From Talkeetna heading north, I hand flagged the train many times back in the 80s and 90s. (then I discovered snow machines)

“Has it ever struck you that life is all memory, except for the one present moment that goes by you so quick you hardly catch it going?”― Tennessee Williams

See! This is why I love KZfaq. You never know what you're going to find on a rainy afternoon. Facinating history up there.

Unfathomable that today's (soft) people are descendants of these tough SOBs, especially including myself. Great documentary!

I miss Alaska

I love learning the history of railroads. Especially railroads that are built along the ocean and in remote areas.

When I was in Anchorage in the Coast Guard, I frequented the Alaska Railroad's shops and yards often. It was a time I will never forget and will appreciate the rest of my life! Thank you so much for producing this documentary, it is rich with our heritage that many take for granted.

I love trains.

You Tube is so awesome I learn so much information about all kinds of stuff thanks U Tube

At the age of 73, my heart says no more lawn mowing and snow shoveling.

The work that goes into building something like a railroad through this insane terrain is just astonishing. These are among my favorite types of documentaries- where you get to see how hard work turns into a wonder of the world. When I can’t sleep sometimes I think about being a railroad hand, perhaps working on flattening dynamiting/blasting into the side of a mountain, sheltering after a hard day at work while the wind screams and whips at a makeshift cabin in the night.

Excellent! The truck companies complaining about unfair competition no doubt conveniently forget that they don't have to maintain their own infrastructures. The railway does. Long life and prosperity to the Alaska Railroad.

Vielen Dank allen Mitarbeitern an Kompetenz Arbeitsplätzen Bemühungen gegeben haben

Awesome docu. Greeings from New Zealand.

This is a great documentary, the outro song is so amazing too, I really wish I knew the name but I can't find it despite a lot of searching.

I spent the summer in Nome in 1974, and brought home a few spikes from an abandoned railroad track outside of town. Thanks for posting. It brought back memories.

It's amazing how fast major infrastructure can degrade and be lost except for photos and documentation. Very nice to see some of it preserved, recorded and shared like this.

Excellent research, organization and presentation! Very enjoyable. North to Alaska!

We're Australian & like to get away from the summer sun. My wife and I went to Alaska 2016, beginning of March, late winter. What an amazingly wonderful place. Travelled from Faibanks to to Anchorage by train. Wow! We would love to go back. The animals, birds, Northern Lights, scenery, people-------yes, we want to go back again.

Outstanding video... Particularly for oldsters like me who grew up in the 1930s & 1940s riding in trains pulled by steam locomotives....

I've worked on several different Rail systems in Montana in the '60s & '70s.

We were lucky to acquire Alaska 👍

history of two brother nations connected in so many ways that both would be less with out the other

7:24 "Give me enough dynamite and I'll build a road to hell"

Я так долго искал материалы об истории железных дорог в Аляске, и наконец-то нашёл! I looking for material about history railroads in Alaska and finally I found it with help Google recommendatoin! Thanx for subtitles too)

There is a huge amount of detailed information in this programme, and doubtless I shall need to watch it more than once to absorb it all. I hadn't realised the many threads of history that connect, overlap, come and go during this fascinating era. The presenters are all gifted communicators and the information is presented without lots of hype and hyperbole that many modern programmes seem to deem essential to emphasise the history or the enormity of the subject. It is extremely enjoyable, as well as informative. I acknowledge that I have a reputation for being a stuffy Brit, with a passion for "Good English", and it is with that prejudice that I commend the programme-makers and the erudite contributors for their clear, eloquent descriptions. I'm so impressed that I have subscribed! Well done! And more of the same, please!

For the pocket doors, use 2 drawer slides, one on top and bottom. That will minimize wall width and cost per door

My wife and I took the AKRR from Anchorage back home to Squarebanks in 2002, early April. There were no cruise ship cars, just the AKRR cars. Food was good, and seeing the "town" of Sherman and others like it was quite interesting. It's pretty cool that you can stock up on groceries and supplies, and put them in the baggage car, and get them dropped off right by your house in the Bush.

Rode this from Anchorage to Denali what an amazing beautiful trip!!

I'm a Seattle native and used to work for a time as a tour guide along the waterfront. It's amazing how much the gold rush affected that city. Even more amazing to think of what those people went through to get up there. Talk about working for your money!

