Autumn is very short in Alaska with the peak foliage lasting only a day or two it seems. If one wants to get out and shoot trains amidst the color the window is extremely narrow. Knowing that a northbound freight would be leaving Whittier in daylight on a Saturday I knew that I just had to give it a try. Alas for the first 40 miles it was simply dark with low clouds and driving rain and there were no opportunities for shots. However, here at Indian the clouds broke providing the results you see here. This is a rare opportunity to shoot fall colors amidst the high peaks with breaking waves in the foreground. Where else but Alaska can one do this? The train seen here is a 27 car mixed freight with interchange off the CN's Aqua Train that arrived Whittier the previous evening after a three day sail across the Gulf of Alaska from Prince Rupert, BC. On the point are twin GP40-2s built new for the ARR one each in the original as delivered scheme and the current livery.
Coal and steel don't go bad. This album features long, slow, heavy freight trains; drag freights, slop freights, dead freights, etc. Trains with lots of power, and lots of different cargo slogging along behind.
