Spotting The New Railhead
This is the companion photo to the prior one I posted.
On the same frosty clear early winter (technically still fall) morning an Anchorage Yard crew shoves a cut of 189-series 89 ft flat cars loaded with assorted military vehicles that came down overnight from Fort Wainwright in Fairbanks into the new railhead facility. The crew is using GP38u 2004 which is still dressed in its bright blue and yellow 1980s 'Alaska Bold' scheme. The geep came to the Alaska Railroad in 1986 after being rebuilt from an ex Conrail straight GP38 originally blt. Sep. 1969 as PC 7773.
Cut out of virgin forest adjacent the little used old yard, the $15 million dollar facility opened the prior year. The following information comes from the US Air Force's Military Construction Program Fiscal Year 2011 Budget Estimates justification data submitted to congress February 2010.
Description of Proposed Construction: Construct a railhead complex to include
loading/unloading rail spurs, loading/unloading ramps and staging area for
marshaling tactical vehicles, a container transfer pad, shipping and receiving
building, security fencing, connection to energy monitoring and control systems
(EMCS), and building information systems.
Supporting facilities will include:
utilities, gates, storm drainage, information systems, lighting, site improvements
and information systems. Heating will be provided by a self contained unit.
Mechanical ventilation will be provided for in all areas. This project will comply
with DoD antiterrorism force protection requirements per unified facilities
criteria.
Requirement: This project will support Airborne Brigade Combat Team (ABCT) and
Stryker Brigade Combat Team (SBCT) air and surface deployments, as a rail receiving
and shipping hub for all of Alaska Army Units. The SBCT stationed at Ft Wainwright,
and the Airborne Combat Team require a rail facility to allow equipment to be
shipped by rail to and from the Port of Anchorage. Fort Richardson supports Fort
Wainwright during surface deployment operations and re-deployments. The new rail operations facility will increase the installation's railcar handling capability by
300 percent. Existing capability is about 30 railcars per day; after completion Fort Richardson will have the loading tracks and supporting infrastructure to handle the required 80-100 railcars per day. The need is due to both transformation of the Army forces structure and also changes in the nature of the mission.
Current Situation: The existing facilities consist of lightweight rail and two inadequate end ramps in the warehouse loop area. Current infrastructure will not support required throughput for surface movement required by US Army Alaska. The Stryker vehicle loading and increased movements of both brigades in Alaska is such that rapid rail bed deterioration will occur if the rail system is not upgraded and the facilities augmented with new more substantial facilities and equipment.
Impact if not provided: The existing facilities are not able to meet US Army Alaska's requirement to deploy the Army Units in Alaska within the specified timelines. Rail capability must be provided, at a minimum, which can handle trainsof 80-100 railcar units to/from Fort Wainwright, and other locations throughout
Alaska.
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson
Anchorage, Alaska
Friday November 30, 2012
Spotting The New Railhead
This is the companion photo to the prior one I posted.
On the same frosty clear early winter (technically still fall) morning an Anchorage Yard crew shoves a cut of 189-series 89 ft flat cars loaded with assorted military vehicles that came down overnight from Fort Wainwright in Fairbanks into the new railhead facility. The crew is using GP38u 2004 which is still dressed in its bright blue and yellow 1980s 'Alaska Bold' scheme. The geep came to the Alaska Railroad in 1986 after being rebuilt from an ex Conrail straight GP38 originally blt. Sep. 1969 as PC 7773.
Cut out of virgin forest adjacent the little used old yard, the $15 million dollar facility opened the prior year. The following information comes from the US Air Force's Military Construction Program Fiscal Year 2011 Budget Estimates justification data submitted to congress February 2010.
Description of Proposed Construction: Construct a railhead complex to include
loading/unloading rail spurs, loading/unloading ramps and staging area for
marshaling tactical vehicles, a container transfer pad, shipping and receiving
building, security fencing, connection to energy monitoring and control systems
(EMCS), and building information systems.
Supporting facilities will include:
utilities, gates, storm drainage, information systems, lighting, site improvements
and information systems. Heating will be provided by a self contained unit.
Mechanical ventilation will be provided for in all areas. This project will comply
with DoD antiterrorism force protection requirements per unified facilities
criteria.
Requirement: This project will support Airborne Brigade Combat Team (ABCT) and
Stryker Brigade Combat Team (SBCT) air and surface deployments, as a rail receiving
and shipping hub for all of Alaska Army Units. The SBCT stationed at Ft Wainwright,
and the Airborne Combat Team require a rail facility to allow equipment to be
shipped by rail to and from the Port of Anchorage. Fort Richardson supports Fort
Wainwright during surface deployment operations and re-deployments. The new rail operations facility will increase the installation's railcar handling capability by
300 percent. Existing capability is about 30 railcars per day; after completion Fort Richardson will have the loading tracks and supporting infrastructure to handle the required 80-100 railcars per day. The need is due to both transformation of the Army forces structure and also changes in the nature of the mission.
Current Situation: The existing facilities consist of lightweight rail and two inadequate end ramps in the warehouse loop area. Current infrastructure will not support required throughput for surface movement required by US Army Alaska. The Stryker vehicle loading and increased movements of both brigades in Alaska is such that rapid rail bed deterioration will occur if the rail system is not upgraded and the facilities augmented with new more substantial facilities and equipment.
Impact if not provided: The existing facilities are not able to meet US Army Alaska's requirement to deploy the Army Units in Alaska within the specified timelines. Rail capability must be provided, at a minimum, which can handle trainsof 80-100 railcar units to/from Fort Wainwright, and other locations throughout
Alaska.
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson
Anchorage, Alaska
Friday November 30, 2012