Russell Wesley’s comment popped up on my post about the White Pass and Yukon Railway the other night, and it took my breath away. Russell got my attention with this, “When I worked on the Yukon and White Pass Railway in the early 70’s, we had no modern equipment. We had a radio that was hooked to the wire by use of a long pole and then could contact a train stopped and their radio hooked up in the same manner. Reminiscent of the phone in the pole in the tv show Green Acres.”
The Steepest Railroad Grade–The Post That Got the Comment
He continued, “We had no modern anything except a motor in our speeder. Everything we did was with tools from the days the railway was built. I felt so honored to be following in their footsteps.”
I responded, of course, and Russell commented again. “I remember riding on the speeder as we went out from camp to do our daily work on the rails. I am so glad that I had the experience I had with my job on this most historic railway. Our feet would be hanging from the speeder as we looked down 300 to 500 meters down. Ties often overhung the rail bed.”
When I answered that, Russell came back with this. “One day when I was in Lake Bennett, I went into the old church still standing. I stood at the lectern and gazed out to where the lay people filled the pews. Stilling my mind, and I felt the spirits of those who were here. A shiver went through me. An experience I will never forget.”
I shivered with him as I read that, and I told him so. He answered, “I told the story well then. And I am happy you got that shiver. Yukon, a place you do not go to see but to experience. Words cannot do justice to Yukon. Though Robert Service sure did a good job at it.”
Thank you, Russell.
More on the incredible little railroad
👍
Thumbs up here too.
There was a derailment late one night. About seven cars jumped the track.
So we spent the next day emptying out the cars so as to lighten each car to make it easier to put them back into the tracks.
The cars were filled with bags of asbestos from Carrier.
We did not know asbestos was bad for ones lungs in the olden days. I guess the early 70s are almost the olden days now.
The big wigs from Vancouver came up the second day, and there being too many of us track monkeys and not enough work, the foreman told half of us to go hide in the bush while the big wigs were here.
So we did and got paid to boot.
That day we got the cars back onto the tracks.
Third day saw us reloading those same hate of asbestos.
Then an engine come by, hooked up to the cars and off they went to thier destination.
Cassier not carrier.
Bags of asbestos, not hate of asbestos.