Railroads to Nowhere! Uncle Ted would be proud!

My great Uncle was a Capt in US Army and Chief Signal Corps Officer on railroad project to Alaska..he was with Harding on first train ride into Alaska on that rail line...I have his tickets and paperwork from that trip with the President...Harding dies shortly after the trip in San Francisco, CAL..

Videos, documentaries like this fascinate me. Until you actually ride on a steam locomotive train You can't really appreciate the beauty of them. I could only dream of making it to Alaska for a scenic trip on the rails.

The native Alaskans who inhabit southeast Alaska are the Tlingit (pronounced Klink-it) and Haida (pronounced Hi-duh) tribes....they kinda hate each other due to the Tlingit's enslaving the Haida's many, many years ago, they literally used to own Haida tribesmen and women...you can really see that play out in Hoonah and Juneau, the animosity is thick...

A++ Video !! I learned so much more about Alaska's history and heritage from this presentation. I knew of about 6 or 7 railroads before but never knew there had been 26 !! Some of the old B&W photo's and film footage are just amazing. I am smarter today than i was yesterday after watching this. Liked & Subscribed :)

What a great documentary!

I just love these stories!

The Klondike Mines railroad had four steam locomotives. Three of them are still in Dawson, inside a shed. The fourth engine is now in Colorado, running (slowly and infrequently) in Como, sheltering in the Como roundhouse.

While working on the Alaska Marine Highway . The pursuer & I drove up the old railway & the purser found a news paper with the headlines of Poncho Villa on the front page. This was in 1972 or 1973.

Thanks for a great doc. Love RR history 🤩

An AWESOME documentary. Thanks for making this movie, I have really enjoyed watching it.

A great piece of history, and a lesson that the government is also responsible for keeping the roots of their people visible to the current and future generations, instead of incentivating teens to smoke joints and forget where they came from....

Those box-cabbed climaxes are amazing. One of those would be a looker on any heritage line today. I wonder if any survive

My twin brother and I used to ride on top of the coal in the tender on the little Baldwin locomotive headed t the Situk(See-tuk) fiver from Yakutat.

I wish I had been born 100 years earlier, when America was truly great. The abilities and determination of people then were staggering.

I LOVE TRAINS❤️

Very interesting program. Thanks for the post.

Wonderful history lesson! 👍 Thanks for uploading this great piece of documentary film.

Fantastic. Thank you

My dad worked on this railroad laying track in the late 50's.

That was great keep it up Alaska. There shouldn’t be more railroads in the world with your vision for the future. Well done

Cool video I live in Fairbanks been to all the towns they talk about. Awesome place to live 👍🏻

Dan Bross THANK You so very much for the History narrative PJEFF LI N.Y.

Very interesting ideas

The White Pass railway is amazing, very fun to ride today ( you can see the old Chilkoot trail from the railway high in the mountain). Could you imagine how hard it was to walk the Chilkoot trail to get to Bennet B.C. before the White Pass Railroad, It must of been hell. From Bennet you could take the Lake by boat into Yukon Territory is my understanding, but still quite a journey to get to Yukon Territory Gold. Their are still operating Gold mines in Yukon Territory today, all in private hands. I Imagine most people didn't make it through the Chilkoot Trail before giving up and turning around.

The guy at 10:00 is an expert in more than one type of snow 😂😂😂😂

Great tour through Alaskan history.

I'm WhiteHorse Born, Northwest Territory Yukon, Born in a Log Cabin, washed and drank in Squanga Lake, The Old Outhouse served it's duty, 80 miles from the nearest Town. Now Live in Los Angeles,Ca.

Great video!! Extremely informative!! Thank you so much!!

Pounding spikes I had my fair share of doing that. day in and day out’ the only difference was is that we had to Drill off a nine round and load & Blast it to buy the end of the day) we’d put in a twenty foot section ever day) five thousand feet underground. And believe me it was hotter the hell down there. and ya got pretty good at driving spikes’ and laying ties you’d Only have enough time for a twenty minute lunch brake. If you took anymore time then that you wouldn’t make your Cycle for the day. If you didn’t make the cycle you were fired no questions asked’ true story my friends. You all have a great job

You may not know that the Baldwin 4-6-0 No. 152 built in 1919 for the AEC is still operating. It is at Flint, MI since 1976. It is Huckleberry RR No. 2(152). It shares powering the train with D&RGW No. 464 one of two K-27 Mikados still in existence and both are operable.

