Dawson City Locomotive Museum

The Dawson City Museum's train shelter - adjacent to the museum itself. We had to attend a guided tour led by the museum to gain entry. Where the Klondike Mines Railway is concerned, the old adage 'too little too late' comes to mind. This short lived railway, commonly called the K. M. R was a narrow gauge carrier chartered to bring passengers and freight to and from the gold fields near Dawson. The endeavor was troubled from the start and it took about six years from its conception before the KMR sent a train down its tracks.

The endeavor was troubled from the start and it took about six years from its conception before the KMR sent a train down its tracks. Most potential investors were weary of business with Klondike mining enterprises, due to the numerous scams operating at the time. In the winter 1906-1907 wind blew so much snow on the tracks it made travel sporadic and unreliable. ,

Although "Peggy" has the distinction of being the KMRy's first locomotive - it was purchased in 1902 - KMR No.1 was also the least used engine.

Despite serving mainly as a stand-in, "Peggy" was nonetheless significant in that she played a major role in the construction of the line itself. 

The trains had a reputation for comfort. The passenger coach had been equipped with storm windows and stoves while the waiting rooms and storage rooms for perishables at Sulphur Springs and Grand Fork were heated.

Purchased in 1906, the powerful but difficult to handle KMR No.3 saw little action until the last year of the KMRy, when freight service to the goldfields became the main order of business. 

Today, KMR No.3 also holds the unique honour of being the only existing Vaulcain compound outfitted with the original system in Canada. 

Arriving on the shores of Klondike City in 1905, the relative power and reliability of KMR No.2 ensures its place in history as the most used locomotive on the railway. Like KMR No.1, No.2 was also used during the construction of the line.

Built by the Baldwin Company, this was the only locomotive actually built for KMRy and was also the only one to enjoy active duty after the railway's demise. Purchased by the White Pass-Yukon Railway in 1942, it served as a yard engine in Skagway before being bumped around several railway theme parks. KMRy No.4 resided in storage on a game farm in El Reno, Oklahoma before coming to the museum.

Keystone churn drills were important tools in early Klondike mining development as they introduced a scientific approach to prospecting.