1898
128 years ago
OpeningUnited States
White Pass & Yukon Route Begins Service
White Pass and Yukon Route
Skagway
June 22, 1898
Summary
The first train operated on the WP&YR narrow-gauge line during the Klondike Gold Rush.
Full Story
Constructed amid the Klondike Gold Rush, the White Pass and Yukon Route's initial 20-mile section from Skagway reached White Pass City on June 22, 1898. Facing 3.9% grades and permafrost, builders used Shay locomotives and cantilever bridges. The line transported thousands of prospectors and tons of supplies, linking tidewater Alaska to Yukon gold fields. It remains a heritage railroad today, preserving rare narrow-gauge operations and engineering feats from the gold rush era.
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Quick Facts
- Date
- June 22, 1898
- Event Type
- Opening
- Country
- United States
- Years Ago
- 128
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