The White Pass and Yukon Route Railway
From
sea level at Skagway, the White Pass and Yukon Route Railway climbs 2,885
feet to White Pass summit in only 20 miles of track, one of the steepest
railroads in the world. Of its entire 110 miles of track, 20 miles are
in Alaska, 32 miles in British Columbia and 58 miles in Yukon Territory.
This great engineering feat was completed in the 26 months between May
28, 1898 and July 29, 1900. The railroad construction employed approximately
35,000 workers, 2000 being the most employed at any one time. The total
cost was approximately $10 million, with not a single dollar coming from
any government aid. The operation of the new railroad rendered the Chillkoot
Trail and its aerial tramways obsolete. The railroad carried thousands
of prospectors to the Klondike gold fields in relative comfort, despite
the fact that by the time it was completed the great stampede was already
over and the immediate need for a railroad had passed.
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Used with
permission.
Gold Rush Centennial Task Force, State of Alaska.
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