Western Railroad Discussion > Our White Pass & Yukon Day – 5/31/16

Looks like 2016 has been the year of the Alaska Cruise for a lot of us.  For my wife and I, this was our first cruise, period, as well as the first visit to Alaska and ride on the White Pass.
 
Since everyone seems to be posting their WP&Y experiences here on the Western Board, rather than the Steam & Excursion Board, I thought I’d be consistent with the trend; and you can’t get much more western.
 
Our Celebrity Solstice cruise put us in Skagway on 5/31/16, and it turned out to be a beautiful day, sunny and warm and clear.  We opted for the morning White Pass summit turnaround trip, which was a good compromise for traveling with a non-railfan spouse.  We actually went as far as Frasier BC where our train ran around the balloon track.
 
I spent most of the time in the vestibule, and here are some of the results:
 
1) Our train loading next to the Celebrity Solstice.  I’m probably in a minority, but I was looking forward to having the MLW’s for power, so Nos. 108-101 were a pleasant surprise.
2) Heading around a curve going up the hill.  Don’t know if all these historic cars are so equipped, but the toilet in ours was one of the Prime hand pump models installed in 1000’s of locomotives; the passengers in our car, as well as my wife, were all less than impressed.
3) Getting a roll-by at Glacier.

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4) One of the trains ahead of us; they run them like streetcars.  I believe there were at least five out on the line this particular day as four cruise ships were in port.
5) A spectacular view (they all are).
6) Crossing a bridge and into a tunnel.
 

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7) & 8) Two views of the old bridge at Gulch.  Just to the right of the station sign in image 7 is the bridge our train will cross following a new alignment.
9) Crossing that bridge.
 

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10) Looking back, another train following us; the scenery really dwarfs everything.
11) Just about at White Pass Summit.
12) And here we are; that’s some climb in only 20 miles!
 

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13) The international border (Alaska-B.C.)
14) Running around the balloon track at Frasier.
15) A set of GE power waiting on the main just clear of the balloon track.
 

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16) Starting the trip back to Skagway, looking down at our destination.
17) Another spectacular view.
18) Continuing the trip downhill, with retainers set up, another train running ahead of us is visible to the center-right.
 

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19) The siding and “depot” at Glacier.
20) Getting another roll-by at Glacier.
21) Coming into Skagway, the White Pass shops.
 

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22) A steamer that didn’t get saved… the victim of a wreck?
23) Caboose 911.
24) An afternoon train ready to depart behind No. 92.

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Stunning photos.On my to do list,hopefully in the next couple of years.
Regards,DK

Nice pics!!

Best pictures I have seen of this railroad. Thanks for posting. I need to get up there some time. 

We wave at all the trains from the cliffs just past Summit in the Canadian side..

cheers,
Yukon Yeti
 

YukonYeti Wrote:
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> We wave at all the trains from the cliffs just
> past Summit in the Canadian side..
>
> cheers,
> Yukon Yeti
>  
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wish I had known... we would have looked for you.  It was a gloriously beautiful day!

I did this trip three years ago.   Excellent scenery.  I was most interested in the engineering it took to build this line.
We also just went to the summit.   Going into Canada (beyond the turnaround) takes too much time to make it back to the cruise ship-- if that is how you arrived.

Beautiful scenery & great photos.

Ronda Thomas

Posted from Android

I too have traveled this line. At the top. our bus met us and then took us on the rest of our tour. In all, we rode 3 different trains. Everything  was beautiful. upkpfan

​we took all day tour inland on bus and back to a meet with a train for a ride back to Scagway.Got to see a lot of scenery, and have a train ride too!