Re: Second Deisel for WP&Y

My friend Jack and I rode the WP&Y in May 1979, 41 years ago. There were nothing but dead steam locomotives, including those in the river.

It was alive only to carry containers and ore; the highway which paralleled it and would (supposedly) kill its passenger business had just been completed. If I recall correctly, the mine traffic was lost two years later and the whole line shut down shortly thereafter. For all time we figured.

On the way up on the ferry through the Inside Passage we had played tag with an old all wood cruise ship with the big Canadian Pacific stylized "CP" on the stack. The locals called it the "Princess Pat" for its full name Princess Patricia, We saw no other cruise ships. The "Princess Pat" was just another anachronism, we assumed.

Change is good! Against all odds there is still a WP&Y. It goes again as far as Carcross, where I saw my first live Howe truss bridge. I had even heard returning to Whitehorse suggested by serious parties before the big virus party. I am not discouraged by new diesels purchased by the owner, but encouraged instead. Patching up and bailing-wiring together old equipment and deferring maintenance indefinitely would discourage me.

And I may even live to see steam locomotives which were in the river then running. Change is good!

Timothy



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/20/2020 12:32PM by heatermason.