White Pass Standard Gauge Conversion

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White Pass Standard Gauge Conversion

• Mark Taylor
• University of Alaska Fairbanks
• Spring 2002

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Outline

• Introduction
• Project History
• White Pass Assessment
• Conversion Considerations
• Construction Details
• Feasibility
• Closing

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Introduction

• House Bill 241 proposes the extension of the
  Alaska Railroad from Fairbanks to Whitehorse,
  Yukon
• At Whitehorse, the proposed railroad would join
  the existing White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad
• White Pass track gauge is non-standard and
  requires conversion
• The process and feasibility of such
  standardization are presented.

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Introduction

• The conversion of an active railroad has never
  taken place in modern times
• It is difficult to compare historical practices
  against todays technology

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Introduction

• Working knowledge of railroad operations,
  maintenance, and construction
• Worked seasonally as track surveyor, bridge
  inspector, conductor/engineer, work train
  foreman, project engineer
• Authored White Pass manual of maintenance and
  construction standards

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Project History

• Railroad development into Alaska and northern
  Canada has a long history
• First development was Alaska Railroad in 1923
• Further exploration prior to WWII
• State interest in 1970, 1980 produced route
  surveys and environmental studies (HB 47)
• Recent increase in interest over last decade
  notably HB 241 and Sen. Murkowskis Rails to
  Resources

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Project History

• The White Pass is included as an integral
  component of proposed trans-Canada railroad
• Provide a tidewater access 110 miles from
  Whitehorse, YT

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HB 241 Testimony

• White Pass could be converted ahead of the
  proposed corridor and serve as a supply route
• A route simply from Fairbanks to Skagway via
  Whitehorse would prove sufficiently valuable in
  and of itself in addition to serving as a
  building block to further southward expansion

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White Pass

• Built in 1898 as a transportation response to the
  Klondike gold rush
• Key transporter of freight and passengers to and
  from the Yukon and Northern B.C.
• Leased by the U.S. Army in WWII, valuable
  construction supply route for the Alaska Hwy

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White Pass

• Major transporter of ore from the Yukon
• Following mine closures, unable to compete
  against recently opened hwy traffic
• Shutdown in the fall of 1982
• Reopened the spring of 1988
• Seasonal passenger operations moving over 300 000
  / yr

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White Pass

• White Pass was designed for narrow gauge but
  constructed to standard gauge specifications
• Current maintenance and construction meets
  standard gauge operational requirements

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White Pass

• Current Track Maintenance
• Upgrading to heavy rail
• Installation of 8 ft. ties
• Higher capacity switches
• Standard ballast
• Wider clearances
• Higher load ratings bridges and docks
• Uniformity of heavy passenger trucks

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Conversion

• White Passs current maintenance program is
  intended to ensure safe, reliable passenger
  operations however such efforts greatly enhance
  the efficiency of future conversion
• The active passenger corridor receives the
  heaviest maintenance and upgrades

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Conversion

• Traffic interruption
• Revenue is generated through summer tourist
  trains
• To limit or restrict passenger operations is
  unnecessary
• Much of the railroad is unused and substantial
  work can be accomplished without hindrance to
  passenger operations

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Construction Outline

• Construction is expected to last two years
• Work performed through seven phases
• Starting in early January of Year One
• Ending mid-September of Year Two

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Construction Outline

• Year One
• Phase 1 Construction of rail-barge facility
• Phase 2 Upgrading of bridges
• Phase 3 Grade stabilization from Carcross
  to Whitehorse
• Phase 4, 5 Gauge widening from Carcross to
  Bennett to Skagway
• Phase 6 Equipment conversion

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Construction Outline

• Year Two
• Phase 6 (continued) Equipment Conversion
• Phase 7 Gauge widening from Carcross to
  Whitehorse

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Phase One Rail Barge Facility

• Begins January of Year One
• Ends May of Year One
• Allow for construction material to be loaded by
  the manufacturer and shipped directly via barge
• Be the leading end of Skagways rail-barge
  connection

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Phase One Rail Barge Facility

• Construction must be completed prior to the
  cruise ship season
• Wintertime port construction is common in Skagway
• All docks in Skagway have been designed or
  adapted to accommodate passenger traffic

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Phase One Rail Barge Facility

• Two are immediately suitable for a rail barge
  ramp construction
• All are deepwater docks
• Skagway has 25 ft tides and the appropriate ramp
  design would allow for four loading/offloading
  windows per day at the 16 ft stage

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Phase One Rail Barge Facility

• Railroad Dock
• designed and built to standard gauge rail
  capacity
• A third rail runs throughout its length
• No additional rail crossings would be required
• Additional rail traffic accessing the pier would
  pose no significant threat increase to pedestrian
  traffic

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Phase One Rail Barge Facility

