Tiki in Alaska?

Maybe with a little work...ok...ok...ALOT of work!

The Grandview

In 1999 the Alaska Railroad purchased the nine car Florida Fun Train at auction for $3.6 million. This passenger car purchase was the first since 1989 and helped to aleviate the stretched-to-capacity delima the railroad was experiencing. The cars were refurbished, repainted and dubbed the Grandview.

The Grandview is used to transport cruise ship passengers from Seward (or Whittier) to Anchorage twice a week. This stretch of rail is among the most scenic in the world and seeing it through a nearly unobstructed panaramic view is an awesome experience passengers will not soon forget. Passengers have even said the train excursion was better than sailing on the cruise ship. Well, of course!

The Grandview has four coaches numbers 551, 552, 553 (shown here having a window replaced) and 554. The interior of these coaches have enormous glass windows which start at thigh level and curve overhead to form the ceiling. The splashy colorful seats brighten up the ride even on a gloomy day. When a passenger gets hungry, they can either head for the dining car (number 351) or the snack car (number 352) complete with Tiki Railbar and balcony overlooking a palm tree. Passengers can also pick up a souviner of their trip at the onboard gift shop. Diner 451 has numerous tables, stools overlooking large windows and a kitchen. The Florida motif in the snack and dining cars may look a little out of place. However, the railroad will run them as-is until the interior is well worn and then redecorate with something more Alaskan.

An SD70MAC is used to pull the train while a head end power (HEP) unit (number 1503 on my ride) provides electrical power for the cars. I couldn't resist a photo of the Grandview from the back of the train and a second one from the cab of the locomotive.

Currently, the Fun Train's theater and arcade cars are being stripped and rebuilt as dining cars. A conference car, undelivered before the company went bankrupt, has been rebuilt and shipped to Alaska. Dubbed the Alaska #2000, it will be used as a conference car available to rent for business meetings and other gatherings.

:tiki: (To bad, from the pictures I can see no evidence of even one Tiki in the Tiki Railbar, hopefully that will be fixed)

http://alaskarails.org/fp/passenger/fft/arr/arr.html

[ Edited by: DawnTiki on 2005-02-23 15:14 ]

Dosen't the Book of Tiki contain a photo of a tiki mug from an Alaska establishment, evidencing past tiki there?

Excellent tiki find, Dawntiki - tiki in Alaska.

The car does have the tiki bar sign prominently displayed, probably more thatching than anywhere else in the state and a nice 50's looking bar.

I only hope the drinks are served in tiki mugs and, yes, that a tiki is also prominently placed (and mayble bolted down - it can get shaky on trains).

Definatley has good bone structure, a mid century vibe going on already. just needs a little lauhala matting, abit-O-bamboo, a couple of Keigs20 masks bolted to the wall, maybe a tiki guarding the bar, some Tiki Farm mugs filled with whatever they drink up there and don't forget some exotic sounds of Martin Denny floating through the air....SHAZZAM...now that would be riding a railcar tiki style!

[ Edited by: DawnTiki on 2005-02-24 07:48 ]

On 2005-02-23 18:27, christiki295 wrote:
Dosen't the Book of Tiki contain a photo of a tiki mug from an Alaska establishment, evidencing past tiki there?

Tiki Road Trip, page 24.

My bad - Thanks for pointing that out.

(Maybe I need a third copy of the TRT for reference when posting.)

My Nana lived in Alaska forever (Fairbanks-Air Force) When she saw my backyard with all the tikis she says, "Oh! Just like Alaska!! (??!!??) I figure to her they reminded her of the totems. Someone must have slung a carving on their back when crossing that land bridge out of Eden...

On 2005-02-24 19:01, christiki295 wrote:
My bad - Thanks for pointing that out.

Yet not so completely off either- since the info for that mug came from the orange matchbook on page 51 of the Book of Tiki.

I'm going to Alaska in June. Where's the good tiki? I'll be in Seward and Anchorage for a few days.

Thanks!

It's not often you spot a Suffering Bastard, Shag art, and a hidden drop down bar amongst other tiki goodies in a real estate listing. Much more seldom do you find that kind of home in Alaska! But my wife while perusing the Alaskan market on Zillow came across this teeny tiny gem:

http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/4100-Arkansas-Dr-Anchorage-AK-99517/26470_zpid/

So, who owns this house? Are they TC ohana?