Sunday, October 28, 2012

Choo Choo... See the trains......

More travels have come our way.   It's every young boy's dream to be a train conductor or to ride on a train at some point in their childhood.  Mountain Man was no different and is sharing some of his grown up perspective on the romanticised world of old trains from times past.
     First stop, the central U.S.  In Missouri along the Mississippi River at Fort Madison.  The old Atchison and Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad Steam Engine brought history into view.  What a monster of power
    Then on a trip in Alaska, Mountain Man rode on the Yukon Railroad along White Pass, once used during the Alaska Gold Rush.  You can see and then imagine the rough terrain and diffifulties that were encountered to reach the gold fields and to ship it out.

Enjoy the ride:

Photographer:  Mountain Man


The A.T. & S.F. Railroad Steam Engine
(Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe)

At Fort Morgan In Missouri

 
Look at the size of that steam engine





King of the Rails


On to Alaska, one of the last frontiers

At Skagway in Alaska is the Yukon Railroad Engine House at the base of White Pass.

Yukon Railroad Engine House

Snow Plow Engine used to eat through the snow when the tracks were  completely buried under many feet of snow up on White Pass.

White Pass Railway SnowPlow


Along White Pass,
a tunnel blasted through the mountain.


The original Train trestle.  The ends were blasted out when the new track was laid, to keep people from climbing out onto it.

Broken Trestle

Looking back at the old trestle.  The newer track travels miles further along Dead horse gulch, shown here, and then doubles back to continue along it's path.

Old Trestle and New Track



 The Yukon Railroad along White Pass travels 21 miles and rises over 2,885 feet in elevation.  It is one of 2 of the steepest railroad grades in the world.

2,885 feet incline in elevation in 21 miles


The railroad tracks run parrallel to Dead Horse Gulch which refers to the infamous trail used during the gold rush.  The steep grade and requirements at the time that each miner bring along at least one ton of supplies by horse drawn wagons nessesitated numerous trips along the 21 mile trail followed by a raft ride down the river to the gold camps.  Over 400 horses were worked and beaten to death while hauling supplies up the steep grade of the gulch.  Time restraints to reach the pass and set up before winter set in added to the pressure to travel quickly.

Another trestle and tunnel along the way!
 
 
View from inside a tunnel
 
 
End of the trail for this ride!
 
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