Copper Mines Branch
The Copper Mines Branch (CMB) of the White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad was a railway spur that left the main line where the railway crosses the Alaska Highway just south of Macrae. It passed north and west to join what is now the Copper Haul Road just north of where that road intersects the Mount Sima Road. It then more-or-less followed the current Copper Haul Road north to its junction with the Fish Lake Road. Total length was 11.29 miles (18.2 km) over six bridges and one major culvert.
The CMB never really lived up to expectations and operated sporadically for less than 10 years. It was built to serve copper mines in the centre and northern parts of the Whitehorse Copper Belt. Aside from the Pueblo at the northern end of the CMB, and the Grafter and Valerie approximately mid-point, the others had more promise than production. Mines in the southern area of the Copper Belt had even less promise in the early 1900s and so were not CMB targets.
The original design of the CMB included spurs (spurs off the CMB spur) to Valerie, the Arctic Chief area, and down the McIntyre Creek Valley past Empress of India to Spring Creek. An extension north of Pueblo to War Eagle was also part of the plan. These parts were surveyed (see survey plan 15268 below) but never built. A short spur east of the main, switch on south end, appeared about 1915 to serve the loadout at Grafter.
The CMB intersected the main line at Macrae with a wye. This meant that a train heading north or south on the main could proceed north up the spur with the locomotive leading. There was another wye at the north end of the spur so that the locomotive could be turned after dropping empty cars at the Pueblo Mine in preparation for leading full cars south. Backing a locomotive long distances is something that railways tried to avoid.
Chronology
- 1907: October, White Pass and Yukon Railway started started construction of the CMB
- 1907: November, two miles (3 km) of rail completed north from Macrae.
- 1907: December, construction stopped for the winter
- 1908: July, rail completed to just south of Grafter; remainder of the right of way to the north had been prepared
- 1908: August, rail laid to 1 mi (1.6 km) north of Best Chance
- 1908: August, construction work suspended because drop in copper prices gave no indication that spur would be profitable
- 1910: April, construction resumed due to new activity at Pueblo
- 1910: 18 July, derailment about 1 mi (1.6 km) north of Macrae; locomotive running backwards pushing three carloads of gravel derailed on a curve injuring two crew
- 1910: August, CMB completed to the Pueblo area
- 1910: 20 August, first ore shipped by rail from Pueblo
- 1910: 9 November, locomotive pulling private (company) car derailed on ice (the "glacier") near mile 8.8 of the CMB
- 1910: 18 November, traffic stopped when Pueblo suddenly closed
- 1911: spur remained dormant, no traffic
- 1912: copper prices rose 30% and CMB operation resumed shipping Pueblo ore
- 1913: 13 January, locomotive on the Pueblo property tangled with an ore shute, entire cab was torn off
- 1913: copper prices dropped during the year and ore shipments from Pueblo slowed down, finally stopping late November
- 1914: May, shipments of ore from Pueblo resumed and lasted until October; CMB dormant over the following winter
- 1915: summer, Grafter started shipping ore while Pueblo remained closed
- 1916, February, CMB opened north of Grafter to serve Pueblo, which had just re-opened
- 1916: two train crew died when scalded by steam from locomotive wrecked during accident at Pueblo
- 1917: 21 March, major underground accident occurred at Pueblo and shipments from there stopped
- 1917: shipments from Granger continued with minor amounts from Valerie, possibly hauled to the CMB by wagon
- 1918: 18 March, attempt to plow the CMB with a rotary snow plow ended in death of two employees when the plow derailed on ice (the "glacier" again) near mile 8.8; more details in newspaper article
- 1918: line cleared following accident of 18 March and machinery from the closed Pueblo mine went out by rail
- 1918: fall, last shipment went out from Valerie
- 1926: CMB not maintained; bridges and ties deteriorated; sections of track washed out
- 1929, 1930s: rails possibly lifted, bridges possibly dismantled although there are no records of when or by whom
- early 1940s: any rails and bridge timbers not removed earlier probably cannibalized for upgrading the White Pass main line during WWII and/or for construction of a spur to the refinery built in Whitehorse
Bridges
There were seven timber bridges and one major culvert on the CMB. The bridges were initially numbered 1, 1-1/2, 2 ... 6 but re-numbered in 1909 with an "S" (spur) prefix and a number based on mileage from the south end of the CMB.
