A Rail Visit to the Yukon From Mark
Our dear friend and OVGRS member, Mark Shumelda, sent me the following email;
Hi Mike, Two
of our teenage daughters are spending the summer up in the Yukon where
we lived for many years - one of the girls travelling was even born
there nearly 16 years ago.
On Sunday they took the White Pass and sent me some photos which I thought might make a nice addition to your blog at some point.
I’ll try to write a brief description under each.
And look out for email #2 which will feature all the large-scale models they encountered!
Indeed, the captions come courtesy of Mark!
Train pulling into Skagway.
Those who have ridden the White Pass before will recognize the GE “shovelnose” locomotives that have been the railroad’s workhorse for decades.
The car they rode in.
One of the older Alco beauties facing ol' #69, which I believe is a Connie.
This is as close as you get to steam.
Caboose hiker’s shack which is a flag stop.
The White Pass has recently acquired a fleet of new custom-built narrow-gauge locos. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/white-pass-new-locomotives-1.5499628
Some are traditional green-yellow.
Others are a sleek black scheme!
A “flag stop” indeed up at the summit.
A view from far back.
Beautiful trestle reminding me of Lawrence’s finest work.
New black loco in the lead.
Mountains.
The descent.
Obligatory black bear spotted.
Train spotted the next day at Carcross, Yukon, the current end of the
line where there is a wye for the return journey.
Beautiful bridge
crossing Lake Bennet.
Thanks so much for sharing these awesome 'railfan' images with us Mark!
Now...onto the models!
Here are the large-scale models that grace the Skagway and Carcross stations.Folks may recall that I’ve brought this LGB Alco unit (and its blue/white cousin) out on the IPP&W and also to Barry’s place a number of times.Nice ceiling loop in the gift shop with structures and a number of LGB white pass rolling stock.Now *that* is a Lawrence Watkins style bridge.
Beautiful!There are a couple of models on the Canadian side of the line in the Carcross station.
Here is a Bachmann Connie.Connie looks great with a picture of the old river steamboat in the background.
Water and rail were the only ways to get around the Yukon and Alaska for a century, notwithstanding the trusty dogsled of course.Looks like an LGB Mogul and its tender flanking an LGB combine, also in Carcross.I forgot one last thing: I asked the kids to pack this tiny N scale White Pass coach in their backpack on the train ride to commemorate the journey.
I wasn’t going to weigh them down with an LGB model 😂 Many years ago I bought this N scale car in the Skagway station gift shop (sadly they do not sell model trains there anymore) so it was nice for it to return to its place of origin and ride the rails once again!And...some final shots they just sent me of the Shovelnose double header wye-ing at Carcross.
Wow, Mark!
These images your daughters sent are spectacular!
It's nice to see how they appreciate your love of trains to take the time to snap these wonderful shots on your behalf.
You are an amazing dad with such an amazing family!
Hey Mark!
I managed to dig up a few images of your WP&Y diesel - seen above hauling the ore train through Spruce on the IPP&W!
She's a beauty, Mark!
A lovely close-up view in Douglas Yard!
She gets around the province!
We found her here in Belleville at Barry's and Bonnie's lovely railway!
Running paying passengers past the Hayes Fuels facility!
And...hauling freight at the eastern front of the railway.
As witnessed at West Ben Stockyards to the west of the property.
Station stop in Cumberland.
Detouring around a freight train at Orleans.
How about #111 in a different livery taking a museum excursion out from Craig Leigh in Ottawa!
All aboard! 😎😀😄😀😎
A married couple in the misty morning hours up in Firgrove!
Heading east towards the Northland Ore Dock to deliver the black diamonds to a waiting freighter.
Returning empties back to the mines!
Through Bell and bound for Firgrove.
Earlier on seen hauling ore out from the Fallentree Mine with the crew tiptoeing atop the Lawrence Watkins Trestle which acts as a 'lead' for the crews working the mine.
A contemporary!
Spotted second in the line-up at a spring OVAR meet.
Here's a nice look at her from above with many friends of shared interest!
And...here is the man himself...skipper Mark!
Thanks for sending along all of the fun pics your daughters managed to capture from their Yukon trip.
Indeed this country of ours is vast and beautiful.
We wouldn't want to live anywhere else!
We are the OVGRS of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
