This modern version of the White Pass & Yukon Route is in the historic Skagway depot. Instead of the slogan “Gateway to the Yukon” it should be “The Little Railroad that Could” because it has a fascinating history of reinventing itself. First built against incredible odds in the late 19th century to serve prospectors, it converted to transporting other metals and ores after the gold rush until the Great Depression ended that business. However it grew again during World War II as a transportation resource for building the Alaska Highway. After the war, it switched to providing intermodal freight traffic until it shut down in 1982. Six years later it opened again as a tourist attraction for arriving cruise ships.
