White Pass & Yukon 41 years ago-Bennett, BC

In 1979, the scheduled trains going each way between Whitehorse and Skagway met at Bennett, where the helpers for the train up through White Pass from Skagway were also cut off before the train proceeded on to Whitehorse. Then as now (like Osier on the C&TS) a storied meal was served travelers at the station stop. This lake marks the spot where the two trails of the Klondike Gold Rush joined. In 1979 the Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park was only three years old, and the opening of the old Chilkoot trail in its infancy.

We approach the already stopped Skagway bound train led by #109 (the orange at the lower right of the photo is the marker light on the rear of coach #268, see following photo):


Traditionally a hot meal is served traveler the Bennett (Lake) Depot cafeteria. Like those on the C&TS at Osier, those meals are legendary. Unfortunately, we were informed that the generator was out and we got a (good) but cold lunch. It was not the only thing which was going wrong for them......:


Rotary #1 and caboose/flanger #909 (a rebuilt C&S boxcar) were on display:


We were told we would have time to look around (but not why) so we hiked up the hill into the remains of the settlement, giving a good overall view of the two trains and the depot as well as some speeders. You can see how the trains stopped with the coaches close to the depot; passengers were important even though freight paid the bills. Those gondola like containers on the Skagway bound train are interesting. I took a peek (and a photo which was ruined in processing) of the contents; expecting a full load I saw instead a heavily built bag tightly secured at each end- form your own conclusions):


From Lake Bennett boats could be used down the chain of lakes and the Yukon River to Whitehorse and beyond to the Klondike gold fields. But when the surge of would be gold miners hit Bennett in the big rush of 1897, winter had arrived and the lake and the river below were frozen. They stripped the area of timber building boats for the spring breakup, then shacks to endure the winter, and ultimately a church was started but not finished when the breakup occurred. The railroad would not arrive for another two years or so.

The church remains strengthened with the new effort at historical preservation (virtually nothing else remained but the railroad depot):




Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/28/2020 12:22PM by heatermason.