• Ore Dock
• The former ideal location for such a facility
• Alaska Marine Line operates a ramp here
• Land leases have severely restricted any
  potential foot print for freight operations
• Track geometry in the confined quarters would be
  a design problem
• Rail access would require additional grade
  crossings through Skagway tourism district

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Phase One Rail Barge Facility

• The City of Skagway exists in a confined valley
• Waterfront land is leased by White Pass from the
  City
• Much land has been subdivided and remaining
  portions are not adequate for staging of railroad
  freight

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Phase One Rail Barge Facility

• The best means of marshalling barge borne freight
  is to remove it directly from the barge and stage
  it north of town near railroad milepost 3

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Phase Two Bridges, Tunnels, and Clearances

• 23 Bridges over entire route
• 14 bridges within Alaska
• 3 bridges within British Columbia
• 6 bridges within Yukon

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Phase Two Bridges, Tunnels, and Clearances

• To handle the increase in axle loads from
  standard gauge equipment, many bridges require
  upgrading
• The simplest method is the installation of
  intermediate pony trusses at bridge mid-spans

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Phase Two Bridges, Tunnels, and Clearances

• Alaska Subdivision (MP 0.0 20.4)
• 5 bridges have been recently rebuilt to steel,
  standard gauge capacity
• 4 require intermediate bents
• Both short and shallow
• 2 require extensive upgrading
• 3 are adequate

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Phase Two Bridges, Tunnels, and Clearances

• British Columbia Subdivision (MP 20.4 53.2)
• 2 have recently been rebuilt to steel, standard
  gauge capacity
• One is due for rebuild by 2003

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Phase Two Bridges, Tunnels, and Clearances

• Yukon Subdivision (MP 53.2 110.0)
• 3 recently reconstructed to standard gauge
  capacity
• 3 require extensive reconstruction
• All short and shallow

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Phase Two Bridges, Tunnels, and Clearances

• Only two tunnels exist along the railroad
• Both in the Alaska Subdivision

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Phase Two Bridges, Tunnels, and Clearances

• MP 16 Tunnel
• Constructed in the winter of 1899
• 300 ft long
• Requires no upgrading
• Current dimensions allow for standard rail traffic

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Phase Two Bridges, Tunnels, and Clearances

• MP 18 Tunnel
• Built in 1969 to replace a bridge
• 700 ft long
• Built to American Railway Engineer Assoc
  Standards (AREA)
• However, the portals limit the interior
  dimensions of the tunnel

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Bridge replaced with tunnel in 1969
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Phase Two Bridges, Tunnels, and Clearances

• Clearances
• No additional right-of-way widening is necessary
• An intensive maintenance program has actively
  removed close clearances, widened cuts, deepened
  shoulders, and removed rocky outcrops

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Phase Two Bridges, Tunnels, and Clearances

• Clearances
• Historically, White Pass has transported excess
  dimension freight
• White Pass transported 80 ft lengths of 60 in
  diameter pipe in proof of concept test for
  Foothills Pipeline
• White Pass operates with some standard gauge
  equipment

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Phase ThreeRight-of-Way Stabilization

• Carcross (MP 65.7) to Whitehorse (MP 110.0)
• Little maintenance has occurred over this
  northernmost section since 1982
• A dedicated crew will work six months beginning
  May 1 of Year One
• The crew will be comprised of one work train and
  supporting heavy equipment

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Phase ThreeRight-of-Way Stabilization

• Primary focus of crew
• Restoring shoulder width
• Replacing wooden culverts with aluminum
• Widening cuts

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Phase ThreeRight-of-Way Stabilization

• It is expected that over 200 000 yds of material
  will be removed or distributed along the
  right-of-way
• All of the material required is available from
  natural sources within designated railroad land
  rights

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Phase ThreeRight-of-Way Stabilization

• Existing track
• Much of the subgrade is a mixture of sand and
  silt
• Cleaned ballast was placed during 1960 overhaul
  throughout much of this section
• Rail, ties, and accompanying track hardware is
  inadequate for standard gauge traffic and will be
  addressed during Year Two

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Phase ThreeRight-of-Way Stabilization

• No rail operations are underway over this track
  portion and construction crews can operate
  unimpeded
• Access to the track is available via the Klondike
  Highway

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Phase FourGauge Widening Carcross to Bennett

• Carcross (MP 67.7) to Bennett (MP 40)
• This section of track follows the shore of
  Bennett Lake passing light grades through fine
  soil terrain near Carcross becoming rock near
  Bennett
• No operations are underway over this section

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Phase FourGauge Widening Carcross to Bennett

• Heavy reconstruction has taken place within the
  past six years
• Shore stabilization
• 100 long tie renewal
• Extensive surfacing
• Ballasting
• Much of the rail is new 100 lb/yd and adequate
  for standard gauge traffic

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Phase FourGauge Widening Carcross to Bennett

• Track and right-of-way is in condition suitable
  for straightforward gauge widening
• No operations take place over this section
• Two crews, totaling thirty people, would be
  required
• Work will closely resemble the process of a rail
  relay

