Approaching White Pass. Looking across Pump House Lake, we see the White Pass & Yukon Route's beautiful Mikado #73 entering the homestretch for White Pass, with the perpetually snow-covered Sawtooth Mountains as the backdrop. As viewed here, the train at about Milepost 20.2, less than a quarter mile from the White Pass Station, which straddles the US/Canada Border.
The lake you see is called Pump House Lake as historically; there was a water tank nearby to support steam operations, most notably, the rotary plows, which encountered their deepest snows over the next few miles of track. The tank is gone today, as is a section house, which used to exist just south of the current White Pass Station.
This image was captured during a September 2025 photo shoot on Alaska's White Pass & Yukon Route, which featured the Baldwin Mikado #73, which is the last steamer built for this railroad, and the last one still in operation.
The beauty of America's 49th state is unequaled. Enjoy it with these views of Alaska's best trains: Denali Star, Coastal Classic, Glacier Discovery, Aurora Winter Train and White Pass & Yukon.
