Tanana Valley Railroad
| Tanana Valley Railroad | |
|---|---|
|
Train of the Tanana Valley Railroad at the station in Chatanika, Alaska, 1916. | |
| Locale | Fairbanks to Chatanika |
| Dates of operation |
1904/1905–1917 AEC purchased TVRR assets and operated the Chatanika Branch line until decommissioning it in 1930 |
| Predecessor | Tanana Mines Railway |
| Successor | Alaskan Engineering Commission Railroad, a.k.a. Alaska Railroad |
| Track gauge | 3 ft (914 mm) |
| Length | 45 miles (72 km) [1] |
| Headquarters | Fairbanks |
The Tanana Valley Railroad (TVRR) was a 3 ft (914 mm) narrow gauge railroad that operated in the Tanana Valley of Alaska from 1905 to about 1917. A portion of the railroad later became part of the Alaska Railroad.
History
The TVRR originated as the Tanana Mines Railway in 1905 and was renamed the Tanana Valley Railroad in 1907. The company declared bankruptcy and was liquidated c. 1917. The U.S. government purchased the railroad in June 1917,[1] and the section between Fairbanks and Happy was converted to dual gauge by the Alaskan Engineering Commission Railroad, in order to complete a 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge railroad line from Seward to Fairbanks. This line became the Alaska Railroad in 1923. The Alaska RR continued to operate the former TVRR narrow-gauge line as the Chatanika Branch, until decommissioning it in 1930.
Preservation
In 1922, the railroad's Engine No. 1, the first steam locomotive in Fairbanks and the Yukon, was retired. Its restoration was begun in 1997 and completed in 2000. As of 2011 it is still being steamed up several times a year. A small museum for the engine was built in 2005 in Pioneer Park.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Alaska Railroad Corporation. "Alaska Railroad History". Retrieved 2011-11-24.
- Friends of the Tanana Valley Railroad. "History of the Tanana Valley Railroad." Accessed 2011-11-14.
- Friends of the Tanana Valley Railroad news archive
- "Tanana Valley Railroad". (independent) Alaska Railroad historical organization. Retrieved 2008-07-17.
External links
Media related to Tanana Valley Railroad at Wikimedia Commons
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