1940s CANADIAN NATIONAL RAILWAY PROMOTIONAL FILM "THE TRAIL OF '98" TRIANGLE ROUTE 60004 (1940)

Synopsis

Presented by Canadian National Railways, this short film takes viewers on a segment of the Triangle Route (Prince Rupert, Jasper, and Vancouver) known as the “Trail of ‘98” by following a scenic passenger train from Skagway, Alaska up through British Columbia and the Yukon to Whitehorse and Dawson City. The film opens with the Canadian National steamship Prince George sailing near Skagway. Passengers walk off the ship and footage shows the town of Skagway. A locomotive blows its horn and then begins its journey from Skagway to Whitehorse via White Pass (01:43). Footage from the train shows mountains and the Skagway River cutting through the valley on the trip up White Pass. Viewers see small waterfalls, Bridal Veil Falls, Dead Horse Gulch, and the impressive vista from Inspiration Point, which looks back out at Skagway and the sound (03:35). The train passes through a tunnel and over a bridge as it climbs the pass. The train crosses a large bridge that stands over 200 feet above the river (05”34). The film shows the remains of the original “Trail of ‘98” (06:09). The train refuels at the top of White Pass. A Canadian flag and an American flag mark the border between the two countries (06:33). The train skirts Summit Lake at White Pass and continues on into British Columbia. Viewers see a high plateau littered with boulders from glacial movement, Beaver Lake (06:53), and Lake Bennett. Passengers stop and eat lunch at Lake Bennett, and some visitors meet with a Royal Canadian…

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Details

Running time

13 minutes

Collection

Ephemeral Films

Subjects on the Internet Archive

• Stock Footage