The apparent mystery of why the railroad tracks were stripped clean 

 their rails (see Figure lU8) is explained "by an observation of Hal 

 ifillen, who reported that the quenching effect of the first wave on 

 ; rails, made "cherry red" from the heat of the burning oil, "curled 

 1 raised (them) like snakes stepped on" (Chance, 1968). 



The Alaska Railroad conducted a survey of damaged equipment and 

 licles after the earthquake and information is available in regard to 

 ; positions occupied by each car. In the time available it has not 

 =n found possible to include these data in Figure l^H . Although the 

 tal weights of the different vehicles (tare plus the approximate load) 

 = known, it is difficult to evaluate the forces involved in moving 

 ;m. Many, especially the gondolas and boxcars, undoubedly buoyed and 

 Dated for some time before filling with water. Of course, locomotives 

 i loaded tank cars would have been unable to float. 



Two of the switching locomotives were rolled over and transported; 

 ; of them (No. I828) moved about 300 feet. Since locomotive Wo. 710? 

 Lgure 1^9) was lying by itself with no other cars close by, it is 

 asonable to assume that this engine was moved only by water. Locomo- 

 \re No. 1828, however, may have been pushed by impacts from other cars, 

 ssumably locomotive No. 710? stood on the center track of the Y (turn- 

 g spur) just west of where the track was ruptured by wave erosion (see 

 jure 1^5). The rail elevation at this place was approximately 19 feet 

 pve MLLW. If the wave of highest runup overturned this engine, water 

 vel would have reached to 25 feet, and the locomotive would have been 

 iiersed in 6 feet of water. According to the approximate calculation 

 Figure 152, it would require a water velocity of about 2U.5 feet per 

 pond to capsize the locomotive and a force of about 700 pounds per 

 iaare foot to achieve this. However, the engine might also have been 

 erturned and transported by a wave of lesser runup advancing with a 

 gher, more smashing front. 



The engine house of the Alaska Railroad, a steel-frame building with 

 ncrete blocks, stood the wave attack rather well (Figure 153). It was 

 rtly damaged by impact from cars but seemingly did not suffer much 

 .Tiage from the impact of running water. The waves that most severely 

 naged the railroad cars apparently had a northwest direction since a 

 comotive and several cars in the geometric shadow zone north of the 

 gine house (Figures 1^+5 and 1^+6) were not moved. The engine house has 

 fice been torn down because the railroad facilities have been rebuilt 

 ' the head of the bay. 



The waves left a shambles of houses and boats in the lagoon areas, 

 me still looking relatively undamaged and some almost competely bat- 

 red as shown in Figure I5I+. The type of house moved and damaged was 



light, wooden struct\xre. It has not been possible, without a pro- 

 bitive amount of work, to re-establish where the houses stood before 

 ■e earthquake. Figure 1U5 , however, shows a few houses and boats whose 

 entity has been traced from an interpretation of aerial photographs . 



Text resumes on page 2UU 

 235 



