Traffic And Operation

I've been thinking about the overall level of traffic and how that affected daily operation on the CR&NW. The best description of what ran on the railroad in earlier years is in the 1915 Alaska Engineering Commission report:

The traffic over this road during the months of June, July, August, September, and October, 1914, consisted of the movement of one mixed train, Cordova to Kennecott and return, scheduled to leave at intervals of five or six days, meeting the Alaska Steamship Co.’s boats northbound from Seattle. At infrequent intervals specials were operated for some particular purpose, and the train service was further supplemented by passenger motor car as occasion demanded. This service was increased in November.

The 1913 Alaska Railroad Commission report shows a somewhat different picture:

Three through trains a week are operated between Chitina and Cordova, in addition to a daily freight train from the Kennicott branch.

The overall impression from both of these reports strikes me as somewhat garbled. I think it's generally recognized that the only significant freight traffic source on the CR&NW was the Kennicott mill.

A schedule that appears to be in the Official Guide from 1930 shows a daily train, likely a mixed, between Cordova and Kennicott that took 12 hours for the run.

This would have been interrupted frequently due to snow and washouts, especially of the Copper River crossing at Chitina. For two years in the 1930s, the line did not operate at all, and afterward, it did not operate in the winter.

The statistics in the Wikipedia entry on Kennicott give an idea of how much this traffic was over the years: "In the 27 years of operation, except for 2½ years of shutdown, Kennecott produced 4.625 million tons of ore[.]"

So 25 years of production is 9125 days. During peak years, the mines operated seven days per week, all year. 4.625 million tons divided by 9125 days gives about 508 tons per day. So averaged over all the years of production, leaving out 1933-35 when the mines closed and the railroad shut down, the traffic amounted to about ten 50-ton capacity cars of ore per day. (Since the ore traveled mainly in sacks on steel flat cars, I'm assuming these were 50 ton capacity.)

This suggests that, on average, the daily freight from Kennicott to Cordova mentioned in the 1913 report would have had ten cars. In later years, with the line shut in the winter and the mines producing at a lower level, the freights would have run less than once per day. The peak years for the mines and the railroad were about 1916-1925, when the freights would probably have been longer, but quite possibly not more often than once per day.

So trying to make some sense of the conflicting reports from 1913 and 1915, it sounds as if during peak years, there was a mixed train, possibly from Cordova to Chitina, three times a week. A daily freight ran from Kennicott to Cordova and return. Passenger specials ran as "cruise train" excursions coordinated with steamship arrivals. Other passenger moves were via Model T speeders as needed. After about 1930, operations would have been less, probably combining the mixed trains with the Kennicott freights.

Considering the manual unloading process for the ore sacks at Cordova, it seems unlikely that facilities there could have handled much more than 10-20 cars per day at any time. I would guess that the need to shift cars on the wharf for unloading in years of peak production might have required a switcher in Cordova, presumably one of the lighter locos.

On top of that, there would have been a need to operate rotary outfits during the winter months. Other work extras to fill sinking trackage in the Baird Glacier area and clear rockslides in Abercrombie Canyon would also have been needed with some frequency.

Snow And Rotaries

The 1913 Alaska Railroad Commission report said, "The depths of snow to be expected between Cordova and mile 101 is [sic] from 4 to 14 feet, necessitating the operation of a rotary plow ahead of all trains during the winter months over this section of road." The 1915 Alaska Engineering Commission report expanded on this:

The snow conditions on certain sections of the road in the Copper River Delta are somewhat serious. The snow in these sections stands several feet deep on the level, and the strong prevailing winds blowing down the Copper River Valley cause drifts to form across the track. In some few sections of the line the train must immediately follow the rotary snowplow in order to secure a clear track, so quickly does the drifting snow fill in the opening made. These conditions make it desirable to attach an extra engine and snowplow to the rear of the train, to make it possible to cut back if the train is blocked ahead. The rotaries work on the road, in an average year, from December 1 to March 1.

Here is a photo that appears to show four locomotives on a rotary outfit, with a rotary in front and in back:

Here's a photo from the 1915 Alaska Engineering Commission report:

According to Lone Janson, the CR&NW had four rotaries, "the smallest with a cut of 10 feet 7 inches, the largest with a cut of 12 feet, 6 inches." It appears that all four saw frequent use during the winter. Here us a shot showing two rotaries that worked toward each other:

A steel-bodied rotary appears in a number of photos:





In addition to the rotary, a great deal of manual shovel work was needed to clear the line.


This photo may show a mixed train immediately following a rotary, as described in the 1915 report:



However, in spite of all this effort, the railroad could still be blocked for weeks at a time during the winter. In 1932, the Kennicott mines shut down due to low copper prices, and the railroad largely shut down as well. When the mines resumed production in 1935, the railroad still shut down entirely during the winter to avoid the snowfighting expense.

