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SCENIC WHITE PASS YUKON ROUTE RAILWAY WORLD [1 record]

Record 1 2010-07-26

English

Subject field(s)
  • Various Proper Names
  • Rail Networks
  • Rail Transport
CONT

White Pass and Yukon Railway, at 175 km long, was the steepest pitched railway in Canada. Work began in 1898, at the height of the Klondike Gold Rush, to provide transportation from Skagway, Alaska, to Whitehorse, Yukon Territory. Building of the narrow gauge railway was an extremely difficult engineering feat, requiring extensive blasting, tunnels and precarious bridging. Thirty-five of the 35 000 men who worked on construction were killed. The summit of White Pass was reached in February 1899 and the "last spike" was driven at Carcross on 29 July 1900. The gold was exhausted by the time work was complete, though the line struggled along carrying passengers and freight. The mining boom in the Yukon revived the railway, as lead-zinc was hauled from Faro, Mayo and Clinton Creek. The shutdown of the WP&Y in 1982, as a result of the collapse of the mining boom, deprived Whitehorse of some employment and its sea rail link.

OBS

White Pass & Yukon Route: Trade name of the Pacific and Arctic Railway and Navigation Company, British Columbia-Yukon Railway Company, and the British Yukon Railway Company.

OBS

Nowadays, "The Scenic White Pass and Yukon Route Railway of the World" is running for tourists from the cruising-ferry dock in Skagway, Alaska, to the White Pass, British Columbia, or to Carcross, Yukon Territory. The name "White Pass & Yukon Route Railway" appears on the tickets, leaflets and other products of the company.

Key term(s)
  • White Pass and Yukon Route Railway

French

Domaine(s)
  • Appellations diverses
  • Réseaux ferroviaires
  • Transport par rail
CONT

D'une longueur de 175 km, il s'agissait du chemin de fer le plus escarpé au Canada. Sa construction débute en 1898, à l'apogée de la ruée vers l'or du Klondike, afin de relier Skagway, en Alaska, et Whitehorse, au Yukon. La construction de cette voie étroite est un véritable exploit d'ingénierie. Les travaux nécessitent d'importants dynamitages et la construction de tunnels et de pontages précaires. Trente-cinq des 35 000 hommes qui y sont engagés périssent sur le chantier. Le sommet du col White est atteint en février 1899 et le dernier crampon est enfoncé à Carcross le 29 juillet 1900, mais les réserves d'or de la région sont déjà épuisées. Le chemin de fer survit tout de même en transportant des voyageurs et des marchandises. L'essor minier au Yukon ravive la voie ferrée qui sert au transport du plomb et du zinc en provenance de Faro, Mayo et Clinton Creek. Le déclin de l'industrie minière entraîne la fermeture du White Pass and Yukon Railway en 1982 et prive Whitehorse d'un certain nombre d'emplois ainsi que de son lien entre transports maritime et ferroviaire.

OBS

De nos jours, la compagnie de chemin de fer opérant sous le nom de «The Scenic White Pass & Yukon Route Railway of the World» transporte des touristes depuis le quai des bateaux de croisière à Skagway (Alaska), jusqu'au col White (Colombie-Britannique) ou à Carcross (Territoire du Yukon). Le nom «White Pass & Yukon Route Railway» apparaît sur les billets, brochures et produits de la compagnie.

Key term(s)
  • White Pass and Yukon Route Railway

Spanish

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