Today, Giving Tuesday, marks the beginning of the Engine 557 Restoration Company's annual fund raising campaign. We use this campaign as our main fund raising effort to reach out to individual donors and it is a primary source of restoration funds for the year. The goal for this year's campaign is $85,000. Several Board Members and a supporter have pledged to make a dollar-for-dollar match for the first $20,000 raised.

Donations may be made by credit or debit card, Paypal, or check at - https://www.alaskarails.org/.../557/support/donate.html. They may also be during a visit to the 557 Engine House in Wasilla.

A photo taken in the Anchorage yards before 557 extinguished her fire for the last time on the Alaska Railroad, courtesy of John Gray.

The January status report has just been posted at https://www.alaskarails.org/pix/former- ... index.html

Follow the link in the report to see how we came to acquire a new, old stock, Pyle-National headlamp with its original crate marked for the Alaska Railroad.

I've missed announcing the publication of the new reports for the last month or two. they, along with all reports since 2012 can be found at https://www.alaskarails.org/pix/former- ... index.html

I'm happy to report that yesterday we successfully finished our end-of-year fund raiser when we reached the goal of $85,000. The completion of the restoration project and the end of the fund raising needed to finish it are coming into sight and the vision of seeing Alaska Railroad 557 pulling a train is getting ever clearer.

The monthly status report will be delayed this month but I wanted to share some good news on ARR-557's journey towards operation.

On March 7, 2024 a management team from the Alaska Railroad spent several hours with the 557 crew in Wasilla to evaluate what actions might be required to bring the locomotive into compliance for operations on the ARR. Introductions established peer to peer communication channels going forward. Left to right, Terry Douglas and Paul Dalleska represent Engine 557 and Jamie Fetterman - Director of Heavy Equipment Maintenance (has Steam Locomotive experience), then Bryan Cothren - Director of Locomotive Maintenance and finally Mark Baehm - Manager of Passenger Car Maintenance.

After 2 hours, it was concluded that the locomotive posed no real problems and it was near ready to call for the FRA hydro test. Mark Baehm will provide AEI tags and mock up for proper placement on the locomotive and tender. All comments were positive and it is reassuring to have this level of communication open between the respective crews.

With admiration:

"Look at them yoyos... THAT'S THE WAY YOU DO IT"

A combined February-March 2024 status report has been posted at https://alaskarails.org/pix/former-loco ... index.html

The Engine 557 Restoration Company (the non-profit overhauling 557) maintains a special relationship with the Alaska Railroad and its employees. This was again evidenced on February 1, 2024 when the “Hurricane Turn” was scheduled past the 557 Engine House at about 9:45 a.m. This train is truly a flag stop run serving off-grid residents north of Wasilla from Talkeetna north to the Hurricane Bridge where it reverses direction. The coaches were fully occupied. A nice surprise was an added stop right in front of the 557 Engine House just to deliver a big box of fresh donuts for the 557 Volunteers. This was all instigated by the instructors and students on board for an orientation in the Alaska Railroad Tour Guide Program at King Tech High School in Anchorage.

This serves as a reminder that there is a lot more to railway preservation than dragging lost locomotives out of the mud and turning wrenches.

Recent Railfan & Railroad article:

https://railfan.com/alaska-railroad-2-8 ... e-stretch/

It will be interesting to see how often the 557 actually gets to stretch her legs. The Alaska Railroad keeps very busy but it's a small glimpse of what American Railroading was and could be. Get up there and ride it - it's as close to a time machine as you'll get in the USA! And while you're at it take a cruise and stop in at Skagway.

As I recall, they are able to use a few miles of track on a short branch near an airport, out of service for a long time it would need to be rebuilt. Not really stretching its legs, but they wouldn't be dependent on ARR letting them on the main to run trains.

I certainly hope they aren’t spending all this time and money to go back and forth on a short industrial spur!

Several tens of thousands of dollars spent to become PTC capable aren't being spent just to run on an industrial spur. Below is a post we made to Facebook last month. Although we have had a close relationship with the ARR from the inception of the project and have consulted with them frequently, this meeting is one indication that operation is getting closer on the radar screen for both us and the Railroad.

"On March 7, 2024 a management team from the Alaska Railroad spent several hours with the 557 crew in Wasilla to evaluate what actions might be required to bring the locomotive into compliance for operations on the ARR. Introductions established peer to peer communication channels going forward. Left to right, Terry Douglas and Paul Dalleska represent Engine 557 and Jamie Fetterman - Director of Heavy Equipment Maintenance (has Steam Locomotive experience), then Bryan Cothren - Director of Locomotive Maintenance and finally Mark Baehm - Manager of Passenger Car Maintenance.

"After 2 hours, it was concluded that the locomotive posed no real problems and it was near ready to call for the FRA hydro test. Mark Baehm will provide AEI tags (devices used in conjunction with trackside sensors to identify passing rail cars) and mock them up for proper placement on the locomotive and tender. All comments were positive and it is reassuring to have this level of communication open between the respective crews."

That doesn’t really say there is any plan in place to let the locomotive operate, I’m guessing all of that would be necessary just to get to and from the airport spur for example?

The vibrations you just felt through the Internet were not after shocks of the recent New Jersey earthquake, but head thumping at the same "nattering nabobs of negativism. They have formed their own 4-H Club — the ‘hopeless, hysterical hypochondriacs of history." that have plagued every "I would never Dooooo That" project.

The T1 Trust has probably attracted more of that than a certain K4s and EBT and a certain Western narrow gauge railroad projects - but still.

Sigh

Brian Helfrich

[Insert like button here.]
Wesley

Umm I was literally praising the Alaska Railroad but then asked a very real question based on the response about the airport spur.

Have either of you even been on the Alaska Railroad?