North to Alaska!		Alaska/Yukon  Railroads An Illustrated history ISBN 0-9647521-4-X Published by Oso Publishing Company
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                                         North to Alaska!

Gold! The name of this precious metal has always incited a fanatical rabidity in the hearts of fortune seekers, and when the gold started flowing from the Yukon, the age of the "Klondiker" was born and the rush was on. Many fortunes were made and many more were not, but the demand to move people and materials remained insatiable. Wagon roads had been built to meet the transportation demand, but by 1898 several companies were vying to build the first railroads. Ultimately, three companies—one American, one in British Columbia, and the third in the Yukon—joined forces to create "the road that couldn't be built": The White Pass & Yukon Route.
     In 1915, President Woodrow Wilson gave the nod to what would become the 471-mile-long Alaska Railroad connecting Seward with Fairbanks. The work was slow and dangerous, and some bridges even today remain engineering marvels, but the line was ultimately completed. Both the White Pass & Yukon and the Alaska Railroad are still around today, still "working for a living," as well as enjoying a brisk tourist trade. But Alaska has seen dozens of other railroads come and go over the years. While these lines were smaller and lesser known, each has its own story to tell. Nome gave birth to railroads that spanned the flat, spongy tundra. Farther south, several lines sprang up to reach the rich copper deposits in the Copper River Valley. Various stock-selling schemes accompanied the hype, and ultimately two companies watched as their crews stood toe to toe in a confrontation that left several wounded and entire communities in an outrage.
     Back in the Klondike, other short lines were started up to meet the needs of the expanding industry, including tiny tramways that used animal power and wooden rails. Katalla became a bona fide boomtown as companies scrambled to build lines to tap the area's oil and mineral resources. Other regions in Alaska that held the promise of vast riches and there were many also drew the attention of hopeful railroad schemes, despite any difficulty or circumstance.
     This has been the spirit and promise of Alaska and the Yukon Territory, with their natural wealth held in check by almost unimaginable terrain and weather challenges. Alaska/Yukon Railroads, An Illustrated History, is the story of all known railroads in the area, including several that never left the drawing board. Over 200 photographs give you a real sense of the challenges, attempts, successes, and failures of the brave souls who stepped forward to conquer the last frontier. Most chapters include complete rosters, showing the wide variety of motive power used to operate the lines.
     Originally published in 1981 as "Rails North" by Superior Publishing Company, Seattle, WA. The book has been completely overhauled and updated to the extent that we felt a title change was in order. We think you'll like what you see!

Hardbound in linen with a dust jacket, 256 pages, over 200 high-resolution photographs, plus maps and complete locomotive rosters.