White Pass & Yukon from Skagway Alaska

[Glenn Byron]

Hello, I missed getting on this one when we were there on a cruise ship two years ago, but they were running then. I just looked at the slide show posted previously on page two of this discussion.  What a fantastic ride!  We stopped in Skagway and I looked at the station on the Alaska end.  I'm not sure of the gauge, but more than 2 foot.  Skagway does have a road to it so you don't have to go by boat unlike most Alaskan Panhandle towns. I'm really sorry I missed this as now I have visited all 50 states and all Canadian Provinces except Newfoundland, Labrador, and The Northwest Territories.  By missing the train, I missed getting into Yukon and could have crossed this one off my bucket list.  I started a new post about this railroad as the automatic system in the Discussion Forum said I should.  Anyway, don't do like I did and miss the train!  That trip up the Inside Passage to Alaska by cruise ship is fantastic.  Glenn  Byron

[Stewart "Start" Rhine]

Glenn, The WP&Y is a three foot gauge line that has very impressive scenery.  The line was important as the link to a number of places up in the mountains, terminating at Whitehorse.  During WWII a number of locomotives were sent up there from the lower 48 for use in the war effort.  Included were engines from the D&RG and the Sumpter Valley.  The Sumpter Valley got their #19 back and run it on their reconstructed line in Oregon.  I have not ridden the WP&Y but plan to. 

[Glenn Byron]

Hi, I just went to their web site and took a ride.  The only video I could make work with my equipment is the You Tube one.  Maybe some of you have better equipment and can get more.  I'll put the web site here and hope you can do something with it.  This thing is really a trip and don't miss it if you are in Skagway, like I did.  Maybe I'll get back there one day.  Glenn             http://www.wpyr.com/

[Matthew Gustafson]

I too plan on riding the WP&Y some day but I would also need to get a Canada passport inorder for me to ride the whole line. 

[Allan Fisher]

Ellen & I took the entire trip from Carcross to Skagway in August. The WP & Y runs up to 14 passenger trains a day. And if you think the Durango & Silverton "High Line " is spectacular, wait till you experience the trip down the mountain from the Summit into Skagway at speed. (and I don't mean 6 or 7 miles an hour) If you do go - do the full trip from Carcross - the only unspoiled town on the Cruise Ship destination list. The lunch stop at Bennett Lake is reminiscent of the Old Harvey House Days on the Santa Fe. And the scenery is spectacular the whole length of the line. And as a Rules man, I found the crews to be very competent.

I had always rated the Alaska Railroad trip from Anchorage to Seward in June to be the best railroad trip in North America - but now think the White Pass is in the running for this honor.

[Zak LaRoza]

Is the WP&YRR going to open all the way to Whitehorse? That would be great.