Alaska Railroad Denali Star Goldstar Service Fairbanks to Anchorage

welcome aboard alaska's greatest rail journey this is the denali star it takes 12 hours from fairbanks to anchorage through 350 miles of alaska's rugged interior in this video you'll see the alaska railroad's famous gold star service the very best they have to offer on this their flagship route through the last frontier hello jet setters and rail fans i'm jeb brooks from greenergrass.com coming to you from fairbanks right now we're about to try out the alaska railroad let's get on board this is another leg in our wilderness to waikiki adventure in which we travel to alaska and then on to hawaii you'll find links to the rest of the episodes in the description below like most passengers we broke up our time on the denali star with a stopover in denali national park but we'll share that in a separate video this one is all about the entire 12-hour journey to anchorage so let's get on board our train was due to leave the station at 8 15 and we arrived about 7 15 so we'd have plenty of time to check in and check out the train the station was already bustling the alaska railroad considers this the denali star their flagship route but the railroad offers other routes including along the coast we needed to check our bags because there was only space for backpacks in our car fairbanks train depot opened in may 2005 and is a beautiful facility it's even home to a model railroad which is well worth a visit and the transition from the models to the real thing is easy in fairbanks just step outside this train offers two classes of service gold star and adventure class adventure classes roomy with huge windows and access to a shared dome car adventure class passengers can buy food and drinks on board gold star is in a newer dome car and gold star passengers on this route like us get breakfast lunch and dinner in the dining room along with two free alcoholic drinks from the bar we'll talk about more differences throughout the trip the alaska railroad provides power to these private cars which were originally reserved for cruise passengers today they're bookable by independent travelers too but as our ticket was for the alaska railroad and not this company we couldn't check it out people began gathering in the boarding areas so we headed that way and pulled out our tickets gold star passengers receive pins to wear so the staff can readily identify who they are boarding was smooth and on time as gold star passengers our seats were located upstairs in a car with a kitchen bathrooms and a dining room below [Music] our reserved seats ate c and d on the right side of the train in the direction of travel were equivalent to nearly every other one only the first row of the first car has any real advantage it's the view out the front but as we learned once we were underway it was pretty easy to move throughout the car seats appear to be randomly assigned we couldn't find a way to pick them on our own there's a tray table seat back pocket and foot rest there's room for that carry-on bag down here too but as i mentioned if you have more than that you'll have to check it if you're in gold star class there's just no room every passenger on this train was allowed to check up to two bags weighing 50 pounds each these are really nice seats but the greatest feature of course are the massive windows and you'll be taking in some pretty incredible scenery through them in this video we were invited to head downstairs for breakfast even before the train pulled out of the station this is a very efficient operation this is getting exciting this is getting pretty exciting shortly after we sat down the train began its long slow journey out of the rail yard [Music] first time i trained with a tablecloth what is this we were given menus they have all three meals on them pause it to read it more carefully but i wasn't gonna say no to eggs and reindeer sausage drinks were listed on the back [Music] and just like that that familiar relaxation that only a train can provide swept over us [Music] coffee arrived and before too long breakfast appeared we left civilization behind as we stared into miles and miles of seemingly endless forest downstairs you'll also find two bathrooms which are sufficient this is not an overnight train and there are no showers on board [Music] that said the warning signs in the bathroom are evidence that these are sensitive machines remember to show [Music] respect back upstairs i headed out onto the second story outdoor viewing platform i'm not sure there's a better way to take in the alaska wilderness [Music] we were so fortunate to be in this first car because it meant amazing views through the front of the train on our second leg we were in the second gold star car which provided a different experience in addition to the dining room downstairs and the outdoor viewing platform each gold star car has a bar which is staffed for the entirety of the trip it offers a wide variety of drinks again gold star passengers get two free alcoholic drinks and unlimited non-alcoholic ones here given the early hour it just made sense to toast nature with a bloody mary [Music] back in our seats most everyone else was downstairs eating which meant i got to check out the seats reclined without bothering anyone not a ton to offer but all in i was pretty comfortable for this trip there's no in-seat power but the staff have you covered with this