White Pass and Yukon Route 73

White Pass and Yukon Route 73
No. 73 at Skagway, Alaska, United States, August 18, 2017
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
BuilderBaldwin Locomotive Works
Serial number73352
Model12 28¼ E
Build dateMay 1947
Specifications
Configuration:
​
 • Whyte2-8-2
 • UIC1′D1′ h2
Gauge3 ft (914 mm)
Driver dia.44 in (1.118 m)
Wheelbase55 ft 8+1⁄2 in (16.98 m)
Height12 ft 7 in (3.84 m)
Adhesive weight108,000 lb (49.0 t)
Loco weight145,000 lb (65.8 t)
Total weight248,400 lb (112.7 t)
Fuel type
Fuel capacity
  • Coal: 8 t (7.9 long tons; 8.8 short tons)
  • Oil: 2,500 US gal (9,500 L; 2,100 imp gal)
Water cap.5,000 US gal (19,000 L; 4,200 imp gal)
Firebox:​
 • Grate area36 sq ft (3.3 m2)
Boiler64 in (1.63 m) diameter
Boiler pressure220 psi (1.52 MPa)
Heating surface:​
 • Firebox114 sq ft (10.6 m2)
 • Tubes993 sq ft (92.3 m2)
 • Flues555 sq ft (51.6 m2)
 • Total surface1,676 sq ft (155.7 m2)
CylindersTwo, outside
Cylinder size17 in × 22 in (432 mm × 559 mm)
Valve gearWalschaerts
Valve typePiston valves
Loco brakeAir
Train brakesAir
CouplersKnuckle
Performance figures
Tractive effort25,200 lbf (112.1 kN)
Factor of adh.4.24
Career
OperatorsWhite Pass and Yukon Route
Class12-28 ¼ E
Number in class4th of 4
NumbersWPY 73
Nicknames
  • Hog
  • Queen of the Fleet
RetiredJune 30, 1964
RestoredApril 1982
Current ownerWhite Pass and Yukon Route
DispositionOperational
References:[1][2][3]

White Pass and Yukon Route 73 is a narrow-gauge 2-8-2 "Mikado" type steam locomotive, built in 1947 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works (BLW). It is preserved and operated by the White Pass and Yukon Route (WPY) in Skagway, Alaska.

History

No. 73 was built in May 1947 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works (BLW) for the White Pass and Yukon Route (WPY), it was referred to as Queen of the Fleet, due to it being the very last of the four 70-Class locomotives that was constructed for the WP&YR and the last narrow gauge locomotive built by Baldwin.[a] The Baldwin Class 12-28 ¼ E were often referred to as Hog by the crew members, due to their high fuel consumption.[8] It was originally built as a coal burner, but was later converted to burn oil in the 1950s.[9]

The locomotive worked two decades on the WPY hauling both freight and passenger trains until it was retired from revenue service on June 30, 1964 and put into storage.[b] The locomotive was moved to Bennett, British Columbia, Canada, in 1968 for static display.[5][2][7][12]

In 1979, the locomotive was moved again to Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada, this time to be restored to operating condition.[5][10] It returned to service in April 1982 and hauled its first inaugural run on May 29; since then, it has hauled excursion trains over the WPY line.[5][2][10][11][12]

In 2003, No. 73 was taken out of service to undergo a major two-year overhaul, with an estimate cost of $500,000; work was completed in 2004 and the locomotive returned to service.[13][14] In 2012, No. 73 was taken out of service again to undergo another major two-year overhaul, which was completed in 2014.[5]

In September 2009, No. 73 ran a rare doubleheader excursion special with No. 69, running from Skagway to Fraser, British Columbia, and return.[2]

In 2017, No. 73 was taken out of service and moved to Arlington, Washington, United States, to undergo its Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) 1,472-day inspection and overhaul.[15] On June 15, 2019, No. 73's overhaul was completed and the engine returned to the WPY on June 17.[5][15]