The first three bridges (S.1A, S.1B, S.1C) are all in a small but rugged area between POI 1 and the Mt. Sima Road. The only significant remaining traces of CMB bridges are in this area. Details are in the corresponding POIs below.
| original number | 1909 number | details |
|---|---|---|
| bridge 1 | bridge S.1A | POI 2 |
| bridge 1-1/2 | bridge S.1B | POI 4 |
| bridge 2 | bridge S.1C | POI 6 |
| bridge 3 | bridge S.2A | curved, 535 ft (163 m), now under tailings, between POI 8 and POI 9; see location on map |
| bridge 4 | bridge S.2B | curved, 205 ft (62m m), obscured by Whitehorse Copper activities; see location on map |
| bridge 5 | bridge S.3A | POI 10 |
| culvert | culvert S.C5A | POI 13 |
| bridge 6 | bridge S.6A | POI 14 |
Points of interest
The interactive map shows the location of the mile points north of Macrae and POIs. Also bridges that are not POIs. Some of these are close enough together to pile on top of each other. On the map below (or even better, on the full-screen map), click on ">>" and turn off layers to focus on your interest.
Click around!
| POI | Description | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | crossing of Moraine Drive | 60.63242 -135.01942 498938 6721846 |
The right of way crosses Moraine Drive (the extension of Collins Lane) and there are some interpretive signs here. To the north-west, the right of way went through the Sidhu Trucking compound. To the south-east, it goes along the north side of an embankment, which is part of a reserved transportation corridor. Farther to the east on the east side of Esker Drive, the CMB diverges from the transportation corridor. The corridor curves to the south and joins the main line of the White Pass and Yukon Railway. There may have been plans at one time to connect the Whitehorse Copper mill area at Little Chief with the White Pass via this corridor instead of relying on the original wye configuration of the CMB. The curves in the original wye were quite sharp. |
| 2 | south abutment of Bridge S.1A | 60.63791 -135.03544 498061 6722458 |
This is the south end of straight Bridge S.1A (bridge 1), 161 ft (49 m); the other end is POI 3. This bridge crossed a dry gulley. While there is very little left of the two bridges to the north, this bridge seems to have been left intact to fall down on its own over the past 100 years. There are many bridge timbers and parts in the dry gully between the two abutments. |
| 3 | north abutment of Bridge S.1A | 60.63816 -135.03617 498022 6722486 |
This is the north end of straight Bridge S.1A (bridge 1); the other end is POI 2. From here, the track ran across about 170 ft (52 m) of rock to POI 4. |
| 4 | south abutment of Bridge S.1B | 60.63845 -135.03703 497974 6722518 |
This is the south end of Bridge S.1B (bridge 1-1/2), 126 ft (38 m); the other end is POI 5. It curved slightly to the right (east) and crossed a dry gulley. There is not much left of this bridge other than at the ends. |
| 5 | north abutment of Bridge S.1B | 60.63862 -135.03743 497953 6722537 |
This is the north end of Bridge S.1B (bridge 1-1/2); the other end is POI 4. From here, the track ran across a short bit (approx 30 ft, 9 m) of rock to POI 6. |
| 6 | south abutment of Bridge S.1C | 60.63874 -135.03770 497938 6722550 |
This is the south end of Bridge S.1C (bridge 2), 347 ft (106 m). It curved slightly to the right (east). Between this point and the north abutment (POI 7) is a large swampy area that is home to apparently busy beavers. There is not much left of this bridge except at the ends. |
| 7 | north abutment of Bridge S.1C | 60.63952 -135.03872 497882 6722637 |
This is the north end of Bridge S.1C (bridge 2); the other end is POI 6. If you want to see this, hike in from the Mt. Sima Road. |
| 8 | right of way enters tailings pond | 60.64257 -135.04892 497324 6722977 |
South of this point, the right of way (clearly visible although quickly growing over) approaches the impressively tall wall of the tailings pond. North of this point was Bridge S.2A (bridge 3), 535 ft (163 m) long over a gulley now full of tailings. It curved to the left toward POI 9. |
| 9 | right of way exits tailings pond | 60.64085 -135.05213 497149 6722786 |
The right of way exits the tailings pond at this point. You can still easily follow the right of way south to the main Whitehorse Copper road. On the south side of the Whitehorse Copper road, the right of way is completely overgrown but if you look closely, you can still see the grade with the shallow ditches on each side hidden in the forest floor. |
| 10 | Bridge S.3A | 60.64133 -135.06565 496409 6722840 |
This is the approximate centre of straight Bridge S.3A (bridge 5), 268 ft (82 m) that crossed the north end of a chain of small lakes. Today, this has been filled in with waste rock to support a road on top, part of the Whitehorse Copper complex at Little Chief. |
| 11 | summit | 60.64741 -135.08041 495603 6723518 |
This is the highest point on the CMB although that is not particularly obvious on the ground. According to E.L. Johnson's book on the CMB, the elevation here is 2743 feet (836 m) above sea level, 650 feet (198 m) above the Whitehorse railway yard. A 146 m (480 ft) siding was on the west side of the main, switches on both ends, just to the south of the summit. |
| 12 | Carr-Glynn Station | 60.65884 -135.10170 494441 6724793 |
