Rescue 313-Accounting for the Days

Update on Climax Rescue 3-1-3

We’re HOOooooome!!!!
A few days of rest and I am finally beginning to get back on a normal sleep cycle. For a couple of days I was waking up at 6:00am…. only problem was that it was Anchorage time…. half the day gone!!!! seesh!!

What a trip, and what a great bunch of guys and gals we were working with. After spending the first few days finding equipment and tools, buying supplies, spending some time searching for parts in storage units and then getting everyone collected from the Ted Stevens Airport, it was time to get the real work underway. The 5 days of repacking the container was a series of dance steps that we couldn’t rehearse, and the choreography kept changing depending upon what equipment was available at any given moment and what operators were onsite. The following photos give you a brief overview of how those days went.

Pic 1 Removing the heavy, large items

The first objective was to get the 3 or 4 large and heavy items out of the back of the Container, on the ground and out of the way so that we could access everything else. Here the Water Tank and4 heavy boxes of parts are lifted out.

Pic 2 Out comes the boiler

… followed by the boiler

Pic 3 Carl with the boiler-check out the grin….

Me (Carl) and the Boiler next to the storage trailer

Pic 4 The setup for getting the work done


Our configuration for removing all of the smaller parts; Motorhome for breaks, our Container, the Curtain Van Work deck, and the Storage trailer… with one of our Extendalifts (donated by Airport Equipment Rentals, Anchorage) and a set of 4 ft wide stairs to get up on the deck.

Pic 5 Sorting out the puzzle pieces for packing


As parts came out we inventoried and grouped them in 8 parts groups in the storage trailer.

Pic 6 Lining up for the lift
Pic 7 Getting it just right

Once the majority of the weight was out of the container, we needed to transfer the Container onto a road-worthy trailer for delivering it to the Port… that took a considerable amount of time.

Pic 8 Donnie Rosie interviews Kevin Christenson


While this was going on Donnie was interviewing several of the volunteers… here he is with Kevin Christenson, one of Keith Christenson’s sons… (Keith passed away in 2014).

Pic 9 Reloading begins~the boiler gets set in its place for the trip


Once the Container was on the good trailer, it was time to reload the trucks and then the Boiler.

Pic 10 Axle crates
Pic 11 Filling the container continues


Followed by four 8 ft axle crates, donated by the Alaska Railroad, Packed with old wooden cross-members and misc. parts, and then the water tank was stacked on top of the crates.

Pic 12 Trailer and container in place for loading the smaller items


At this point we repositioned the trailer to our working deck so that we could begin loading all of the smaller parts.

Pic 13 The view from the working desk


The configuration shown from the working deck behind our container and showing the storage trailer beyond the Extendalift.

Pic 14 Making the most of the space~filling in the walkway


Showing the inside of the Container with the walkway down the left side which we are now going to fill with more parts.

Pic 15 Another Restoration Crew in Alaska~they were helpful to us, as well as inspiring


Some of our Sister Restoration Crew in Wasilla, the 557 Project greeting and waving at a passing Alaska Railroad passenger car.

Pic 16 A gathering of the team~getting close to the end of packing


A pause near the end for the crew to take a group picture. Left to Right: Gene Augustine, Anchorage & ex-Pittsburgh, PA area; Grady Smith, Marietta, Ohio; Norm Thomas, Corry, PA; Steve Niederriter, Morgantown, WV; Tom VanTassel, Corry, PA; Chris and Tara Lyons, Columbus, PA; (above) Rusty Potchatko, Palmer, AK ex-Corry, PA; Donnie Rosie, Spring Creek, PA; Carl Wassink, Corry, PA.

Pic 17 The Whittier Provider~Climax A313’s ride to Seattle~to wait for the truck that will “Bring ‘er Home”


The following morning the crew was back at it tying down the load with ratchet straps and blocking after which the Container was delivered to Lynden Transport & Alaska Marine Lines facility in Anchorage for a train ride to the docks in Whittier. This is a photo of Lynden’s barge “Whittier Provider” which our container shipped out on Saturday morning and will be delivered to the docks in Seattle this coming weekend and ready for the next part of its journey home to Corry, PA.

And that is how our days went during the trip.