The Yukon and White Pass Railway was the first major civil engineering project in North America north of the 60th latitude (Wits). Constructed in 27 months from 1898 to 1900, this 176 kilometre narrow gauge railway carried thousands of prospectors and their supplies to the Klondike Gold Rush. The railway provided the first efficient transportation link from the Port of Skagway, Alaska over the coast mountain range into the interior of the Yukon, and opened up the Yukon Territory to significant development by providing a major all season transportation link for the territory for over 80 years. The railway also had an important role in the construction of the Alaska Highway, and the transport of ore from the Yukon mines to southern markets. The narrow gauge Yukon and White Pass Railway climbs almost 873 metres from sea level at the Port of Skagway to the White Pass summit in a distance of only 32 kilometres. This steep grade over the coast mountains was constructed with manual labour; the main equipment, aside from blasting powder, consisted of picks and shovels (Grit). The railway construction was maintained during the severe working conditions of a sub-arctic winter (Guts), and necessitated the development of construction techniques for permafrost areas, as well as cold region construction logistics and management.
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