charging station near the bar [Music] around milepost 414 i headed to the front of the car to get a good view of the mirs memorial bridge this was the last part of the alaska railroad to be built before it was finished in 1923 ferries were used to move freight and people across the tanana river during the winter the railroad laid temporary tracks across the frozen water this bridge which is 702 feet long is one of the longest single span railroad bridges in the united states and it's mostly original to its 1923 completion date [Music] in fact it was near here on july 15 1923 that then president warren g harding drove a ceremonial's gold spike into the ground to complete the construction of the railroad if you're so inclined you can check out the spike in the smithsonian building a railroad in this environment is no easy task not only is it remote but much of the ground is permafrost now permafrost is ground that remains completely frozen for at least two years straight it makes laying rail lines really difficult and in swampy areas like much of the route the permafrost is close to the surface and acts like a basin that prevents [Music] drainage [Music] everyone on board had their eyes sharp for wildlife alaska truly is the last frontier and seeing beaver moose and even bear along this route is not unusual [Music] do the nana river canyon was the most beautiful part of this ride thus far but it was a nearly impossible stretch for the builders of the alaska railroad [Music] because of the large amounts of gravel and unstable soil landslides were constant risk now this rugged landscape was just a sampling of what we'd see inside denali national park again we took a break here but in this video you'll stay on board keep watching to see the rest of the journey to anchorage the views only get better as you can see there's not a lot of room between this sheer cliff and that river as we got closer to the denali national park entrance evidence of human presence became more obvious on a clear day you might catch a glimpse of the massive mountain from which the park derives its name but we didn't on this day our sighting would come later like most of the passengers we hopped off here at denali park station just before lunch after bidding a fond farewell to our train we had three nights to spend way back at the end of the denali park road about six hours into the park by bus [Music] for the next few days we hiked explored and even did some bush flying but that's all in the next episode of the wilderness to waikiki adventure for now let's get back on board [Music] we arrived back at denali park station just as our train pulled in it was even bigger for today's onward journey two engines and two baggage cars three gold star cars the wilderness cafe car two adventure class cars an adventure class dome car and three wilderness express cars if this train is any indication alaska's tourism industry is buzzing and on this leg i checked out the whole train after an absolutely incredible couple of days in denali it's time to get back on the alaska railroad and make our way over to anchorage so let's go check out gold star service on the second part of this trip again boarding was smooth and on time despite the cottonwood seeds that blew around like snow [Music] this time we were booked into the second car which meant we no longer had that unobstructed view forward [Music] we left the station a little later than our scheduled 12 30 departure time and the engineer would spend the rest of the trip trying to make up for that little hiccup he'd do his best to get us back to anchorage under scheduled eight o'clock arrival time but spoiler alert we arrived about 17 minutes late honestly i don't think many passengers minded a bit of extra time on board with such amazing things to see and pretty much the instant we pulled out of denali park station the views were jaw-dropping and awe-inspiring the alaska railroad made the decision to reduce the frequency of their service during the summer 2021 season however tourists did not take the hint and there were a lot of people including us traveling the state [Music] we were impressed with what we saw on the way from fairbanks but that was nothing compared to what this afternoon had in store for us and almost immediately we were back in the groove [Music] shortly it was time for lunch and would you believe our luck we made some new friends when we were in the park and as we boarded by pure chance they were in the row behind us we ended up eating together which made the experience so much better you've gotta love travel serendipity [Music] so [Music] after lunch we headed back upstairs just in time for the train to come to a stop on the hurricane gulch trestle this bridge spans 914 feet nearly 300 feet above the creek our conductor announced that we were lucky that the engineer decided to stop apparently it's not something they do every day but it sure was beautiful and served as an opportunity to reflect on just how difficult such an engineering feat would be today let alone back in 1921 when it was built this trestle is the most expensive and difficult to build along the entire route they say the engineers slowly eased forward so those toward the back of the train could enjoy the same view we just had but then it was time to move on next we pulled into hurricane a flag stop that earned its name thanks to the high winds in the area at a flag stop unlike one