Denali National Park in Denali Borough, Alaska — The American West (Northwest)

Tunnels Lost to Time

By Byron Hooks, September 4, 2013

1. Tunnels Lost to Time Marker

Inscription. The train track along the Healy Canyon wall provides an exhilarating view down to the Nenana River below. Imagine the challenge of constructing this grade in 1921. Three tunnels at the south end of the canyon made the job a little easier by cutting through rock points. The rock was so soft, however, that erosion caused continual collapses and slides. One tunnel (milepost 354.7) caved in and was abandoned in the 1940s, another (Garner tunnel, milepost 356.2) was removed (“daylighted”) in 2005 after years of maintenance problems including removal of 100 feet of the tunnel in the 1960s or 70s. Daylighting the Moody Tunnel began in 2007 and is expected to be completed in 2010.

Moody Tunnel was the last of the 1921 Alaska railroad tunnels. It was given Alaska Heritage Resource number HEA-076 and determined to be eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. Documentation preserved its history and engineering features for posterity before it was removed. There are still a number of 1905 – 1906 era tunnels about 50 miles north of Seward in the Kenai Peninsula section of the Alaska railroad, and two tunnels on the 1942 tract between Whittier and Portage (they have all been reinforced and lined).

Moody Tunnel was 262 feet long and Garner was 508 feet; the tunnel between them had no

By Byron Hooks, September 4, 2013

2. Tunnels Lost to Time Marker

name and its original length is not known. They were drilled and blasted through the schist bedrock and the material carted out on temporary tracks. Portals in each end were built with 12" x 12" creosote timbers with cribbing above and beside the portals to try and stabilize the outside slopes. More 12" x 12" timber arches were added as interior supports, many in attempts to reinforce the roof after construction.

Location. 63° 43.835′ N, 148° 54.815′ W. Marker is in Denali National Park, Alaska, in Denali Borough. Marker is on Morning Loop Trail. Touch for map. This marker is located on the side of the Denali Train Depot in the Denali National Park. Marker is in this post office area: Denali National Park AK 99755, United States of America.

Also see . . .
1. Denali National Park. “Denali is six million acres of wild land, bisected by one ribbon of road. Travelers along it see the relatively low-elevation taiga forest give way to high alpine tundra and snowy mountains, culminating in North America's tallest peak, 20,320' Mount McKinley. Wild animals large and small roam unfenced lands, living as they have for ages. Solitude, tranquility and wilderness await." Source NPS web site (Submitted on October 27, 2013, by Byron Hooks of Sandy Springs, Georgia.)

2. Alaska Railroad

Close up of the marker image. Click for full size.

By Byron Hooks, September 4, 2013

3. Close up of the marker

. Source: Wikipedia (Submitted on October 27, 2013, by Byron Hooks of Sandy Springs, Georgia.)

Categories. • Railroads & Streetcars •

By Byron Hooks, September 4, 2013

4. Close up of the marker

Denali Park Train Depot image. Click for full size.

By Byron Hooks, September 4, 2013

5. Denali Park Train Depot

Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. This page originally submitted on October 27, 2013, by Byron Hooks of Sandy Springs, Georgia. This page has been viewed 375 times since then and 17 times this year. Last updated on January 19, 2014, by Byron Hooks of Sandy Springs, Georgia. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on October 27, 2013, by Byron Hooks of Sandy Springs, Georgia. • Syd Whittle was the editor who published this page.