Carr-Glynn Station was named after Sydney Carr Glynn, director and (vice?) chairman of the WP&Y. There was also a water tower at this location at the south end of Carr-Glynn Lake, roughly at the mid-point of the CMB, and a 137 m (450 ft) siding west of the main, switch on south end only. Today there is a faint outline of a large square building foundation in the woods and a pile of rusty tin cans spilling into the lake. |
| 13 | Culvert S.C5A | 60.660433 -135.10402 494314 6724970 |
This was the site of an 8-ft (2.5 m) culvert that carried a stream under the railway and into the north end of Carr-Glynn Lake. It's not clear why this was significant enough to be listed among the CMB bridges but maybe there were no other significant culverts on the spur. Was it 8 ft long or 8 ft in diameter? If the latter, yes, that would be a significant culvert. There is a modern steel culvert here, the exit of which is mostly under water in Carr-Glynn Lake. It's longer than 8 ft but not anywhere close to 8 ft in diameter. |
| 14 | Bridge S.6A | 60.670531 -135.11942 493474 6726096 |
This is the approximate centre of straight Bridge S.6A (bridge 6), 160 ft (49 m). It crossed a deep cut that, on the east side of the current Copper Haul Road, currently provides a practice area for rock-climbing enthusiasts. |
| 15 | original right of way | 60.68314 -135.13988 492359 6727503 |
For the most part, the Copper Haul Road overlays the north part of the CMB right of way. The only significant exception is in this area where a short loop of the original right of way still exists. Enter from the north end. |
| 16 | glacier | 60.69563 -135.15405 491588 6728896 |
In winter, water would come down the slope in this area and freeze over the tracks in what crews called a "glacier" (technically an aufeis). This caused derailments in 1910 and 1918; see chronology above. If you look carefully just down the bank to the east, you may find two bits of rail (one badly bent) some other hardware, maybe left over from the derailments. |
| 17 | wye at Pueblo | 60.72158 -135.17596 490400 6731789 |
In 1910, the McIntyre Marsh area (north end of the CMB near Pueblo) was a lot drier and was the location of a railway wye for turning locomotives around. A locomotive leading ore cars to Pueblo would decouple from them and run around on a siding in the same area as the wye. The locomotive would push the empty cars to the mine and then turn itself around on the wye to be ready to lead the full cars back to the main line at Macrae. If you stand on Fish Lake Road north of this point, you may be able to see traces of wye in the marsh. The reason the marsh is so wet today is due to changes in water flows of McIntyre and Porter Creeks after installation of hydro power plants in the 1950s. |
| 18 | end of track | 60.72158 -135.17596 490400 6731789 |
The Pueblo Mine required some runout track past the loading point at the mine. The track extended down the south side of Porter Creek to this point. It probably sloped up on cribbing at the very end to keep cars from running off the end. See Pueblo for more details. |
Photos
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POI 1. North-west from Moraine Road, the right of way crossed the current Sidhu Trucking compound. |
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POI 1. One of the interpretive panels. It shows timber Bridge S.2B (bridge 4), which was in the mill area at Whitehorse Copper at Little Chief. |
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POI 1. South-east from Moraine Road, the right of way is to the north (left in this photo) of an embankment that is in the centre of a transportation corridor. |
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Right of way immediately south of Bridge S.1A, POI 2. There are still some ties in the ground. |
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POI 2. South abutment of Bridge S.1A. |
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Remains of Bridge S.1A between the north and south abutments. |
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Remains of Bridge S.1A between the north and south abutments. |
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Remains of Bridge S.1A between the north and south abutments. |
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POI 3. North abutment of Bridge S.1A. |
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POI 4. South abutment of Bridge S.1B. |
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POI 5. North abutment of Bridge S.1B. No, not much left. This bridge was probably demolished years ago. |
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POI 6. South abutment of Bridge S.1C. |
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POI 6. Detail of timbers in south abutment of Bridge S.1C. |
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POI 6. Broken/rotten timber that supported the ties that supported the rail, heading down into the beaver swamp. Not much left of this bridge either. |
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POI 7. North abutment of Bridge S.1C, not all that far from the Mt. Sima Road. |
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POI 8. Video starts looking south down the CMB right of way from POI 8 then backs up across the high berm holding back the tailings pond. This video © 2020 Elizabeth MacDonald. |
