#40 Climbs White Pass

Today at noon upon arrival of the morning trains from the Summit and Fraser #40 took 4 antique wooden coaches and made a test run up to the summit of White Pass and on to Fraser B.C.. We stopped for water at Glacier 14.2 miles of 3.9% beyond Skagway (it took about 2000 gallons) and went the last six miles to the summit. A brief check indicated all was ok #3 #4's warm but not too bad. Then it was on 8 miles across the top of the world (imagine Boreas Pass) to Fraser. There we took more water, greased the main rods, oiled around, met two trains, went around the balloon loop and headed back to White Pass. We stopped at the top to do a brake test, turn up the retainers, and then it was off down 20 miles of 3.9% back to Skagway. All and all it did quite well. Tomarrow it will run to Bennett with passengers (#73 is in the shop).