No. 73 was scheduled to operate for the 2020 operating season, but was later canceled due to the railroad suspending their tourist operations over the COVID-19 pandemic.[5][16] The railroad planned to resumed operations in July 2021, but was pushed back for two more years until eventually resuming operations in May 2023.[17][18][19] In June 2024, No. 73 eventually returned to service hauling excursions.[12]

Notes

  1. ↑ Attributed to multiple sources:[4][5][6][1][2][3][7]
  2. ↑ Attributed to multiple sources:[5][10][11][1][3][7]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "The Baldwin Locomotive Works - Specification - No. 0-'1626 - Class 12 28 1/4 E" (PDF). Baldwin Locomotive Works: 2–3. July 1, 1922.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Canadian Railway Observations" (PDF). canadianrailwayobservations.com. pp. 2, 3, 15, 17. Retrieved 2026-03-31.
  3. 1 2 3 Smith, Douglas N. W. (November 1957). "News Report - 1951" (PDF). Canadian Rail (83): 8, 9. Retrieved April 11, 2026 – via Exporail.
  4. ↑ "Steam Locomotives". White Pass & Yukon Route. Archived from the original on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "White Pass & Yukon In Transition". passengertrainjournal.com. Retrieved 2026-03-31.
  6. ↑ Justin Franz (August 21, 2018). "New White & Pass Yukon owner looks to expand locomotive fleet NEWSWIRE". Trains.com. Retrieved 2026-04-04.
  7. 1 2 3 Clifford (1981), pp. 36, 46
  8. ↑ "WP&YR Facts". White Pass & Yukon Route. Retrieved April 6, 2026.
  9. ↑ "The White Pass and Yukon Route Railway" (PDF). wpyr.com. p. 4. Retrieved 2026-03-31.
  10. 1 2 3 Waite (2021), p. 18, 19
  11. 1 2 "The Rocky Mountain Railroad Club" (PDF). drgw.net. April 1982. p. 7. Retrieved 2026-04-05.
  12. 1 2 3 Railfan & Railroad Staff (2022-03-28). "White Pass & Yukon 73 to Return to Service This Summer". Railfan & Railroad Magazine. Retrieved 2026-03-31.
  13. ↑ "WP&YR Makes History". wpyr.com. Retrieved April 4, 2026.
  14. ↑ "Engine 73". wpyr.com. Retrieved April 4, 2026.
  15. 1 2 Ian Davis-Leonard (June 15, 2019). "72-year-old steam engine heading home to glory". Herald Net. Retrieved 2026-03-31.
  16. ↑ Railfan & Railroad Staff (July 15, 2020). "White Pass & Yukon Cancels 2020 Season". Railfan & Railroad Magazine. Retrieved March 31, 2026.
  17. ↑ Railfan & Railroad Staff (June 22, 2021). "White Pass & Yukon to Resume Regular Service in July". Railfan & Railroad Magazine. Retrieved March 31, 2026.
  18. ↑ Trains Staff (January 16, 2023). "White Pass & Yukon to resume service into Canada in 2023". Trains Magazine. Retrieved April 5, 2026.
  19. ↑ Mike Swasey (January 17, 2023). "After 3 years, White Pass Railroad will resume service to Canada this summer". Ktoo. Retrieved April 5, 2026.

Bibliography

  • "All-Time Roster of Locomotives: White Pass & Yukon Route". Railroad Magazine. 67–68. Frank A. Munsey Company: 69. 1955.
  • Cy, Martin (1974). Gold Rush Narrow Gauge: The Story of the White Pass and Yukon Route. Trans-Anglo Books. p. 64. ISBN 978-0-87-046026-5.
  • Clifford, Howard (1981). Rails North: The Railroads of Alaska and the Yukon. Superior Publishing Company. pp. 36, 46. ISBN 978-0875645360.
  • J. D. True (1994). It Happened on the White Pass: The Life and Times of a Narrow-Gauge Railway Engineer. Northbush Publications. ISBN 1-896079-02-4.
  • Wilson, Graham (1998). The White Pass and Yukon Route Railway. Wolf Creek Books. ISBN 978-0-96-819552-9.

Further reading

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