WP&Y

Rode the WP&Y for the first time. Spectacular.
This is preaching to the choir for those who have already been there, but if you haven't...it's a worthwhile trip. Probably what surprised me the most is that the photos I've seen just do not do justice to how dramatic the line is. For example, there are many photos of the train coming out of a tunnel and crossing a spindely curved wooden trestle (include Les Clark's great cover photo in Railfan)....what none of them show is that the trestle is a thousand feet or so up on the side of a steep mountain side. Kinda like the D&S's highline...but higher. No switchbacks, but it can easily compete with the Devil's Nose on the G&Q.
Great trip. John Bush and other White Pass folks provided some nice hospitality. Got to see the 40 leave on what may have been her first revenue train up the hill (the Saturday only steam special). My wife and I rode a summit turn. It was one of at least SIX summit turns that day, plus two other turns that went beyond the summit. Eight trains (or more) up and back. And Saturday is not a particularly busy day. And the 110 lb. rail and ballast sure made me envious.
A trivia question. The "flying" White Pass lettering and the "flying" Rio Grande presumably have some connection....can anyone provide the details.