White Pass and Yukon models

[jestor]

Mr Bachmann: Is there any possibility that Bachmann could produce some rolling stock lettered for the W.P. & Y. R. ??  Since it is possibly the most well known narrow guage line (with the possible exception of the Siverton Line) in the world, it seems fitting for Bachmann to include it in the ON-30 lineup.  What say the rest of you?   Happy Holidays to all!

[ksivils]

I second that motion!  At least a box car and a passenger coach!

Also, a great model would be of the 2nd 81 which began its days as the U.S. Army locomotive that was experimented with on the Silverton Branch.

It would interest the On3 guys as well and it was a REAL variable gauge locomotive!

[Chatzi473]

the 2-8-2 steamers would be cool to. OR even any of the their steamers they had back in the day. do a k-28 lettered for the Army. Or anything. There is a huger verity of stuff that ran up there that can make great models.

[Frisco]

There's only one that I would want K-28!

[the Bach-man]

Dear All,
I'll pass along the suggestion- I like it!
Happy Holidays!
the Bach-man

[tac]

There's only one that I would want K-28!

Sir, as far I know from my interests and studies, the WP never had any K-28s.

Their Baldwin mikes, including the surviving #73, are all inside-framed locos.

The Colorado mikes - all of them, including the K-28s - are outside-framed locos.

Merry Christmas!!!

tac
www.ovgrsorg

[ksivils]

During WW II the U.S. Army took over/leased the White Pass.  Equipment was requisitioned from all over the U.S.  7 K-28s and 2 B4-Ds, one of which was the C&S oil burner #70, two 10 wheelers from the ET&WNC, and the so called MacArthur class 2-8-2s, plus some other locomotives I do not recall off the top of my head.

Also heading north was Rotary ON, a bunch of ex-C&S steel underframe box cars, a couple of C&S cabooses, etc.

The ET&WNC 10 wheelers were destroyed in a fire, the MacArthurs, a bunch at least, were kept, the rotary went into the Skagway river as rip rap, and the rest of the Colorado motive power was sent to Seattle to be cut up for scrap as it was all completely worn out.

If you are willing to search the internet, you can find photos of most of these locomotives in service on the White Pass.

You are technically correct though in saying that the White Pass never owned any K-28s.  They were property of the U.S. Army. 

Still, the list of "foreign" equipment that served on this railroad is impressive.

[tac]

Thank you for that info - I didn't know that!!!

Best wishes for Christmas and the New Year.

tac & ig, the Christmas Vulture

[Frisco]

They also got another one of the C&S 2-8-0's. I think it was #71 but I can't rember for sure right now.

[Chatzi473]

Just think how awesome a layout like that can be. all those different kinds of locomotives and rolling stock.

[Chatzi473]

oh they also got the Sumpter Valley 2-8-2s 19 and 20 that now are back at the Sumpter Valley railroad. 19 pulls tourist and 20 is waiting restoration. Those 2 locos might of been scraped if there where not up there during the war. who knows

[lvrr325]

Found this by accident -

http://www.girr.org/girr/relics/wp_relics/wp_relics.html

Wonder if the loco in the last picture is one of the ET&WNC 4-6-0's? 

[Chatzi473]

the top one is a 2-6-0 its now moved to the white pass yard and the bottom engine is a 4-6-0 but an OUTSIDE FRAME 4-6-0. you can see the counterweights.

[Chatzi473]

these two sights show all the steamers the WP&Y had

http://narrowmind.railfan.net/WPYR/early-steam/early-steam.html


http://narrowmind.railfan.net/WPYR/late-steam/late-steam.html

[Charlie Mutschler]

The White Pass & Yukon was leased by the US and operated by the US Army during the portion of World War II after the USA became involved.  Because the railroad was under staffed and under equipped for the task of handling all the freight the Army was trying to send north, the lease seemed like a logical plan.  Seven of the D&RGW K-28's were requisitioned, along with Rotary Plow ON, plus the three surviving Silverton Northern locomotives 3, 4, and 34, and C&S 69 and 70.  Two ET&WNC 4-6-0s, No. 10 and 14 were purchased as well.  The Army had a group of narrow gauge 2-8-2s built new to a standard military design (meter and 42 inch gauge versions were also produced) for use on the White Pass as well. 

At this time the White Pass burned coal; the change to oil firing came about after the war.  C&S 70 was not an oil burner on the WP&Y.  At the time it was burning oil and assigned to the Clear Creek lines, it was using the tender from CB&Q 537, which was leased to the C&S.  The CB&Q had some three foot gauge track in the Black Hills of South Dakota, serving mines around Lead, SD (The correct pronunciation is 'LEED,' not, as one might think from the spelling, 'led.')  The CB&Q abandoned this trackage before the C&S abandoned its narrow gauge lines, so 537, an outside frame 2-8-0. was leased tot he C&S.  The CB&Q's locomotives in the Black Hills all burned oil, and 537 came with an oil tender.  As an experiment, 70 was converted to burn oil using 537's tender, and 537 reverted to coal firing with a different tender.  When the C&S returned sold 69 and 70 to the Army, they went north as coal burners. 

The Army used the WP&Y hard, and a lot of the second hand equipment was pretty badly worn out by the end of the lease.  The ex ET&WNC 4-6-0s had been badly damaged in the Whitehorse, YT engine house fire, and were never rebuilt.  The K-28s (USA 250 - 256) were tired, and over 20 years old, and not wanted by the WP&Y.  The two ex C&S locomotives and former SN 3 and 4 were also worn out and in poor shape.  All of them were shipped south and scrapped.  Ex SN 34 was retained by the WP&Y and retired after a few years. 

Charlie Mutschler. 
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