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Crossing the US - Canadian Border on Aug 26


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#21 Casa Escarlata Robles Too

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Posted 04 September 2021 - 07:22 PM

Boy Craig this is turning out to be more of an adventure then you planned.

enjoy everything and have a great time.

 

That's a bummer about the Top of the World crossing being closed.

That was such a great part of our trip in 2011.

Frank


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#22 ckent323

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Posted 04 September 2021 - 09:49 PM

Frank,

 

We are having a great trip.  Actually things are pretty much going to plan with two exceptions, the Denali Wilderness Road trip to Kantishna, which is only ope 1/2 way due to a landslide, and not being able to go across the top of the world highway.

We did go to McCarthy and tour the Kennecott Mill and we drove to Valdez.  We had great weather too.  Both drives were beautiful!

This morning we removed our speeders from the containers in the Alaska Marine Terminal yard and set them on thieir tracks. We got track approval to move them under power to the Alaska Railroad Anchorage yard across the street via the connecting rails.  One bridge and more than a half dozen switches later we made it to our designated track for the night.  Tomorrow we leave on our round trip excusion over the entire length of the alaska Railroad.
 

:-)


Edited by ckent323, 04 September 2021 - 10:20 PM.

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#23 Casa Escarlata Robles Too

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Posted 04 September 2021 - 10:27 PM

Craig thanks for the update.There's so much to see in Alaska,it's great to be able to adjust what you do.

We always stay flexible on most of our trip  "wants".

 

Enjoy the "rails".

Frank


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#24 smlobx

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Posted 04 September 2021 - 11:07 PM

In Seward there is a "city" campground.We stayed 2 nights in a spot right next to the trail/water front.

We just drove in no reservations. There is a "ticket" machine there for the space fee a bit tricky to work at first….

Funny you mentioned that campground. We stayed there as well in ‘20 and due to Covid there were a couple of empty spaces between  each occupied site.

We’ll about an hour after we got our site we were enjoying a beverage and the view of the water when a couple in a car pulled up next to us a few sites over. They proceeded to set up their tent and went in side. Shortly after there were…how can I phrase it.. several loud moans and other verbal encouragements coming from the tent. Everyone in the campground heard it but that didn’t phase the couple. When they finally emerged the whole campground gave them a rousing round of applause which they took in good spirits. 


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#25 Casa Escarlata Robles Too

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Posted 05 September 2021 - 12:25 AM

Funny you mentioned that campground. We stayed there as well in ‘20 and due to Covid there were a couple of empty spaces between  each occupied site.

We’ll about an hour after we got our site we were enjoying a beverage and the view of the water when a couple in a car pulled up next to us a few sites over. They proceeded to set up their tent and went in side. Shortly after there were…how can I phrase it.. several loud moans and other verbal encouragements coming from the tent. Everyone in the campground heard it but that didn’t phase the couple. When they finally emerged the whole campground gave them a rousing round of applause which they took in good spirits. 

That's a great "camping"memory. Had a similar experience  in Spain a few years ago.

We had gone back to our hotel room for a short afternoon siesta.

In the room next to ours a couple were going at it for a good while.

Headboard rocking and pounding on the wall,all the noises to go with it.

Something like from a movie .

 

Life sure can be interesting.

 

As for that campground ,the site we lucked into was great right on the water with no one next to us.

 

Thanks for sharing.

Frank


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#26 goinoregon

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Posted 07 September 2021 - 01:53 AM

Frank,

 

We are having a great trip.  Actually things are pretty much going to plan with two exceptions, the Denali Wilderness Road trip to Kantishna, which is only ope 1/2 way due to a landslide, and not being able to go across the top of the world highway.

We did go to McCarthy and tour the Kennecott Mill and we drove to Valdez.  We had great weather too.  Both drives were beautiful!

This morning we removed our speeders from the containers in the Alaska Marine Terminal yard and set them on thieir tracks. We got track approval to move them under power to the Alaska Railroad Anchorage yard across the street via the connecting rails.  One bridge and more than a half dozen switches later we made it to our designated track for the night.  Tomorrow we leave on our round trip excusion over the entire length of the alaska Railroad.
 

:-)

ok, can u give more info on the railroad excursion thing??


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#27 ckent323

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Posted 07 September 2021 - 04:58 AM

goinoregon,

 

See this link "North to Alaska"

http://www.mowonline.org/

We did a trip thoughout Sourhteast Alaska (Ketchikan, Juneau, Sitka, Gustavus /Glaciar Bay) and a mainland trip (McCarthy/Kennecott Mill, Valdez) prior to the motorcar trip.  We plan to drive home though Canada via Jasper, Banff and Glacier Natl Park if thewaether holds.  We are in Denali Park and right now an early winter seems possible.

