All Aboard

For Mrs. Mueller, a.k.a. Mom: Alaska Railroad tour guide trainer extraordinaire —B.H.

All Aboard the Alaska Train Text copyright © 2024 Brooke Hartman Illustrations copyright © 2024 John Joseph Edited by Michelle McCann Design: Michael Yuen-Killick, Rachel Lopez Metzger Published in 2024 by Red Comet Press LLC, Brooklyn, NY All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2023941946 ISBN (HB): 978-1-63655-099-2 ISBN (EBOOK): 978-1-63655-100-5 23 24 25 26 27 TLF 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 First Edition Manufactured in China

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Illu strated by Joh n Jo n a m t r a Written by Brooke H

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Five shiny cars to be explored.

A grand adventure lies in store.

The whistle blows, we climb aboard.

Let’s ride the Alaska Train!

Chugga-chugga, clickety-clack!

Racing down the railroad track.

Through a narrow mountain pass, Around the bend, look in the grass!

Moving slow And built for snow, A burly, brawny—

!

O L A F BUF

Chugga-chugga, clickety-clack!

Roaring down the railroad track.

Over beaches by the sea, Around the bend, what can it be?

Can you spot her In the water?

Swimming fast, a furry—

!

R E T T O

Toot toot!

Ding ding!

Let’s ride the Alaska Train!

Chugga-chugga, clickety-clack!

Rushing down the railroad track.

Under stony cliffs so high, Around the bend, what do you spy?

From rocks so steep, They take a leap.

Those curly horns belong to—

!

P E E H S

Chugga-chugga, clickety-clack!

Rocking down the railroad track.

Over fields, across the flats, Around the bend and…Wait, what’s that?

On the loose By our caboose, With big brown antlers, those are—

!

E S O O M

Toot toot!

Ding ding!

Let’s ride the Alaska Train!

Chugga-chugga, clickety-clack!

Rolling down the railroad track.

Over trails and through the trees, Around the bend, what do you see?

With all those spines, You know the signs To spot some prickly—

!

S E N I P PORCU

Chugga-chugga, clickety-clack!

Rumbling down the railroad track.

Over bridges, under boughs, Around the bend, what is it now?

Don’t be scared, That shaggy hair Is just a great big—

Y L Z Z I R G BEAR!

Toot toot!

Ding ding!

Let’s ride the Alaska Train!

Chugga-chugga, clickety-clack!

Rambling down the railroad track.

Over tundra vast and clear, Around the bend, what have we here?

Not one, not two, But quite a few.

A herd of hairy—

!

U O B I CAR

Chugga-chugga, clickety-clack!

Rattling down the railroad track.

The wheels go slower… slower… slow…

Around the bend, and then…

Oh no!

There in the sky, Oh me oh my, a mountain— and it’s much too high!

No chugga-chug…

No clickety-clack…

We’re stuck here on the railroad track.

Then from the cars there comes a shout, “We can’t give up. Let’s all help out!”

ho! d e an v a He nd— ! g lin dge a l u g, p re nu n i h o Pus one m t Jus

We’re almost there. We did it, crew!

We round the bend, then—

“Aaaah!” and “Oooooh!”

The sky’s alight.

It’s pure delight.

You just can’t beat these—

NO

N R E H RT

!

S T H LIG

Toot toot!

Ding ding!

We rode the Alaska Train!

More about the Alaska Train Have you ever ridden the Alaska Train?

Also known as the Alaska Railroad Corporation, the Alaska Train started running in 1903 to carry goods and passengers across the territory of Alaska. Since then, the company has built tracks and bridges to extend over 500 miles across the state, from Seward and Whittier in the south to as far north as Fairbanks.

With its bright blue and gold cars, shiny dome windows, and fun tour guides, the Alaska Train is one of the best ways to travel the state, enjoying a comfortable ride while sightseeing and spotting wildlife.

Maybe you’ll even make a few new friends along the way!

Parts of the Alaska Train DINING CAR

CONDUCTOR

HORN & BELL CAB

ENGINEER

HEADLIGHT

TRUCK COUPLER

DRIVING WHEELS

ACCESS STEPS

NUMBER BOARD

DIESEL LOCOMOTIVE

DOME VESTIBULE

TICKET TAKER

PASSENGER STEPS & DOOR

BAGGAGE CAR

PASSENGER CAR

ACCESS STEPS (OR LADDER): allows crew to enter through a door on the front or side of the engine

DINING CAR: a car equipped with a kitchen and tables for serving meals to passengers

HORN & BELL: used to warn people that

BAGGAGE CAR: a car with large

DOME: some special cars have one where

the train

doors on the side to load baggage in and out

passengers can look out the top of the car

DRIVING WHEELS: the wheels powered by

CAB: the place in the engine car where the engineer rides

the engine that drive the rest of the train

CONDUCTOR: the person on a train

train

who makes sure everything is running smoothly

COUPLER: a device that connects the engine to the cars behind it

DIESEL LOCOMOTIVE: the engine car that pulls the train

ENGINEER: the person who drives the GEARBOX: the central system that

transmits power from the motor to the wheels

HEADLIGHT: helps the train engineer see better at night and lets others see the train in the dark

the train is coming

NUMBER BOARD: shows the number of PASSENGER CAR: the part of a train passengers ride in

PASSENGER STEPS & DOOR: the part of the

train car where passengers board

TICKET TAKER: the person who checks passengers’ train tickets

TRUCK: the frame under the engine that holds the wheels

VESTIBULE: the space between cars where

passengers can walk

Special thanks to: ALASKA RAILROAD CORPORATION 327 W Ship Creek Ave Anchorage, AK 99501 www.alaskarailroad.com

MUSEUM OF ALASKA TRANSPORTATION & INDUSTRY 3800 W Museum Drive Wasilla, AK 99654 www.museumofalaska.org

FRIENDS OF THE TANANA VALLEY RAILROAD 2300 Airport Way Fairbanks, AK 99712 www.tananavalleyrailroad.org

ALASKA RAILROAD MUSEUM & NENANA DEPOT 900 A Street, Nenana, AK 99760

ENGINE 557 RESTORATION COMPANY P.O. Box 875360 Wasilla, AK 99687 www.557.alaskarails.org

BROOKE HARTMAN is an award-winning author of children’s books, including The Littlest Airplane and Dream Flights on Arctic Nights. As the daughter of a former tour guide trainer for the Alaska Railroad and sister of an Alaska Railroad lineman, she has spent many a day, night, and weekend riding the rails, viewing spectacular scenery and spotting countless wildlife—though so far the only wildlife to join her on the ride are members of her own family. She lives in Chugiak, Alaska.

Visit her at brookeahartman.com.

JOHN JOSEPH is an award-winning artist, illustrator, elementary school art teacher, and community leader. He has illustrated several #1 New York Times–bestselling books, including Time for School, Little Blue Truck, and has previously collaborated with Brooke Hartman on the children’s book The Littlest Airplane. He lives in Colorado with his wife, two sons, and a German shepherd.

Visit him at johnjosephillustration.com.

Join us on a rollicking, rhyming adventure and meet some of Alaska’s most beloved animals!

US $18.99

ISBN 978-1-63655-099-2

Cover Illustrations © John Joseph Printed in China

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