A 3,144-foot-long Alaska Railroad freight train ran into avalanche debris south of Girdwood on Tuesday, derailing two of its engines. Girdwood Fire and Rescue helped evacuate two crew members — who were unharmed — from the lead locomotive.
The 3,144-foot long freight train itself and its 6,091 tons of freight were still out there on Tuesday afternoon. Terry said safety assessments and planning are underway, and more information will come Wednesday.
“Any crews out there will only be during daylight hours just for safety reasons,” Terry said. “We’ll be able to finalize more of our plans to re-rail the locomotives and continue that freight train’s movement.”Wendy Wagner, director of Chugach National Forest Avalanche Center, said weather Monday night made conditions ripe for avalanches across Girdwood, Turnagain Pass and eastern Turnagain Arm.
“We had a quick hitting storm that actually put more – double the amount of snow than was expected overnight. So we call that sort of a quick, rapid loading situation, and that came in also with wind,” Wagner said. “When you get weather that comes in that quick, you can get natural avalanches, avalanches that just occur because of the weather.”
Shelby with DOT reminded drivers to check the state’s traveler information phone number, mobile app or“Definitely check 511 before traveling,” Shelby said. “That’s where the most up to date information will be regarding any conditions affecting the highway, avalanche or otherwise.”Alaska Public Media is our partner station in Anchorage. KTOO collaborates with partners across the state to cover important news and to share stories with our audiences.
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