Engine #52, Skagway, Alaska

First train in Skagway, 1898.

Locomotives were not invented until the early 1800s.  They were initially small and primarily used in France and England.  Their service eventually made its way over to North America around 1830.  By 1850, steam engines were running across the continent.  The "Last Spike" in Canada occurred in 1885 when the east and west coasts were eventually joined together.  

The Klondike gold rush began in 1896.  The incredible number of people making their way to Skagway and beyond created an opportunity for the development of a railroad.  Financed by British businessmen, American engineers and Canadian workmen built the White Pass and Yukon Railway.  The first locomotive to come to Alaska was the one you can see in the photo above.  It arrived in 1898.  The railway was completed in 1900.  

The track rises from sea level to almost 3000 feet over a distance of 20 miles.  The track continues another 90 miles until it reaches the city of Whitehorse in the Yukon.  The $10,000,000 route took 2 years and the efforts of 35,000 men.  It still remains in service today, chiefly being used for tourism.

Thanks for reading.

Eric Svendsen     www.ericspix.com