Thursday was our departure day, but I wasn’t going to leave without riding that train! The White Pass and Yukon railroad, that is. We booked passage on a trip over the top on through infamous White Pass behind a true vintage steam locomotive, old #73.
The line runs a number of excursion trains using diesels as well, but I wanted the true narrow gauge steam experience. So did Jim and Kim, Jon and Sue. We boarded at noon for a 4 hour round trip.
Heading out of town, we passed the large train yard and shop facilities. This railroad has been in continuous operation since about 1900, and ran regularly scheduled freight runs till the 80s, when the highway into Skagway was built. Since then, it has become a tourist excursion line, with daily trains to Bennett, Carcross, White Horse and back.
At first, the track follows the river, then begins to climb into the mountains. The grade exceeds 3.5% in many places, even with numerous switchbacks to reduce the steepness of the road.
Great scenery around every bend, and a waterfall literally every few hundred feet!
We are approaching the first of 2 tunnels on the line, the engine is working hard! I didn’t need the warning to get my butt inside before we entered the tunnel… lotsa smoke!
Along the way, we passed an original steel cantilever bridge, no longer in use today, but must have been neat when it was still used. As we reached the summit, the landscape changed to rocky hills, rivers and lakes. Brrrr it is chilly out there!
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The train turns around on a loop at Fraser, and back down we go.
Got back to town in time to head up the road on the way to White Horse, the largest city in the Yukon. See you there!
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