112.40 11:45 AM 136.30 Birchwood Miles 2:38 PM 174.00 Houston 3:28 PM Wait for southbound passenger 5:10 PM 215.30 Sunshine 5:25 PM Wait for southbound passenger 6:10 PM 224.30 Near Talkeetna - Photo op w Mt. Whitney 6:27 PM 226.70 Talkeetna Mon., Sept. 10, 2018 7:20 AM 226.70 Talkeetna 132.00 8:02 AM 248.50 Curry Miles 9:23 AM 269.80 Twin Bridges 10:51 AM 281.40 Hurricane 11:38 AM Wait for southbound passenger 1:32 PM 313.50 Cantwell 1:36 PM Wait for southbound passenger 2:53 PM Wait for northbound passenger 4:00 PM 341.60 Scenic stop 4:29 PM 347.70 Pass Denali Park Station 4:43 PM 355.00 Near Garner - second scenic stop 5:20 PM 358.70 Healy Thur., Sept. 13, 2018 7:56 AM 358.70 Southbound passenger 111.60 9:15 AM 358.70 Healy Miles 10:50 AM 392.93 Clear Site 11:00 AM Wait for southbound passenger 12:11 PM Wait for southbound coal freight 1:13 PM 411.70 Nenana 1:30 PM Pass work train north of Nenana 2:31 PM 420.40 Manley 3:17 PM 450.80 Saulich - pass work train w/ culvert pipe 3:39 PM 456.20 Pass Dome - no stop 4:05 PM 459.73 Ester Road - rest stop 5:35 PM 470.30 Fairbanks Sun., Sept. 16, 2018 9:11 AM 470.30 Fairbanks 111.60 9:51 AM 450.80 Saulich Miles 12:13 PM Pass work train north of Nenana 12:36 PM 411.70 Nenana 2:20 PM 381.20 Browne 3:53 PM 358.70 Healy track re-allignments over the years, they average out!
ALASKA RAILROAD TOUR 2018 MOTORCAR OPERATORS WEST Day / Date 1 Saturday Sept. 8, 2018 2 Sunday Sept. 9, 2018 ANCHORAGE, AK Set On, Registration & Car Inspection Get Acquainted Dinner Comfort Inn Anchorage ANCHORAGE TO TALKEETNA 112 miles Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge Day / Date 10 Monday Sept. 17, 2018 11 Tuesday Sept. 18, 2018 DENALI TO TALKEETNA 132 miles Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge TALKEETNA 3 Monday Sept. 10, 2018 TALKEETNA TO DENALI (HEALY) 132 miles Grande Denali Lodge 12 Wednesday Sept. 19, 2018 TALKEETNA TO WASILLA 60 miles Dinner @ Museum of Transportation Wasilla Grand View Inn & Suites 4 Tuesday Sept. 11, 2018 DENALI 13 Thursday Sept. 20, 2018 WASILLA TO GIRDWOOD 92 miles Hotel Alyeska Girdwood 5 Wednesday Sept. 12, 2018 DENALI 14 Friday Sept. 21, 2018 GIRDWOOD TO WHITTIER TO SEWARD 98 miles Harbor 360 Hotel 6 Thursday Sept. 13, 2018 DENALI TO FAIRBANKS 111 miles Springhill Suites By Marriott 15 Saturday Sept. 22, 2018 SEWARD Farewell Dinner Cruise 7 Friday Sept. 14, 2018 FAIRBANKS 16 Sunday Sept. 23, 2018 SEWARD TO ANCHORAGE 112 miles Comfort Inn Anchorage 8 Saturday Sept.15, 2018 FAIRBANKS 17 Monday Sept. 24, 2018 ANCHORAGE Set-off & load contaners 9 Sunday Sept. 16, 2018 FAIRBANKS TO DENALI (HEALY) 111 miles McKinley Chalet Resort