 

Motorcar Trip Itinerary

 

Sep 4       Anchorage, AK

Sat           Set on, Registration and Car Inspection, 9:00 AM

                 Get Acquainted Dinner at Sullivan’s Steakhouse, 320 W Fifth Ave

                 Overnight at Comfort Inn Anchorage

 

Sep 5       Anchorage, MP 114 to Talkeetna, MP 227 (113 miles)

Sun          Overnight in Talkeetna at Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge

 

Sep 6       Talkeetna, MP 227 to Denali, MP 359 (132 miles)

Mon        Overnight in Denali at Grand Denali Lodge

 

Sep 7       Denali – Layover Day

Tue          Overnight at Grand Denali Lodge

 

Sep 8       Denali – Layover Day

Wed        Denali Wilderness Tour, 6:00 AM

   Overnight at Grand Denali Lodge

 

Sep 9       Denali, MP 359 to Fairbanks, MP 470 (111 miles)

Thu          Overnight in Fairbanks at Springhill Suites by Marriott

 

Sep 10     Fairbanks – Layover Day

Fri            (Fountainhead, 11 – 5 every day)

                 Overnight at Springhill Suites by Marriott

 

Sep 11     Fairbanks – Layover Day

Sat           Overnight at Springhill Suites by Marriott

 

Sep 12     Fairbanks, MP 470 to Denali, MP 359 (111 miles)

Sun          Overnight in Denali at Grand Denali Lodge

 

Sep 13     Denali, MP 359 to Talkeetna, MP 227 (132 miles)

Mon        Overnight in Talkeetna at Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge

 

Sep 14     Talkeetna – Layover Day

Tue          Overnight at Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge

 

 

 

Sep 15     Talkeetna MP227 to Wasilla, MP 160 (67 miles)

Wed        Visit Steam Locomotive Restoration Project

                 Dinner and Auction at the Museum of Alaskan Transportation and Industry

                 Overnight in Wasilla at Grandview Hotel

 

Sep 16     Wasilla, MP 160 to Girdwood, MP 74 (86 miles)

Thu          Farewell Dinner

                 Overnight in Girdwood at the Hotel Alyeska Girdwood

 

Sep 17     Girdwood, MP 74 to Portage, MP 64* to Seward, MP 0 (99 miles)

Fri            [*Includes Portage, MP 0 (Whittier Branch) – Whittier, MP 12.4 – Portage MP 0]

   Overnight in Seward at Harbor 360 Hotel

 

Sep 18     Seward – Layover Day

Sat           Overnight in Seward at Harbor 360 Hotel

 

Sep 19     Seward, MP 0 to Anchorage, MP 114 (114 miles) 

Sun          Overnight in Anchorage at Comfort Inn Anchorage

 

Sep 20     Anchorage, AK

Mon        Set-off, Load containers, etc.


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#28 Spitfire

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Posted 07 September 2021 - 02:31 PM

I was wondering the same thing. Do you own your own railroad speeders? Sounds interesting. Quite the trip you're on by the way. 


Edited by Spitfire, 07 September 2021 - 02:32 PM.

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#29 Casa Escarlata Robles Too

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Posted 07 September 2021 - 06:01 PM

Thanks Craig for that link.We were wandering what the tour cost of the trip was.

Sounds like a great time with a good amount of free days to explore.

Continue to enjoy the trip.

Frank


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#30 ckent323

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Posted 08 September 2021 - 06:47 AM

Spitfire,

 

Yes we individually own the speeders.  They are available for sale from previous owners and from a few people who build "new" speeders from old parts (or NOS parts). 

There are still NOS parts around as well as new parts from new castings for many cars but the NOS parts are getting harder to find.  It is rare to find a railroad surplusing a speeder thsese days as most of that happened in the mid 1980's into the 1990's when high rail pickup trucks became more widely adopted in lieu of the speeders.  A few railroads, mostly tourist railroads, still use them (Durango & Silverton and Cumbres & Toltec come to mind).

You can buy a basket case speeder and fully rebuild it or you can buy a completely refurbished "like new" speeder and anything in between.  Also there are many different models and types, from small M9 cars with small single cylinder engines to large A6 gang cars with 8-cylinder engines and again everything in between.

Here is a fairly comprehensive list.  Some of these cars are very rare or even non-existent outside a museum.

http://home.pcisys.n...orcartypes.html

 

P.S. Tonight we had what is probably the best meal of our entire trip at Moose-aka's in Denali Park.  This place is rated 4.8 stars on Tripadvisor and those stars are accurate.  Great food at reasonable prices.   

 

 

.


Edited by ckent323, 08 September 2021 - 06:51 AM.

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