White Pass & Yukon Railroad Tour
To find the train, head into town from the boat harbor on
Congress Way. Congress Way becomes
Second Avenue after crossing the railroad tracks. Continue along Second Avenue and look for the train depot on
the left. WP&Y offers several different tour packages with the
train, including drop offs for bicyclists and pick ups for hikers.
Claimjumper and I selected a three hour round trip to the top of White
Pass. The cost is $78.00 per person
for the tour. There are restrooms in the depot and on the train.
The tour operators provide a complimentary beverage We started our tour by arriving early so we could check out
the museum near the train depot at the visitor center.
We learned that before the railroad was built, stampeders would make
fifteen 66-mile trips up and down the Chilkoot Trail carrying 50 pounds of
supplies on their backs for the ascent. I
was ashamed to be taking the easy way up... but only for a moment.
The pictures and history of the gold rush was fascinating, and the
exhibits demonstrated the reality of gold fever.
The trip began slowly along the outskirts of Skagway
with our tour guide talking about the sordid history of the town’s original
super-villain “Soapy Smith.” As
the train climbed up and along through the pass, gorgeous vistas of alpine
forests and waterfalls greeted us. The
view resembled the professional train layouts of master modelers.
We crossed over a huge wooden trestle bridge and through two tunnels.
Part of the rail ran right along side Dead Horse Gulch where hundreds of
pack animals had lost their lives due to exhaustion, mistreatment and lack of
food. On the way back the seats roll over so that everyone still faces forward. Also, the guides have everyone switch sides of the train so that everyone gets the chance to have a view. Claimjumper and I hoped on the first car on our way up. The engine moved around to the other side to haul us back down, meaning we ended up in the in the very last car. So I decided to enjoy the view from outside the car on the very back of the train. This allowed for some excellent photo opportunities of the entire train as it took some of the more dramatic turns that only a short gauge can accomplish. Last Visited: July 2000
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Few things are more awe inspiring than engineering feats
that everybody said could not be done.
during the trip and
sell snacks.
We boarded at the call of the conductor and were treated to
a very comfortable seat on board rail cars that resembled those originally in
service.
