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The White Pass and Yukon Route Railway Near White Pass, North of Skagway, Alaska |
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The Klondike Gold Rush of 1898 created a huge demand for transportation over the coast mountains to the headwaters of the Yukon River. At first men struggled over the passes on foot, or with pack horses, but work began almost immediately on a railroad. Despite enormous physical obstacles, the tracks were completed in only two years, and the White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad was born. The early excitement of the "stampede" died down about the time the railroad opened (July 1900), but the gold dredges created a new demand for freight, and the towns of Whitehorse and Dawson stabilized and created a steady market. Regular passenger service ran until 1982, when competition from the newly built road, and cessation of gold mining forced the railroad out of business. Tourist excursion trains now once again ply the Alaskan part of the route, the dramatic climb from sea level to 3500 feet in 28 miles. Over 100,000 people ride the W.P. & Y.R. every summer. |