We eagerly anticipate our journey to the heart of Alaska. As we count down the days to when we leave, we are gobbling up interesting information about Fairbanks and Alaska in general. Allen, the train engineer, and Terri, the gold guide find the pivotal role of the Tanana Valley Railroad in the Fairbanks gold rush particularly absorbing.
The railroad is a valuable development for all people. In 1814, George Stephenson invented the steam locomotive designed for railways. Railways have been around since the Greeks and Romans, but until then, rails were not used by locomotives but primarily by horses. In the beginning of the 19th century, around 1825, the first railroad company was born.
For millennia, the horse reigned supreme as the swiftest means of land travel. Capable of bursts of speed, some horses could gallop at a brisk pace of 30 mph (48 kph) over short distances. Yet, as the miles stretched out, their pace would inevitably wane. A journey of 20 miles could span a wide temporal range—from a swift 90 minutes to a more leisurely four hours—all hinging on the horse’s vigor and the path’s condition. In times of great need, a cavalcade of horses, bound together, could shoulder the weight of immense burdens, transforming singular strength into a collective force.
As the 19th century unfolded, the innovation of locomotive technology steamed ahead with remarkable velocity. In the nascent years of the 1820s to 1830s, the earliest trains chugged along at modest speeds of 15-27 mph (24-43 kph). Yet, as the decades rolled by, the advent of the steam engine heralded a new era of speed. By the 1850s, these iron giants were thundering down tracks at exhilarating speeds of up to 80 mph.
The locomotive’s prowess was not limited to its speed; it was a titan of strength. A narrow-gauge locomotive boasted an astonishing 800 horsepower—a feat of engineering that eclipsed the power of horses manifold. To envision such might, picture 800 horses, their combined force harnessed to pull supply wagons at a steady clip of 20 mph. This vivid image underscores the transformative impact of the locomotive, swiftly establishing itself as the dominant force in land transportation.
In 1902, a significant year in the history of Fairbanks, there was almost 200,000 miles of railroad in the United States. In Alaska, there was none. On July 22, 1902, Pedro made his big strike! He discovered gold north of Fairbanks in Interior Alaska, triggering the beginning of the Fairbanks Gold Rush. The biggest problem was getting heavy earth-moving equipment in and getting the gold out of the Fairbanks region.
Riverboats were the primary means of transportation at the time. Unfortunately, rivers capable of steamboats into the gold mine area fell short 20-40 miles from the mines. In 1904, Falcon Joslin, knew a railroad was the solution. He and his partners founded the Tanana Mining Railroad, later renamed the Tanana Valley Railroad. Joslin imported a small H. K. Porter 0-4-0 narrow gauge locomotive, rails, and other equipment and proceeded to build north toward the mines.
Building the railroad was faced with many impediments. They battled harsh cold winters and permafrost ground. It was not easy, but they pressed on. Later, two larger locomotives were brought in as the original locomotive, ideal for building the railroad, proved too small for ongoing service. Before the railroad, the high cost of transport was $10 per-ton-mile. The railroad brought the cost to $0.53 per-ton-mile, making the cost of moving heavy mining equipment to the sites affordable. Beginning operation in 1905, the railroad was profitable by 1907.
Gold Dredge 8 provides a ride on a replica of the Tanana Valley Railroad near some of the original rail routes. Once aboard the narrow-gauge railroad, you will enjoy a short, narrated journey to the dredge. The dredge serves as a monument to the hard-working miners who built Fairbanks. You will have the opportunity to be guided through the entire dredge as you see, touch, and learn about the history that it contains and the dredge’s importance to the development of Fairbanks.
If you come this summer, if you are lucky, maybe I will be engineering the locomotive. I hope to see you!
Much of the information I found was in this great book.
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