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Phase FourGauge Widening Carcross to Bennett

• Two people will precede crew one removing spikes
  and anchors on the west rail
• The east rail will remain in place serving as a
  gauge rail
• The crew will proceed with a hydraulic gauging
  machine moving the unspiked rail 10.25 in. and
  gauge spike

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Phase FourGauge Widening Carcross to Bennett

• The next crew, in the same fashion, will move the
  east rail 10.25. in and gauge spike
• The bulk of the crew will complete all spiking,
  anchoring, leveling, and lining
• Standard gauge production rail laying equipment
  will be used
• The crew will leave behind standard gauge track

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Phase FourGauge Widening Carcross to Bennett

• The primary crews will ignore track
  discontinuities to maintain momentum
• Ie grade crossings, turnouts, yards
• A follow up crew will address these potentially
  time consuming tasks

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Phase FiveGauge Widening Bennett to Skagway

• Bennett (MP 40.4) to Skagway (0.0)
• At Bennett, crews will be entering the active
  passenger corridor
• Timing is important
• The construction crew should arrive Bennett near
  the time Bennett Service is suspended
• Expected around mid-August

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Phase FiveGauge Widening Bennett to Skagway

• From Bennett, construction can proceed toward
  Fraser
• Crews should arrive Fraser near the time Fraser
  service is suspended
• Expected around mid-September

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Phase FiveGauge Widening Bennett to Skagway

• From Fraser, construction can proceed toward the
  summit
• Crews should arrive at the summit near the time
  total passenger services are suspended near late
  September
• After this date, crews have total access to the
  passenger corridor

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Phase FiveGauge Widening Bennett to Skagway

• In Skagway Yard, a crew of eight to ten will be
  at work converting switches, road crossings, and
  some short lengths of three-rail track
• At the end of the summer of Year One, the
  essential portions of the Skagway Yard will be
  ready to accommodate standard gauge stock

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Phase FiveGauge Widening Bennett to Skagway

• By the Fall of Year One, the railroad will be
  standard gauge from Skagway to Carcross

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Phase Six Equipment Conversion

• The Skagway Facility can dedicate itself to
  equipment conversion after the suspension of
  passenger service
• Nearly all of White Pass equipment in service is
  historical passenger equipment
• The process would proceed through the winter
  ending before start of season Year Two

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Phase Six Equipment Conversion

• Only passenger equipment will be focused on for
  conversion
• Freight and work equipment can be easily replaced
  with more efficient leased or purchased standard
  gauge equipment brought in by barge

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Phase Six Equipment Conversion

• Nearly all of the passenger fleet has been
  transitioned to a uniform, steel truck design
  which can be easily converted to standard gauge
• A stockpile of standard gauge components can be
  on hand early via barge

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Phase Six Equipment Conversion

• The conversion of equipment would be a
  straightforward
• The car enters the shop
• Is jacked up
• Narrow gauge trucks and brake rigging removed
• Standard gauge trucks and rigging installed

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Phase Six Equipment Conversion

• White Pass locomotives are wholly obsolete with
  their technology dating back to the 1950s
• One modern, standard gauge locomotive would
  easily replace four existing White Pass
  locomotives
• New locomotives could be purchased and/or leased
  for a significantly lower cost

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Phase Seven Gauge Widening Carcross to
Whitehorse

• Carcross (MP 67.5) to Whitehorse (MP 110.0)
• The existing track over this section would be
  converted during the spring and summer of Year Two

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Phase Seven Gauge Widening Carcross to
Whitehorse

• All new track supplies could be brought to
  Skagway via barge and taken directly to Carcross
  on standard gauge cars
• This will provide the most striking metamorphosis
• This will also be the most management intensive
  part of construction

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Phase Seven Gauge Widening Carcross to
Whitehorse

• All new track supplies would be brought to
  Skagway via barge and taken directly to Carcross
  on standard gauge cars
• First, a crew working north will widen gauge as
  previously outlined
• The track will be temporarily spiked on the
  existing narrow gauge ties

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Phase Seven Gauge Widening Carcross to
Whitehorse

• Second, a standard gauge work train will proceed
  north distributing new, 115 lb/yd rail and ties
  at night
• During the day, a crew will lay the new rail and
  gauge spike, still using narrow ties

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Phase Seven Gauge Widening Carcross to
Whitehorse

• Third, a crew using standard gauge production
  equipment will insert new ties and complete the
  conversion
• This is concluded with a ballast train and
  surfacing crew
• Work will progress at 3 miles per week
• Work is to be completed by mid-September

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Cost

• This cost assessment is a broad scope analysis of
  projected costs

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Cost Phase One
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Cost Phase Two
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Cost Phase Three
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Cost Phase Four
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Cost Phase Five
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Cost Phase Six
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Cost Phase Seven
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Summary
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Questions