|
Notes from the West Coast Rail Tours White Pass tour of 2007…..
Steam runs on WP&YR on weekends this year, doing a short turn to Fraser Meadows return. A run past is included when possible, but was not possible on the day that we rode, which was Sunday, 15th July. Our passengers were detrained at Skagway Jct., not the main station. At this location photo opportunities are not good, and passengers were boarded at the same location earlier. So we thought we were out of luck.
But, after dropping our passengers at Skagway Jct., I and a few others rode the train to cruise ship dock, and got off there. #73 and train backed up about four train lengths and stopped where the photo (on page 22) was taken. To take the six cars up the hill, with ruling grade of 3.9%, it was very interesting for many on board to hear the 73 work hard.
The photo above shows the trains for the new Carcross service. Two locomotives are assigned to this work, being Nos. 96 and 97. Our train northbound had 96 on it. The trains are at Bennett BC station, where they make a two hour stop for passengers to have a hot meal in the station. The southbound arrives and leaves about 90 minutes behind the northbound. Being that this service has locomotives in Canada for quite a while each trip, the railway has arranged only for two locomotives and ten passenger cars to do this service. Notice that our train has two passenger cars (background) and the southbound (foreground) has six. Passenger loads were 40 and 199 respectively this day, the 16th July.
WP & YR likes you to know that they are the second largest passenger carrier in North America, behind only Amtrak. Their expected total passenger load for 2007 is projected at approximately 440,000.
They are needing more power... Narrow gauge locomotives are not in huge supply in the marketplace. So they rebuild what they have. No. 96 was returned to service last year, after many years being a parts supplier to other locomotives. No. 103 was returned to WP&YR with others of the 101 and up group. 103 was a hulk only. Now 103 is being rebuilt to return to service. WP&YR is the only railway, or one of very few railways, to have ALL of their first generation diesel locomotives in service now.
The tour on WP&YR is highly recommended. For those not having done it yet, you should be considering it. It is a unique experience!!
|
