Welcome Home! - The Alaska Railroad's last active steam locomotive, #557, has returned after a 46 1/2 year hiatus in the lower 48. #557 is a Baldwin Locomotive Works class S-160 2-8-0 Consolidation built for the US Army Transportation Corps. and diverted to Alaska in December 1944. Retired and shipped out of state in 1965, she was purchased by a wealthy Alaskan philanthropic family, repatriated to the Last Frontier, and donated back to the ARR with the provision she must be returned to active service within 8 years. To learn more about her and see many historic photos click HERE to check out John Comb's excellent site on all things ARR. This particular link will take you specifically to the section on #557. In this photo she can be seen enroute from Whittier to Anchorage behind twin GP40-2s skimming along the icy shoreline of Turnagain Arm near Beluga Point near MP 99.5 on the Alaska Divison Mainline on a splendid winter afternoon.
