Railroad Alaska

[BIGNASTY]

Anyone from AK Live along this? We have had some folks that have inquired about some of the ideas that we have come up with living off grid. We are off grid, but from what we have talked about with these people and seen on TV, THESE PEOPLE ARE REALLY OFF GRID!!! but yet they live in what appears to be not much more than shacks!! Must be some tough folks is all I know.

 

[mfurrh55]

Where's the pics?

 

[BIGNASTY]

Pic's of what mfurrh? watch the show on TV its pretty interesting to see the life that these folks lead, I wouldn't mind living like they do in the place they do, but would have to have a better cave in which to do it.

http://www.tvrage.com/shows/id-36248

 

[mfurrh55]

Pic's of what mfurrh? watch the show on TV its pretty interesting to see the life that these folks lead, I wouldn't mind living like they do in the place they do, but would have to have a better cave in which to do it.

Sorry i thought you were posting some pics and they didn't come thru, never saw it, guess i don't get that show, Monte

 

[JCasper]

I saw one episode. Kinda crazy.

How far off the grid are you, what kind of accommodations.

 

[DonFitzwater]

The railroad runs parallel to the highway that links Fairbanks and anchorage. They are off the grid but it makes things a lot easier when you have the railroad to deliver your junk.

People on the rivers have a harder go of it depending where they live and if barge service is available.

 

[BIGNASTY]

I saw one episode. Kinda crazy.

How far off the grid are you, what kind of accommodations.

JCasper
Saying we are off grid in our case is just that we are not hooked up to the outside world via the services that are at the Hwy. We could have had Co-op electricity, telephone service. The electrical service is very expensive and it seems to keep rising for those that have it, one family member does use it and have thought about making the move to a Solar, wind, aux. generator with a bank of batteries like the other 2 family members besides us have. The cost of the off grid power system was not much more than having the power poles installed the transformer and line put in that we would have had to pay for, and then to have had to pay a monthly bill? we choose to have our own system and be done with it. Its more work but well worth it, others in the area have made the move to the so called off grid system. Our phone is Cell and we are using Hughes Net to be talking on the internet. Our house is pretty much like any other, we used the SIP's method of construction and have well water. Our home sits on 35 acres that is 400yrds off the hwy. There are no power poles and lines to look at. The local power has been down for the last couple of days because of the weather, our place still is working as good as it ever has.

The railroad runs parallel to the highway that links Fairbanks and anchorage. They are off the grid but it makes things a lot easier when you have the railroad to deliver your junk.

People on the rivers have a harder go of it depending where they live and if barge service is available.

I was hoping that one of the guys from AK would chime in.

We have been talking to some people that use the train to commute to and from the outside world, these people are what I consider OFF GRID. In some pictures that they sent to us they had a couple of trucks in the background so at least in their case they have access to the home in the summer without using the train, but in some of the pictures the snow is way to deep to use a truck. They have no phone service and use Hughes Net like us to be on the Net.

I didn't know about the one's that live along the rivers, could be another show in the future who knows. Seems like more and more people are choosing to get away from the so called normal way of living.

 

[dkoldno7]

The railroad runs parallel to the highway that links Fairbanks and anchorage. They are off the grid but it makes things a lot easier when you have the railroad to deliver your junk.

People on the rivers have a harder go of it depending where they live and if barge service is available.

The railroad between Talkeenta and Hurricane,and also Nenana to just short of Fairbanks is a few miles from any highway.

dkoldno7 retired Engineer Alaska Railroad

 

[BIGNASTY]

The railroad between Talkeenta and Hurricane,and also Nenana to just short of Fairbanks is a few miles from any highway.

dkoldno7 retired Engineer Alaska Railroad

Watching the show they were talking about the train hitting Moose, one Railroad worker said that the train ran OVER the Moose and he felt the train lift up off the tracks. I don't know how much an engine weighs but I do know its A LOT!! I don't know if this was just TV hype of what. kind a cool way to live I think, if its not to expensive for the train I guess would be the only prohibitive part, if you would only make a trip or two a month I guess it wouldn't be so bad.

Not much to bother anyone out there by the looks of it :-laf

 

[dkoldno7]

:-

Watching the show they were talking about the train hitting Moose, one Railroad worker said that the train ran OVER the Moose and he felt the train lift up off the tracks. I don't know how much an engine weighs but I do know its A LOT!! I don't know if this was just TV hype of what. kind a cool way to live I think, if its not to expensive for the train I guess would be the only prohibitive part, if you would only make a trip or two a month I guess it wouldn't be so bad.


Not much to bother anyone out there by the looks of it :-laf

1500 # moose vs.425000 loco motive I know its hype but boy'o'boy do the ravens like that bite sized moose after the engine tear it up.:-

 

[DonFitzwater]

Just a little map

 

[BIGNASTY]

Have some footage that shows some truly magnificent looking country!!!