January 1969
Hull number 294, the start of the White Pass & Yukon Routes' second ship, was launched at Canadian Vickers shipyard, Montreal, Saturday, December 7.
The hull was moved immediately to a "fitting dock" for completion of her upper works and installation of machinery. It is expected the ship will be completed and officially commissioned June 1969.
Officiating at the ribbon-cutting ceremony was veteran Vickers employee, Mr. John MacBeth, who has worked on all three White Pass container ships constructed during the past 14 years.
A member of the oldest family of skilled shipyard tradesmen at "Vickers", he has been in the employ of the firm since 1923. His father, Donald MacBeth, retired in 1965 following a half century of service at Canadian Vickers Ltd.
With few exceptions, the new 394-foot ship will be a duplicate of the company's MV FRANK H. BROWN, one of the most modern container ships afloat in the world today.
Like the 'Brown' she will be equipped with a gantry crane which will pick up the 8' x 8' x 25' containers and place them in the ships 'container cells' which are an integral part of the ships holds.
Built at a cost of $6,000,000, the new ship will go into service between Skagway and Vancouver during the summer of 1969.
Historic Building Removed
January 1969
The historic boundary snow shed built during 1899-1900 has been reduced to a paragraph in the pages of White Pass history.
The shed became obsolete with the retirement of the old 'Rotary' snow fleet, and the introduction of the more efficient bulldozer snow removal method. These dozers operate on a 24 hour 7 days a week schedule during the winter to keep the track clear.
A new modern shed built north of the International Boundary replaces the old shed. Severe drifting problems caused by high cliffs at the boundary were cited as the reason for the 800 foot gap between the site of the old shed and the location of the new.
Above the old snowshed stood another historic structure that time and weather had reduced to rubble. It was the old NWMP (RCMP) Post that guarded the International Border between Alaska and British Columbia during the Klondike Gold Rush of 1897-98. The Redcoats turned back many a sourdough because they carried insufficient supplies for a year in the Klondike. The Redcoats' authority came from a reputation of
good police work - and an early model machine gun.
While the old snow shed was being dismantled and the last of the old post cleared away, all that now remains is the two flag poles standing only a few feet apart - one in Canada, the other in the United States.
March 1969
Ships are always referred to as she, however the engines on board are referred to as male and female. The starboard being female - the port engine male. An engineer on the m.v. Frank H. Brown says this is because they always have more trouble with the starboard engine, and she needs more pampering...
White Pass... Container Pioneers
...Started System in 1955
March 1969
"Containerization" is the big word in transportation these days. It's bandied around
in articles, TV commercials and transportation circles across Canada and the United States. Like computors, containerization
has almost become a status symbol.
Below, Modern 8' x 8' x 25' containers are moved to and from White Pass facilities by means of "Straddle Carriers". The carriers can straddle flat cars on the train or a White Pass truck.
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The White Pass built and tested its first container in 1955, nearly fourteen years ago,
and it's been in the integrated ship-train-truck containerized transportation business ever since. In fact it's the first system of its type in the world,
and also the biggest.
Containers Tested
The first containers designed and built by the White Pass wouldn't meet today's standards.
In fact the White Pass 'test container' - the first one built - had 'bugs'. The doors became wedged against each other, and
at the end of its first test trip they had to be opened with the aid of a cutting torch.
The first load of freight selected to go north in the company's test container was rolls of building paper. It was deliberately selected because this commodity has always caused trouble when shipping by the old methods.
More often than not they arrived flattened or creased. On the test run the rolls were stood up on end and the container locked,
customs sealed and swung aboard ship.
On arrival at Whitehorse the container was greeted by a group of White Pass officials and an interested crowd of Yukon onlookers.
Then, disaster struck. The container doors wouldn't open. They were jammed shut. A torch was obtained and with much advice from the crowd the doors were finally swung open.
There were the rolls of building paper, in perfect condition. The container concept was a success, even if the doors stuck.
In the meantime a White Pass container ship was under construction at Vickers shipyard in Montreal. It was the world's first.
By November 1955, containers and the ship were brought together and at 03:47 hours November 26, 1955 the brand new White Pass container ship "