Equipment: Passenger Cars

Both Poor's and Moody's investment guides to railroads from 1916 list seven passenger cars for the CR&NW, six "first class" cars and one "dining car". The "first class" cars are actually just day coaches, divided into two combines and four coaches. Of the combines, one had a railroad roof, and one a turtleback roof. Of the coaches, one had a turtleback roof and three had railroad roofs. Here are the three railroad-roof coaches and the railroad-roof combine, in an enlargement from a panoramic photo of the first train of ore to leave Kennicott:

Here is a closer view of two railroad-roof coaches behind a 2-8-0. The one closest to the camera is numbered 100. The one behind the loco is numbered 102.

This photo shows both the turtleback-roof combine and the turtleback-roof coach. I haven't been able to discover numbers on these.

What is usually called the "dining car" is probably best described as a diner-lounge-observation, used in conjunction with excursion trains to the "Million Dollar" bridge. Both the US government reports of 1913 and 1915 note that the railroad operated these trains, and the 1938 ICC abandonment petition noted that the railroad had continued to run them into the late period. They would have been day excursions over the 49 miles to the bridge and back, operated in conjunction with steamships that were providing what we would now call cruises, and the "dining car" would probably have provided some type of premium meal service, perhaps with passengers in the coaches rotating through different seatings. This type of amenity continues on Alaskan railroads to the present.

Here is a general view of the "dining car" about to leave Cordova on a cruise train:

Considering the crowd, this was probably a special event, quite possibly President Harding's visit to Cordova during his 1923 Alaska tour, which ended in his sudden illness and untimely death. The lady seated fourth from the left in the view below of the observation platrorm may be Mrs Harding:

This is a later-period cruise train, since the "dining car" is evident as the last car in the train:


While the "dining car" was apparently used almost exclusively in cruise service, I believe it's the last car on the train shown below, since all five of the cars are railroad-roofed. Considering the bunting, it was some type of special train run in the 1920s.

The regular passenger service on the CR&NW was via mixed trains. The government reports from the 1910s say they were three round trips per week. The ICC abandonment petition indicates that by 1938, they had decreased to two round trips per week. In earlier years, additional cars were added to the rear of the mixed when needed to accommodate the passenger load:

By the end of operation, this had been reduced to a single car.

Equipment: The 2-6-0s

The CR&NW had three Alco 2-6-0s built about 1907, numbered 100-102. They were the smallest modern locos on the railroad and seem mostly to have been used on construction trains, passenger excursions, specials, and rotary outfits. Almost no photos show them on the line beyond Chitina. The first photo is of a very early excursion in Cordova in 1909, clearly not yet converted to oil:

Here is 102 about 1911 in snowy conditions with canvas stretched over the cab and tender:

An early photo of one at Bridge 27A. Given its condition and the low maintenance apparent in later photos, it's probably almost new here, and the train may be made up for the camera:

One of the class on the inspection train carrying then-Lieutenant Frederick Mears on a 1914 Alaska Engineering Commission inspection of the CR&NW:

One of the class pulling the first train into Chitina in 1910. It looks like it is still a coal burner at this time.

Here is Loco 101 at the Bridge 49 construction camp in 1910, also still a coal burner:

Here is Loco 101, according to the caption in use by the US Army in Cordova following abandonment:

However, the last car in the train appears to be the CR&NW's "dining car", which makes me wonder if it is actually a late-period excursion run in connection with a steamship arrival in Cordova.

The 2-6-0s turned up frequently on rotary outfits; the standard assignment was four locos, with the 2-8-2s apparently least used in this service. The first two locos on this outfit appear to be 2-6-0s:

The loco in the foreground is a 2-6-0:

Regarding disposition, as I mentioned earlier with the 2-8-0s, the Alaska Rails site has pointed out that what we have for the CR&NW is largely misinformation. Lone Janson says that at least one, and possibly all three, of the 2-6-0s went to the Alaska Railroad, but the Alaska Rails roster of ARR steam locos does not list any from the CR&NW. While the ARR had many 2-6-0s, these came from the Panama Canal via the AEC, and the ARR was beginning to scrap them when the CR&NW put its locos on the market in 1938. It did not take any from the CR&NW.

For anyone who might consider modeling the CR&NW or some of its equipment, the Bachmann HO 2-6-0 is reasonably close to the CR&NW locos.

