Article in NewsWire says they may rebuild the WP&Y all the way back to Whitehorse.
http://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2018/12/17-white-pass-rebuilds-equipment-plans-expansion
The trains for the cruise ships pick up the passengers right on the docks. On the return trip, the train stopped at the downtown station, both to let off people to tour downtown, and to use the run-around track. Once the engine ran around the train, they pulled the train back out of the depot area, and then pushed the train to the stub ended tracks on the docks to drop off remaining passengers. This was the morning train, so now it was in position to pick up the afternoon train passengers off the ship. Here is a link to a topo map that will show it better:
http://www.mytopo.com/maps/?lat=59.4504&lon=-135.3201&z=15
Click on the ikon in the upper right of the map for full screen and easier navagation. From where the line splits, the dock line heads south along the channel, and the depot line goes west along the base of the town. Its an older map, and if you click on satellite view you will see tracks to more docks. You will see a cruise ship, and passenger cars just at the end of the dock walkway. This is the spot where our shipped docked. At that time there was another cruise ship docked to the left at the former ore dock. There were 2 more cruse ships docked along the edge of the channel where the map showed the dock line. All those docks were rail served.
MidlandMike When I rode the WP&Y 5 years ago, as I recall there was one trip per day for the general public from the downtown station, whereas there were AM and PM trips for the cruse ships which picked up their passengers at the dock, and there were 4 cruise ships in port, so 8 trips for ship passengers. Most trips only went as far as the top of the pass. Further trips need a passport.
Rio Grande Valley, CFI,CFII
When I rode the WP&Y 5 years ago, as I recall there was one trip per day for the general public from the downtown station, whereas there were AM and PM trips for the cruse ships which picked up their passengers at the dock, and there were 4 cruise ships in port, so 8 trips for ship passengers. Most trips only went as far as the top of the pass. Further trips need a passport.
Now that Carnival owns the railroad, I wonder if the passengers on its cruise ships will get priority for railroad bookings?
The part of the WP&Y that is not used is between Carcross and Whitehorse. I rode the full length back in 1980, and quite frankly the scenery on that northern portion is rather mundane, mostly through woods. After the White Pass and then Bennett Lake, definitely an anticlimax. It would be hard to justify restoring it to operation.
I have ridden the Durango and Silverton three times. I have also done the Napa Valley Wine Train and the Mountain Washington Cog Railway. Good experiences all around!
Apparently, the White Pass and Yukon Railroad has some serious maintenance issues that have resticted the portion of the railroad that is usable.
The good news is that it has been bought by Carnival Corporation. Presumably it plans to use its significant resources to upgrade the railroad, which is heavily dependent on the cruise ships for its passengers.
1. Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad - "..itdoesn't get much more scenic than this train ride." ".....the same tracks that once transported gold and silver.."
2, Great Smoky Mountain Railroad: "...colorful fall foliage... " "...options including Carolina Moonshine Esperience, Peanuts Great Pmkin Patch Express,.."
3. Napa Valley Wine Train: "..grape vines turn brigtly colored shades each fall........" "...gourment lunch or dinner..." "...wine tasting or tour..."
4. White Pass and Yukon Railroad: ...beauty of Alaska from glaciers and mountains tto waterfalls and gorges, aboard...vintage passenger coaches." "...gains almost 3,000 feet in 20 miles."
5. Mount Washington Cog Railway: "enjoy panoramic views of five states and Canada."
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