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Ride
the Shoulders of Alaska's Sawtooth Range on the
Railway Built of Gold
by
Jerry W. Bird
 My
endless fascination with railways and railroad
memorabilia goes back to childhood days, when the
White Pass & Yukon Railway of Gold Rush fame
was linked via Skagway, Alaska, to a vast, complex
transportation system of BC-Alaska Coastal
steamships, caterpillar trains and Yukon river
steamboats. Each trip we made 'outside' from Dawson
City on the Klondike to Vancouver, British
Columbia, involved four days upstream on the Yukon
River by paddle wheeler; a day trip by rail from
Whitehorse to Skagway; then another four lazy days
steaming southward on CPR's Princess Norah or
Louise. We sailed the Inside Passage, along the
Alaska Panhandle and British Columbia
Coast,stopping at the ports of Juneau, Ketchikan,
Prince Rupert and Alert Bay. It's
basically the same scenic route used by today's
super liners and love boats. As a long time railway
fan and originator of "Railways of the World," it's
heart-warming to see the WP&YR not only still
operating at Skagway, but considering extending the
line in future.
 White
Pass & Yukon Railroad : A Colorful History
The
177-km White Pass & Yukon Railroad was
completed in 1900 between the Alaska coastal
community of Skagway and Whitehorse, Yukon
Territory The WP&YR served first as a passenger
train and supply line for the gold fields of the
Yukon and acted as a freight carrier for nearby
lead and zinc ore mines. When the mine closed in
1982, so did the railroad. The railroad reopened in
1988 for passenger service but has only traveled
the first 64 km of the line to Lake Bennett, BC. On
May 28, 1998, the WP&YR celebrated the 100th
Anniversary of the driving of the first spike on
the railway, with a dedication and ceremony in
downtown Skagway. Skagway, Alaska Tourism:
http://www.skagway.org/transportation.html
Len Brown, one of
our readers attended a "Last Spike" ceremony on
July 29, 2000. Here is an excerpt: " Al York and I
do contract work for the Yukon Government, and I
was up there working and took in the celebration.
It was fantastic - up to an estimated 5000 people
were there during the day - steam rides some 5
miles alongside Lake Bennett and back .. and a
Steam Meet of 73 and 40. I am a steam nut (co-owner
of 30053 - an M7 tank engine that runs on the
Swanage Railway in Dor. - I even appeared in a
video White Pass & Yukon  Route
- the Railway Built of Gold.
Let's
Hope
As a Yukokner
by birth, I hope someday there will be an extension
of this historic rail line
at
least as far as Carcross, Yukon. Originally called
Caribou crossing because of its popularity as a
native hunting ground, Carcross was a stopping
place for gold stampeders on their way to the
Klondike gold fields. Trains haven't traveled to
Carcross since 1982.
To
be continued in our Rail Adventure Annual
Edition.
Photo:
Cariboo Crossing river in Yukon.
Photo courtesy Mrs. L. Zurkowsi, Delta,
BC
Combine
Your Alaska Flight with a Rail Tour
by
Jerry W. Bird
In our newest
"Rails to Adventure"
feature, Muguette
Goufrani
describes her Alaska experience, part of which
included a scenic trip
from Fairbanks
in the interior, to Anchorage on the Pacific Coast,
aboard the Alaska Railroad. She told us about the
service, and how the scenery and grandeur left her
breathless. To give you a quick introduction to the
Alaska Railroad, here is a welcoming message to our
readers and viewers from former Gov. Bill
Shellield, President and CEO, Alaska Railroad
Corporation . "Welcome Aboard Alaska Railroad, the
last full-service railroad in the United States. We
owe our success of the past 77 years to the hard
work and dedication of our employees and the
loyalty of our customers. From tidewater at
Whittier and Seward to the heart of Interior
Alaska, our route covers more than 500
miles."
(continued)
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