Equipment: The 2-8-2s

The CR&NW's last locomotive purchase was five Alco 2-8-2s, delivered in two batches: 70-72 in 1915 and 73-74 in 1917. While these reflected modern standards of design, with a wide firebox, trailing truck, and superheaters, they had only 48 inch drivers. Usual driver size for 2-8-2s was either 56 or 63 inches. Here is an Alco builders photo of 72:

However, a generally comparable loco, even to its region of use, was Canadian Forest Products Ltd 113, a 1920 Alco oil burning 2-8-2, also with 48 inch drivers.

In other words, the CR&NW 2-8-2s were basically logging locos, not main line common-carrier locos. This goes to their eventual buyers after abandonment, the McCloud River Railroad, a logging line, which bought 72 and 73 in 1938 when the CR&NW was abandoned, and the Midland Terminal, a Colorado mountain ore carrier, which bought 70 and 74 in 1940. Below is the Alco specification card for these locos, courtesy of Stephen Low:

The earlier 2-6-0 and 2-8-0 locos from the Morgan-Guggenheim 1907 orders were basic main line locos of their period, with 56 inch drivers. The change is explained by the 1915 decision of the Alaska Engineering Commission and President Wilson to bypass the CR&NW on its rail route to Fairbanks. The big steel bridges on the CR&NW between miles 27 and 49 were appropriate if the CR&NW would be extended to the interior (preferably after sale to the US government). Without the extension, the CR&NW's only traffic would be the output of the Kennicott mines, which Morgan-Guggenheim knew would be depleted in a fairly short time.

Thus new locomotives to meet the demand for copper caused by World War I would be designed for a different set of circumstances. The "temporary" Copper River trestle at Chitina, with its 4% approaches, would never be replaced with a steel bridge. The sections of main line built below their eventual planned level would never be raised. Like similar logging and mining railroads elsewhere in North America, it was now understood that the rails were there temporarily while a resource was extracted.

Because the 2-8-2s arrived after the CR&NW's construction period, and after the decision to bypass the railroad for the route to Fairbanks, there aren't many photos of them to be found on the web. South-Central Alaska was not on the usual railfan itinerary. Here's a photo of loco 70:

Loco 71 in McCarthy:

74 in Kennicott:

Here is by far the best photo I've found, Loco 70 with main rods removed, in 1940 being shipped to the Midland Terminal, where it became number 62.

Courtesy of Stephen Low, here are the actual dispositions of the 2-8-2s:

70 Sold to the Midland Terminal Railway as #62 in 1940, then in 1948 to the Nor-Oeste de Mexicano (Mexican North Western) as #200, to Chihuahua Pacific No. 200 and scrapped 1964. Photographed by Otto Perry at Colorado City, Colo., May 28, 1941.

71 Permanently sidelined at Cordova roundhouse in 1936. Photographed there in 1941 and 1943 without a tender and with no visible signs of damage to the locomotive.

Bought by Alaska Rail Road (US Army) but never used, engine was scrapped c. 1947. Tender survives today after use by ARR rotary snow plough #3. The tender was sold for scrap with ARR #557 but both were purchased privately and the #557 is being restored. Below from Ron Simpson's blog:

In 1936 the boiler on no. 71 blew up while the engine was at the service bay in Chitina, killing the fireman and seriously burning the engineer. The engine was hauled back to Cordova and permanently sidelined there, leaving the other four to carry the load. The fifth Mikado was no longer essential due to the diminished requirements of mine production.

Email from John Coombs, Alaska Rails: “Some castings on the tender are dated 9/1915, which implies that this tender was delivered with the first batch of CR&NW mikes # 70, 71, 72. But in the early 1980's you could see the paint remnant of "73" on the rear of the tender; also a centered "3" on the side from its use with the ARR rotary snow plough.”

72 McCloud River #26 in 1938. Via Jeff Moore of McCloud Rails,the scrapping date for the CR&NW #72 (McCloud #26) was 11/55 72 McCloud River #26 in 12/1938, Cost $8,173.08 f.o.b. Mt. Shasta, plus $1,442.51 conditioning. Sold 11/1955 through Luria Brothers (dealer) for scrap.

73 McCloud River #27 in 1938. May have suffered a boiler explosion on CR&NW, but if so it was repaired and returned to service. However, this would need to have happened before 1930 when it was obvious that the rich copper ore was running out. Book records of the 73’s “boiler explosion” by non-railroad orientated authors are confusing. From Jeff Moore, 73 McCloud River #27 in 11/1938. Cost $8,151.31 f.o.b. Mt. Shasta City, plus $1,250.13 conditioning. Sold summer 1953 to Sixth Street Auto Wrecking Company for scrap.

74 Midland Terminal #63. Also sold to the Nor-Oeste de Mexicano (Mexican North Western) as #201, to Chihuahua Pacific No. 201, scrapped 1964.

