White Pass Railway from Skagway, Alaska to the Yukon Territory

Narrow Gauge White Pass Railroad Is Popular Skagway Shore Excursion

The White Pass & Yukon Railroad Company was formed in April 1898 as a way to expedite travel to the Klondike gold of the Yukon Territory. The narrow gauge railway is an engineering marvel, and in July 1900, the 110 miles of track were finished at a cost of about $10 million.

Riding the White Pass railway today gives passengers a good idea of the labor involved in its construction. The White Pass railway climbs from sea level at Skagway to almost 3,000 feet at the summit just 20 miles later and features tight curves and steep grades. Narrow gauge was used because of the sharp turns and to save costs. The railway has two tunnels and numerous bridges along the route, and over 35,000 men worked in building the railroad.

Although the railway is used for sightseeing today, train cars carried huge amounts of ore to Skagway for decades, and the railroad was the chief supplier for the World War II Alaska Highway project.

Join me for a 28-mile ride on the White Pass from Skagway to Fraser, BC.