Well done thank you , very cool vintage film also

What a terrific documentary. Thank you!

Wow ..so informative

The last comment about connecting Alaska with Russia by train was astounding!

I really enjoyed this.

:) Wonderful video, really enjoyed it, thank you for all your efforts. :)

Excellent video. Thank you

Very interesting

Awesome doc! Great stuff!!

Amazing

thanks for uploading very informative. wish the Railroads here in ireland had as much doc history saved

The Council City & Solomon River (21:15) used second-hand 0-4-4 Forneys bought from the Manhattan elevated railroads. When the els in New York were electrified in 1902-3, hundreds of these sturdy, well-maintained locomotives became available. They were sold to companies all over the world, for use by industry, mining, logging, construction, and short lines. The three rusting hulks shown at the end of this segment had previously spent decades making tens of thousands of trips from South Ferry north along Second, Third, Sixth, and Ninth avenues in Manhattan and into The Bronx, hauling untold millions of New Yorkers to and from work.

Really enjoyed that

Excellent document !

Awesome documentary thanks for posting this

its not just a video, but a ticket ride to the valley, i felt as if i was in coach of the train,post more videos, excellant sir

Great video!

Sled dogs pulling a train? That is even funnier than Garfield making Odie into a sled dog!!

Don't miss the excellent film Runaway Train. Filmed on the Alaska Railroad.

John Holley is absolutely right in his enthusiasm for this documentary. Outstanding combination of entertainment and education. Marvellous range of old photographs. As a Brit I was a bit lost with some of the location maps. Tasmanian mining railways deserve similar treatment if the same sort of historians and commentators could be found.

A very interesting and comprehensive documentary. It does need to be sorted out though as the format is wrong, it shouldn’t be stretched - especially when you are looking at narrow gauge railways. The other major problem is the extremely low level audio. It would be a great idea to fix these two things as the documentary deserves it.

Great video, thanks for sharing!

Thanks a whole lot . . for a most thorough and interesting movie. Wish you all a merry new year Torben, Denmark

Well done sir.

in the lower 48, the interstates & airports were subsidied by the government but the passenger service was ended - replaced by Amtrak. If the railroads were also subsidied, we'd have great railroads today.

Thank you

I saw this once and I love it

Great video! Loved how it went through so much of the history of railroads across Alaska and the Klondike as well as the modern, including ideas for future expansion. I hope they are able to someday extend the lines. It would really open up parts of Alaska to the tourist industry.

Great video, very interesting.

Ah...one of my bucket-list tourism destinations...

Thank you for the "Klondike" ice cream! I really wish I had one to enjoy while watching this history of the Klondike! What would you do with a klondike bar.. ahh that earworm song television commercial is still in my head..

A Narrow Gauge train at that time seem to have a low center of gravity and wouldn't you have to do more track maintenance this is a really nice video it made me think that Narrow Gauge was basically used for moving equipment materials instead of people okay now now gauge tracks makes sense to me

This is a great video. Thank you so much, especially to the person who put this together. This is a must see for all train enthusiasts. Thank you again.

The Alaska Railroad runs rail barges to Bellingham, Washington.

13:20 weird how in the year 1900 the video quality was soo good not to mention many people are wearing cloths of today like silk screen shirts and baggy shorts as if it were the 1990s not 1900....

Give me enough dynamite and I’ll build a railroad to hell. That’s a man I respect and admire instantly.

The first container from ship to train and from train to train AS i know . Was at Urskog Hølands banen in Norway . Some km north east from Oslo. A line going from Sørumsand to skullerud .. A norrow line. Called tertitten . Now Its a museum line going some few kilometer from Sørumsand .And that container transport started around 1920.

Looks the White Pass when fully completed went all the way to Whitehorse, Yukon. I took the Railway from Carcross, Yukon back to Skagway Alaska. Bennet B.C. was on the trip, the only original structure that remains is an old church (was getting a new roof). And a rail station, not original building to site.

❤❤❤❤❤❤ 🎉..من مصر تحياتى للجميع ‏‪0:50‬‏