A 2-8-2 is the second loco out on this rotary outfit, mixed with 2-8-0s and 2-6-0s.

Here is another 70 class loco on another rotary outfit:

Here is one of the 2-8-2s on what must be the usual late-period mixed train to Kennicott.

The photo is captioned "Approaching Kennicott from McCarthy", and since the turntable was in McCarthy, I'm assuming the whole train is running in reverse, with the mikado shoving.

Equipment: The 4-6-0s

The Copper River & Northwestern had two 4-6-0s, numbered 50 and 51. Loco 50 was an ex-Southern Pacific Rogers loco of 1881. According to Janson, it had been sold to the Valdez-Yukon Railroad, a paper enterprise, numbered 101, but never actually used there. Michael Heney acquired it for his Copper River Railway and had it moved to Cordova in September, 1906, where he used it in construction prior to the merger with the CR&NW. Loco 51 was a former Alaska Central loco, possibly acquired from the AC when it went bankrupt in 1908. The AC had four locos numbered 1-4, but 1-3 passed to the Alaska Northern and then the Alaska Engineering Commission, so I am assuming this was AC 4.

According to the Alaska Rails site, rolling stock records for the Alaska Central and Alaska Northern prior to acquisition by the AEC were poorly kept and eventually destroyed in a fire, so the identity of the AC loco that went to the CR&NW as number 51 is a mystery. Here is a photo from Alaska Rails of Alaska Central 3, which may have been a sister:

This bears some resemblance to a loco that I think is CR&NW 51, but this is pure speculation on my part. Corrections will be greatly appreciated.

Here are photos of loco 50 on construction trains:



Here is loco 50 at the completion ceremony in Kennicott:

It's worth pointing out that in the photo of Alaska-Yukon 101 in the Janson book, the loco has acetylene headlights, but in all CR&NW photos it has large box-type oil headlights. Loco 51, however, had acetylene headlights. Here's the clincher, a photo of both 50 and 51 on an early rotary outfit:

Loco 50 is closest to the camera; 51 is ahead of it. I believe this is a photo of 51:

Note that the bell is closer to the steam dome on 50, farther forward on 51. The injector pipes also leave 51's cab at a higher level than on 50. Otherwise, not much difference.

I don't have information on when 51 arrived in Cordova, although it may have corresponded with the AC's 1908 bankruptcy. On the other hand, Michael Heney appears to have sourced locos in Alaska and second-hand, while the Morgan-Guggenheim syndicate bought new, so 51's acquisition may have been earlier than 1908. By the same token, while 50 is noted in the Janson book as doing switching service after the CR&NW was abandoned, there is no information on when 51 stopped being used, nor what its disposition was.

As always, insights, corrections, and additional information are most welcome.

Equipment: The 2-8-0s

The Copper River & Northwestern had four 2-8-0s, built by the Rhode Island Locomotive Works in 1907, numbered 20-23. There aren't many good photos of these locos, and a post-World War II photo of 23 suggests the story isn't as simple as it may seem at first glance.

Here is a photo of 20, soon after arrival:

Here's the other side of 20, also when new. I'm wondering if this train was put together for the camera.

The locos burned coal when new. Here is an unidentified member of the class at mile 49 on a photo special, probably in 1914 as part of the Alaska Engineering Commission visit. It is still a coal burner:

Notice that 20 and the unidentified loco clearly have slide valves, a common feature for the era. Here is an enlargement of a cropped view of a panorama photo of the first ore train to leave Kennicott. It looks like both locos are 2-8-0s, and both have slide valves:

They are both still coal burners. They have bunting on the tenders to commemorate the first train.

But now we have a problem, or actually, a couple of problems. Number 23, the last of the class, according to the Alaska Rails site remained in Cordova after abandonment, was used there by the Army during the war, and was then taken to Seward to serve briefly with the Army there. Here's the photo from that page:

In addition to a plow, which the CR&NW may have added, loco 23 also has piston valves. Why the difference in a small class? Here is an unidentified 2-8-0 on a late-period passenger train, also with piston valves:

This photo also shows, in addition to an electric headlight, a modernized boiler-tube pilot.

The writeup on the Alaska Rails site also strongly suggests that the disposition information on this and many other CR&NW locos is fantasy. We know, from the example of the White Pass & Yukon, that there was no market for scrap metal in Alaska, and unused locomotives simply sat where they'd been last used for many years. Exactly what happened to the other 2-8-0s (and most other CR&NW locos, for that matter) is a mystery.

Here is a diagram of 23 as it was in Seward:

If anyone can provide information on why 23 had piston valves and the disposition of the rest of the class, it will be greatly appreciated.