Steam & Excursion > White Pass Trip to Carcross

Just back from Alaska trip that include trip on the White Pass Railroad to Carcross, Yukon Territory. Here's just a sample of pictures from the White Pass--a great trip that needs to be on all railfan's "bucket list".

Marty Harrison
Knob Noster, MO

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More pix from my Carcross trip.

Mama bear and two cubs tried to join us for lunch at Bennett. These bears are with 75 feet of the station.

Marty Harrison
Knob Noster, MO

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One more set from Carcross

Running along side Lake Bennett in the Yukon Territory

Last stop--Carcross,YT

The trestle at Carcross, YT

Marty Harrison
Knob Noster, MO

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Great pictures, and I would like to take this trip someday myself. A couple of questions:

- Did you overnight in Carcross?
- I assumed they wyed the train there. Did you ride the train back to Skagway? I think they offer a bus option.
- What did they have in the container? Was it like a baggage car?

Awesome, thanks for your reply.

Jim Burrill
Ft. Collins, CO

The trip to Carcross is quite scenic and worth doing. If you are a cruise ship passenger it will eat up most of the time you
are docked at Skagway. The slow casual trip allows for a very enjoyable train experience and the crews on the trains are always
quite helpful. Definitely worth doing. A few years back I went up to Skagway for a photo charter involving their operating
steam engine and got to Skagway a couple of days prior to the charter so was able to take advantage of the trip to Carcross
which was new to the White Pass & Yukon Railroad at that time. It isn't easy to get to Skagway and though they have a small
airport it only handles very small planes. Alaska Marine Ferry does go into Skagway along with large cruise ships.

I flew to Whitehorse on a CP Air 737 and did the WP&YR in 1981. Rode the mixed train Whitehorse-Skagway (ore empties and a caboose/combine--12 passengers), then did a Bennett turn the next day; another trip on the mixed train Skagway-Whitehorse a day later. GE's for power north of Bennett, the DL's on "the hill." American crew (4-man) represented by UTU between Skagway and Bennett; 3-man Teamster crew Bennett-Whitehorse. It was a hoot.

The Carcross trip is one way up by train and then back on a tour bus (or you can travel by bus up to Carcross and return on the train for the same day service). By the way, this trip starts at the Skagway engine house and the trip is the first up the hill in front of the cruise ships Summitt turns. It does take about 9 hours and lunch at Bennett is included. The container was full of camper gear--backpacks and other assorted camping equipment. The train is wyed at Carcross before the crew ties up and returns to Skagway by highway.

Marty Harrison
Knob Noster, MO

Interesting factoid about this railroad I learned while riding in 1981.
It is the White Pass & Yukon "Route"....not "Railroad" or "Railway." Abbveviated WP&YR.

The railroad had three separate corporate entities...one for Alaska, one for BC and one for the Yukon.

The rolling stock was owned by the Alaska entity, the Pacific & Arctic Railway & Navigation Company. Hence the "P&AR&N" sub-lettering on all the passnger cars, at the end of the letterboard. Don't know if this is still the case...I can't see sub-lettering in Marty's fine photos.

Employee timetable had the names of the three operating entities on the cover.

At that time, the whole outfit was owned by a Chevron subsidiary, whose main interest in the railway was the petroleum pipeline that parallelled the tracks.

Marty is correct...a visit to this place should be on every railfan's "bucket list."



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/27/12 10:24 by Alco251.

The Yukon Yeti must chime in...

First the railway has never been owned by a subsidiary of Chevron. The White Pass Corporation, at the time was owned by Federal Industries and held what one might consider to be a franchise license to market Chevron products. Prior to that time White Pass marketed petroleum products under their own name. Marine facilities throughout Southeast Alaska had White Pass fueling stations at most major docks.

The three entities are the: Pacific and Arctic Railway and Navigation Company owning trackage from Mile Post 0 to 20.4
British Columbia-Yukon Railway Company with trackage MP 20.4-52.6 and The British Yukon Railway Company with trackage from MP 52.6 to 110.5.

All of the companies are now owned by Club Links, formerly Tri White, and share are sold on the Toronto Stock Exchange. Club Links is the largest owner & operator of private golf course in Canada.

To the left of the lead unit, in the attached photo, one can see the pipeline about what others speak.

It is now time to go back into my cave under a glacier.

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