The name of the railroad is “Fern River Division of the White Pass and Yukon Railroad”. The name came about in 2006 when the first tracks were put down. The layout passes through a large area of natural ferns and my wife and I have visited Alaska several times plus I worked one summer in Alaska. I started by buying a LGB starter kit which had about 20 feet of track and the engine and rolling stock had the WP&Y logo on them. There were 3 expansions over the next 6 years. The final track is about 180 feet double reversing with 6 switches and a short-cut return and a 12 foot passing track. The layout goes past a lake, over a river (Fern River), through a 10 foot mountain tunnel and over 3 bridges. The steam engine was converted to battery power to cut down on track wiring maintenance and allows for the reversing capability. In addition to 7 or 8 buildings along the track there are 2 gold mines and a circus tent with a “ wild west show” going on. Like most of Alaska then and now, most of the area is very remote (about half of the layout passes through a natural wooded area). To provide supplies to gold miners and logging camps the railroad also uses a 1912 Ford rail truck also battery powered. I have had 2 MGRS open houses plus some private open houses for operators of the G scale at the MN Transportation Museum.
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