One of the last remaining narrow-gauge trains, the White Pass & Yukon Route, Scenic Railway of the World offers an unforgettable ride through the coastal mountains and a unique way to view the history of the region. Completed in 1900, the railroad provided an easier route to the Klondike and spelled the death of the White Pass and Chilkoot trails.
In the 1940s, the railroad served as the main supply line for the construction of the Alaska Highway, built to defend Alaska from the invasion during World War II.
Today many ride the railway for its breathtaking views......and that is just what the two of us did.....3.5 hours/40 miles round trip departing the station at 12:45pm.....
Our ride today
If you are on a cruise ship they will pick you up at the dock
We are with the Pink Group
My pictures are taken thru glass windows.....so
The rail fleet consists of 20 diesel-electric locomotives
And 83 restored and replica passenger coaches
two crews built the railroad...one from the north and one from the south
110 miles
They met in Carcross on July 29, 1900
US Customs
Three trains running the 12:45 schedule today
Most are from the cruise ships in town
The train climbs from sea level in Skagway
to almost 3,000 feet at the Summit
in just 20 miles and features steep grades of almost 3.9%
The tight curves of White Pass called for a narrow gauge railroad
the rails were three feet apart on a 10-foot road bed
Building the track was a challenge in every way
Construction required cliff hanging turns of 16 degrees
Looking back at Skagway
building two tunnels
numerous bridges and trestles
This one is no longer in use....thank goodness
wouldn't want to walk over it
new bridge at Mile 16
Work took place in the dead of winter with heavy snow
and temperatures as low as 60 below
The workers reached the Summit of White Pass on 02/20/1899
Trail of '98
Visible remains of the Trail of '98, a primary route
from Skagway to the goldfields
Here at the US and Canada Border mounted police waved on stampedes
with a ton of supplies needed for one year in the north
Elevation 2,865 feet
we are in "moon-scape" country
above tree line
side track to make a circle and return to Skagway
glacier in the distance
many waterfalls and streams
we are going DOWN breaking all the way
hikers waiting for a helicopter to pick them up
US Custom station
Hikers waiting for the train to stop and pick them up
The White Pass & Yukon Route was designated an international Historic Civil Engineering Landmark in 1994. It was recognized for the most difficult and hazardous obstacles that construction overcame: design challenges, granite mountains, steep grades, cliff hanging turns and unimaginable weather conditions.
Every railroad has its own colorful beginnings. For the White Pass & Yukon Route, it was gold!!!! The prospectors had two overland routes to choose from.... Chilkoot Trail, where each person was required to carry a ton of supplies up the "Golden Stairs" to the Summit of the Chilkoot Pass OR chose the longer, less steep White Pass. Both trails led to the interior lake country where stampeders could begin a 550 mile journey through the lake systems to the Yukon River and the gold fields.
Thus the reason for building the railroad.
Interesting history......interesting ride on the White Pass & Yukon Route
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