> That schedule would be similar to what has
> historically been the case. The steam trip has
> typically been billed as a "Fraser Meadows Steam
> Excursion" and only runs perhaps 3 times a week.
> Unfortunately for fans, the White Pass is a
> difficult railroad to photograph. They have
> rarely run anything like a photo charter and such
> trips are more unlikely today than they ever have
> been with so much lucrative cruise ship business.
> Arriving by cruise ship is fine if all you want
> to do is ride the train and see the line. If the
> objective is to photograph operations, the cruise
> ship passengers will be limited to what can be
> seen in Skagway itself, which is still better than
> nothing. Even folks who fly into Whitehorse and
> drive down to Skagway will find it difficult,
> unless they are into some serious
> hiking.....beware of bears. Yes, there are a few
> grade crossings and places where you can see it
> from the highway, but the take from that is
> probably not worth the cost of the trip up there.
>
> If anyone is thinking of running a trip on the
> White Pass & Yukon, the time to propose it is
> either just before or just after the cruise
> season. At any other time, there would be just
> too much train activity for any kind of photo
> event. I think the last real charter ran in
> 2011, and the chief complaint I heard from folks
> who participated was that they spent extensive
> time in the hole simply watching the tourist
> trains pass. I believe that White Pass does have
> a hiker service that would essentially allow you
> to do that for the price of a regular ticket.
>
> /Kevin Madore
I visited Skagway in late June 2011, for a camping/trail-running/train-riding trip. It was just two weeks after the charter you mentioned, although I wasn't aware of it at the time. On Youtube, check out Gary Perazzo's "WP&Y Vignettes" videos for nice views of the June 10-13 charter.
I flew into Juneau and hitchhiked to the state ferry terminal (hitchhiking is pretty normal in AK), but it would have been just as easy though slightly more pricey to call a cab. I think it was about a six hour cruise to Skagway, arriving around 11pm, but with the solstice light at that latitude there was more than enough light to pitch my tent in the campground at the north end of town.
Over the course of 4 or 5 days I rode the WP&Y three times:
1. Fraser Steam Excursion behind 73, on a stunning sunny blue sky day.
2. Denver Glacier hiker train, assigned to former-Sumpter Valley cupola combine 211. Since I ran the trail to the glacier, I finished with abundant time for some railfanning before my return train. The 73 wasn't running that day, but I got some nice shots of the bewilderingly-numerous trains running along the line that day. I was able to run/hike about a mile down the line from the trailhead to the rotary buried as riprap, which I believe is the former D&RGW ON. At one point I hiked passed a stopped train. The cruise ship tourists seemed a bit nonplussed at my prescence, but the conductors/brakemen were fine with me walking along the line, even offering to give me a lift back to Skagway. But I declined in order to shoot the rotary and further trains. Back at the trailhead there is a photogenic trestle and a rentable caboose lodging. Next time I make it up to Skagway, I will definitely stay in the caboose, despite the lack of privacy during the day.
3. Through train from Skagway to Carcross. I had previously visited WP&Y back in 1995, and at that time Bennett station was the end of line. I was really delighted to ride all the additional mileage along Lake Bennett to Carcross.
Although the 69 was featured in the charter, I didn't see it anywhere while exploring and window-peering around the yard and shop areas after hours. I'm a big fan of beefy outside frame locomotives, and hope to ride behind the 69 some day. I have the photos from this trip and will try to post something soon.
~ Kevin Colbeck
