FEATURE
Once there was a time when taking
a trip meant leaving the everyday
world behind and stepping aboard
a luxury passenger train, one
exquisitely designed with elegance,
grace and comfort. Compared to
the homogenized hustle and bustle
of today's mass transit, this era of
transportation seems like something
one can experience only through
history books. But thankfully,
one company is bringing to life the
nostalgia associated with early
rail travel.
Located in Anchorage, Alaska
Industrial Paint LLC is notable for its
skill in restoring vintage locomotives
and passenger cars that roamed the
rails of Alaska as far back as the 1940s.
"We have a lot of respect for the
history of these luxurious, beautifully
detailed trains," explains Kevin
Stalder, owner of AIP, a company
he established in 2011 to offer a
full range of commercial services
including painting work on heavy-duty
vehicles, petro-chemical facilities,
fuel tankers and tour buses.
"We sweat every detail of each
restoration, from matching the
original color to duplicating the size
and type of each font."
The attention to detail shows in AIP's
work, which is commissioned by two
local clients: The Alaska Railroad and
Holland America Cruise Lines. Both
companies, which offer sightseeing
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