Turn-Outs Along Alaska Railroad
To Serve as Test of Moose I.Q.
What’s the I.Q. of a moose?
That’s what The Alaska Railroad
wants to know.
Whether the animals are smart
enough to take refuge in 45 degree
turnouts along the railroad tracks
rather than argue with two to
three thousand tons of train
should soon be determined.
Plagued by the worst problem
in recent years, the railroad is
now in the throes of hacking out
angular turnouts in snowbanks
bordering the mainline. It might
work. At least railroaders are
hoping it will shorten the moose
fatality list.
A similar system proved fruit
less in previous experiments
north of Anchorage. But rail
roaders reckoned that the path
ways to safety were usually made
perpendicular to the roadway. As
a result, Mr. Moose, who prefers
the snow-free tracks to bucking
deep drifts, scooted past the sanc
tuaries.
With the turnouts at an angle,
the entrance will be more obvious
and Alaska Railroad men think
that maybe the moose can be
"switched” off the mainline.
A bull dozer is working north
and south of Montana, Mile 209.3,
blading out the experimental
turnouts. Section crews in the
critical area, generally defined as*
being between Houston, Mile
174.9, and Curry, Mile 248.5, are'
also scooping free “parking lots”:
out of the snowbanks.
In an effort to explore every j
angle, railroad snow fleet spread
ing machines are pushing back
banks sufficiently to allow moose
spacious sidewalks between snow
embankments and passing trains.
But how to educate moose?
That’s The Alaska Railroad’s big
problem. Oscillating lights, pierc
ing whistles, fusees, steam and;
even snowballs have failed to
budgfe the road blocks. j
If he feels like it, Mr. Moose J
will lope along ahead of a train)
for a dozen miles or more. Whenj
he gets tired, he may just sit j
down. Or should it be Monday—-i
and perchance he doesn’t like j
Mondays—he is apt to take a I
crack at the locomotive — head]
first! .
As a result a good many moose
axe “expressed” to the happy j
hunting grounds. And an equal j
number of trains arrive hour?!
late at the next station. I
In bygone days bridges were a)
sizeable problem. Moose tried toj
span the streams and rivers via}
the structures. This meant certain j
disaster—a broken leg, a moo*e'
to be killed and a train delay i
And wrestling a half ton of moose j
a .. —.. , .
NORTHERN
NEON !
- CORP.
SIGNS
* . . I
Trucks, Cars Lettered
Manufacturers of |
.Neon Signs, Marquees/ I
Store Fronts and Tube j
Lighting
540 Barrow-Dial 43734 j
ANCHORAGE. ALASKA '
on a bridge left section men hang
ing on the ropes.
Now the railroad has placed
aluminum sheeting on all the
bridges in the danger area so that
moose can’t step between bridge
ties.
When snow becomes five to six
feet deep, as it is now, the prob
lem becomes increasingly worse.
Faster travelling freight and pas
senger trains make quick steps
less likely
For years now the Fish and
Wildlife Service has worked in
conjunction with The Alaska
Railroad to curb the slaughter.
But a good answer is still needed.
“The railroad is spending thou
sands of dollars and doing every
thing possible to avoid killing
moose,” according to Holgar Lar
sen, FWS enforcement agent.
Larsen points out that all meat
from the kills is being put to good
use. The ARR section crew, near
est the kill, butchers the animal
and sends the meat to the nearest
Fish and Wildlife agent.
“Moose meat has been sent to
practically every native village
and mission,” Larsen declares.
“Absolutely none of it is wasted.”
Other charitable groups like the
Salvation Army, mission homes,
orphanages, and needy groups get
their share. It has even been
added to the school lunch pro
gram at Anchorage, Wasilla and
'Palmer.
Meantime, railroaders are striv
ing desperately to reduce the
kills. Fingers are crossed that the
45 degree turnouts will sidetrack
Streams Closed
All lakes and tributaries in the
following drainages will be closed
to fishing from March 16 through
May 31, it was announced by the
Fish and Wildlife service this
week.
Big Lake, Cottonwood Lake,
Fire Lake, Lake Lucille and Wa
silla Lake.
In making the announcement,
F&W officials pointed out that
the closed season is to protect
the fish during the spawning pe
riod this spring.
"Family Night* Enjoyed I
By Student Farmers
“Family night” was enjoyed by
more than 35 students and their
families Monday night when Eu
gene Kirsh’s on-the-farm training
class gathered at the school gym
to enjoy a get-acquainted pro
gram.
Mr. Don Irwin, director of the
Alaska Research Administration,
was introduced to the group by
Mr. Kirsh and spoke on family
living and farming problems in
Alaska.
Many farming problems pre
sented by Mr. Irwin paralleled
present-day problems to be found
in Alaska. How the experiment
station and laboratory are helping
overcome these problems was also
explained by Mr. Irwin.
Mr. Kirsh holds regular class
instruction meetings each Monday
night at the Rec hall for on-the
farm students. A pot-luck lunch
was served at the close of the
meeting.
moose from destruction and “rail
road” them to safety.
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