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POI 8. Video starts at the top of the berm at POI 8 and pans down to the level of the CMB right of way at the base. Note the height of the berm compared to the people and dog on top. This video © 2020 Elizabeth MacDonald. |
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POI 8. Video starts with the CMB right of way below the berm at POI 8, pans up above the berm, and then progresses out into the tailings pond following the original CMB path. The rail curved left around the far side of the water on a significant curved timber bridge (bridge 3 / S.2A — details above) and back to POI 9. This video © 2020 Elizabeth MacDonald. |
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POI 9. Curved Bridge S.2A (163 m) was about where the open water appears in this photo on the surface of the tailings pond. |
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POI 10. Bridge S.3A crossed this little chain of lakes near Little Chief. The embankment at the far end of the lake is where the bridge crossed. |
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POI 12. Carr-Glynn Station was on the south side of Carr-Glynn Lake, seen through the trees. The remains of a rectangular building foundation is in the centre of this photo... probably the station. The water tower was likely nearer the track (today the Copper Haul Road). |
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POI 12. Impressive collection of old tin cans between Carr-Glynn Station and the lake. The vehicles in the background are on the Copper Haul Road, the former CMB right of way. |
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POI 12. Carr-Glynn Station was probably on this quiet corner of the lake behind the pile of tin cans. |
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POI 13. This stream flows into Carr-Glynn Lake through a modern culvert. When the CMB was in operation, this was the site of a significant (for the time) culvert. |
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POI 14. Bridge S.6A crossed this gulch that today is often frequented by rock climbers. |
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POI 15. The orignal right of way, the only significant part of the CMB north of Little Chief that is not covered by the Copper Haul Road. |
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Remains of a telegraph pole on the original right of way, POI 15. Note how short the cross-piece is. Probably only two strands of wire at most, one on each side of the pole. |
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Telegraph pole in previous photo, close up. POI 15. If you look carefully, you may find some telegraph wire just off the east side of the right of way, more to the north end. |
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At about mile 8.0, the track curved around this big crumbling bluff. This photo is looking south. |
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POI 16, approximately mile 8.8. The "glacier" that caused two derailments was here where water oozes across the current Copper Haul Road. This photo is from early fall, 25 Oct 2020, looking north. |
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Bent rail and hardware, possibly from 1918 derailment, just down the bank east of POI 16. |
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Rail, just down the bank east of POI 16. There is very little CMB rail left. |
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POI 17. Area of the north wye looking south from the Fish Lake Road. See also next photo. |
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POI 17. Area of the north wye looking south from the Fish Lake Road showing approximate track layout for the wye. Compare with previous photo without the overlay. |
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POI 18. North end of the Copper Mines Branch looking east. You can see how the rail was bent to slope up at the end so cars would not roll off. |
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POI 18. Only one rail left on the timber cribbing that provided the upslope at the end of the line. Looking west from what was the end of the line. |
Downloads
| POIs for GPS | map for GPS |
|---|---|
| file of POIs in GPS format for the whole Copper Mines Branch that you can download. POIs include railway mileposts at half-mile intervals. | CMB Custom Maps for GPS |
Other resources
Johnson, Eric L., The Copper Mines Branch, White Pass Rails into the Whitehorse Copper Belt, 2017, Rusty Spike Publishing. Available at Mac's Fireweed Books in Whitehorse or through Chapters Indigo
Before-construction plan of the CMB complete with spurs to Valerie, Arctic Chief, Empress of India, and War Eagle: 15268 CLSR YT, LOCATED LINE OF RAILWAY FOR THE BRITISH YUKON RAILWAY COMPANY - SECTION E survey plan, 1907
As-constructed plan of the CMB: 21512A CLSR YT, CONSTRUCTED LINE OF RAILWAY FOR THE BRITISH YUKON RAILWAY COMPANY survey plan, 1914
White Pass & Yukon Copper mines branch: http://narrowmind.railfan.net/WPYR/CopperBranch/index.html — photos and info
A Whitehorse Copper Belt railway hike: https://explorenorthblog.com/a-whitehorse-copper-belt-railway-hike/ — Murray Lundberg
TimmiT History Exploration Notebook