Miles 57 to 66 Baird Glacier

Both the 1913 Alaska Railroad Commission and the 1915 Alaska Engineering Commission reports discussed this section of track in some detail. The roadbed through here was laid on the terminal moraine of the Baird Glacier, and beneath the moraine was permafrost. The issues involved potential advance of the glacier onto the roadbed, melting of the permafrost, and flooding from the glacier's discharge water. The 1913 report contained this diagram:

The 1915 report went on,

Due to the melting of the ice beneath the gravel and crushed rock, additional maintenance is necessary to keep up the track. In the early days of construction considerable trouble was experienced, but during the past year [1914] At some points, where the track was formerly laid through a cut, it now lies on top of a shallow fill, the grade of the cut having settled to that extent.

Here is a plate from one of the reports:

Here is a distant view of the glacier:

This photo shows part of the glacier ice near the track, covered with brush:

The 1915 report went on:

The Baird Glacier at this point seems to have no movement, the difficulty encountered being the settling of the track due to thawing action rather than to any lateral movement. That the Baird Glacier might advance over the terminal moraine toward the river and destroy the railroad is rather a remote possibility.

At the northern end of this section (miles 62 to 66) the line is carried over the discharge waters of the Baird Glacier. Like all of these glacial streams, the channels carrying water are constantly changing, having a tendency to form strong currents carrying driftwood at one or two points, thus taking out the wooden trestles. The swift waters also take out the embankments here and there, unless properly riprapped with heavy rock. The commission saw an example of this action between miles 65 and 66.

This trouble can be largely overcome by providing suitable openings to carry the flood discharge of the waters and by riprapping the embankment in place to prevent destruction. This work was being done. The commission wishes to call attention to the fact that there is a constant filling-in process going on around these trestles. The glacial waters carry a large amount of sediment, gravel, and debris, particularly in their flood stage, not many years being required to fill in around the track. The only remedy for this condition is to raise the grade of the track, which would require higher embankments and new bridges.

While the line of the Copper River & Northwestern Railroad at mile 65 will undoubtedly handle the traffic with its present track for some time to come, the commission is of the opinion that the grade of this track will ultimately have to be raised for the reasons given.

Here are plates from the 1915 report: