Re: Narrow Gauge Night Operations

White Pass & Yukon:

I dispatched the White Pass in 1976-77. The mode of operation changed twice a year. ----

In Summer, when the cruises ships came in and there was a lot of passenger traffic, we ran the Passenger trains during the day, and freights during the night time. We had heavy freight traffic at the time because of the large Lead and Zinc mine in the Yukon Territory.

After the tourist season, we ran trains during the day, with mixed consists. Usually one or two psgr cars and a long string of container flats and tank cars. The trains were scheduled to pass through the high line along the cliffs just south of White Pass,account daily snowslides which occured, especially during daylight (about 5 hours) when the sun would melt the snow and ice above the track. ---- Northward train No.1 would leave in the morning, and Southward mixed No.2 would arrive in late afternoon. During the day, there were three Cat Bulldozers working the three slides, and then with darkness arriving in late afternoon, the snow and Ice would freeze again until the next day.

So, weather dictated our Winter operations.

Skip Luke
Switchman (ret): Grand Canyon Railway;
Engineer (ret): Georgetown Loop RR Inc., Sumpter Valley Ry., Monticello & Sangamon Valley;
Dispatcher(ret): Illinois Central, White Pass & Yukon, Burlington Northern Ry.
Mariner, Musician, Miner