that's scheduled the train only stops when it's requested today a large group needed to get on here so we stopped our conductor hopped off greeted these passengers and helped them back on for many who live in more remote corners of alaska this is a welcome connection to the rest of the state and the world beyond we made several of these flag stops along the way and it was a great way to remember this is not an amusement park ride but an important means of public [Music] transportation [Music] at that point i decided to explore the train i always enjoy walking through a train it gives me a sense of the scale of what's happening these are tremendous machines as i mentioned earlier this is a long one there are a few of these adventure class cars be sure to check out simply railway's review of this experience i'll link to it below for what it's worth there's way more room for baggage in adventure class than in gold star in addition adventure class had this dome car which was really cool well cool in every sense but temperature it was it was really hot up here i also discovered this space which i think may have been a gift shop at one point i'm not sure next there was the wilderness cafe car which has both hot and cold grab-and-go items for sale you can also buy drinks here there was seating too [Music] our train also had three gold star cars just like ours as i made my way back i ran into a fellow gold star passenger and subscriber jake who stopped me to say hello what do you think the alaska railroad um i think it's awesome like this is the most scenery like besides the uh the the train that goes to colorado and the amtrak i think it's like the best in america absolutely incredible yeah well thanks so much for watching and see on the rails oh yeah see ya if you ever see me on the rails or in the sky i hope you'll stop me and say hello too the absolute best part of this youtube adventure has been connecting with like-minded travel and transportation enthusiasts like you [Music] after my stroll through the train it was time to head back to my seat and settle in with suzanne for some more views before dinner soon we were at a scheduled stop in talkeetna with less than 900 residents talkeetna's population must swell significantly when the train pulls into town a handful of people got off and a few more got on here but our stop in talkeetna did not last long passed through more wilderness including this section north of willow which burned in 2019 we headed back downstairs for dinner the food as we'd come to expect was hearty and tasty as we waited for the food signs of civilization became more and more frequent [Music] we ate with our friends again which meant between the four of us we tried everything on the menu the reindeer billionaires gumbo and pot roast all earned rave reviews from their respective diners as for me i chose the reindeer which reminded me of my experience flying with sas on board their inaugural a350 flight from copenhagen to chicago in january 2020 i'll link to it below but our wilderness adventure was drawing to a close as we approached wasilla we saw the first urban sprawl since leaving fairbanks but the term urban sprawl is certainly relative in alaska where this is the view out your back window [Music] we crossed the matanuska river when the train's wait staff brought around cheesecake for dessert when it comes to the food on board if you're expecting michelin stars you'll be disappointed but if you come with the expectation you'll get a hearty meal with a side of amazing scenery you'll be extremely happy at one point we slowed down long enough for some railroad workers to hop on board before accelerating to some of our highest speeds of the day 60 miles per hour as our engineer worked hard to get us back on schedule this was an absolutely fantastic way to travel through alaska's interior i'd do it again in a heartbeat and traveling in gold star made it even more special if you find yourself in alaska you absolutely have to consider a journey on board alaska railroads and trains again they offer a number of routes in addition to this one including along the coast when the anchorage skyline appeared everyone shifted a bit in their seats with the knowledge that this trip was coming to an end we arrived into anchorage only 17 minutes late after an absolutely incredible experience this was hands down my best travel day ever as i've mentioned i'll provide links to the rest of the story in the description below oh and by the way thanks to incredible demand for this service there was not room for all the suitcases that included ours as you see everyone who boarded at denali which was most everybody had their bags delivered by truck and that was fine by me it meant we didn't have to wait for them to be unloaded between now and the next time see on the rails

Channel: Jeb Brooks

Views: 471,650

Rating: 4.9298038 out of 5

Keywords: alaska railroad, alaska train, alaska travel, denali star, alaska trip, denali national park, train ride, alaska train ride, alaska trip summer, goldstar service, fairbanks to anchorage, anchorage to fairbanks, alaska railroad goldstar service, alaska railroad anchorage to denali, alaska railroad passenger train, alaska train ride tour, alaska railroad denali star

Id: kIJoUNP2-v4

Length: 22min 50sec (1370 seconds)

Published: Sat Jul 17 2021

Reddit Comments

[u/tanj_redshirt]

I want to do this trip, and found this video informative.