http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=76503 - Just found this very interesting image on Railpictures.net of a group of WP&Y engines that apparently have been trapped by a landslide - The image was taken in 1974. Does anyone have additional information on the engines and if they are still at this location today?

-Justin Franz

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=33198
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=32202

Nothing to do with the original question, just some interesting shots of steam in recent years on the WP&Y.

-Justin

I have never seen the engines in that location, but an inquiry on the Whitepassfanlist Yahoo group should get an answer in short order:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/whitepass ... =111348323

All four, of course, survived, with the first two now at Dollywood and the rear two at the Sumpter Valley in Oregon. Two of the four are now operable again.

Photo location is at Skagway, south of the wharf used by the cruise ships. Looks like the photo may have been taken from the stern of a ship.

The equipment was shoved down this dead end track to get it out of the way.

The rotary plow also went south through the Sumpter Valley organization and I believe it is the one now on display along the old C&S in Colorado.

I find it funny how many WP&Y engines exist today and how many are currently in steam, yet the real WP&Y had to use a locomotive that had never turned a wheel with them for their operation...
FYI, I've ridden this amazing route, and I say it's one of the top ten train rides i the United States and a must-do for any NG fan before you die!

Justin,

The locomotives aren't really trapped, just stored. I don't know a whole lot about the first two steam engines, apart from the fact that they are numbers 70 and I believe 71 and that they were built for the line by Baldwin. Now the next two are numbers 81 and 80 which were acquired by the White Pass in 1941. They were originally built for the Sumpter Valley Railway of Oregon as numbers 19 and 20 in 1920 by ALCO. After retirement in the late 1950's the engines were set aside. In 1977, the equipment was scheduled for the scrap heap, but the White Pass made the equipment available for a very very reasonable price and consequently all four of the steam engines and the rotary still exist.

The two Sumpter Valley engines are back in Oregon with the 19 in service and the 20 under restoration. The rotary was owned by the Sumpter Valley Railroad Restoration for a time, but was sold in the late 1980's and currently resides in Breckenridge, Colorado. The 70 class locomotives are back east at Dollywood with at least one in service......I think the 70.

Anyway, all survive and all are well cared for.

Thanks, Taylor

Per the 40, this was a deal struck by John Bush (who was the operations manager at that time) with the intent of providing additional steam power for the WP&Y's centennial. John had been Lindsey Ashby's master mechanic at the Georgetown Loop and the 40, unlike any "true" White Pass steam available at the time, was operable. The intended five-year lease was cut short about the time John left for Roaring Camp and the 40 finished out the final two seasons of the Georgetown Loop Railroad, Inc. While not part of White Pass history before, it is now. The fact history is made every instant is half of why it's so fun!