Tanana Valley Railroad Engine No. 1
Your adventure at El Dorado Gold Mine begins with a ride on a replica of the Tanana Valley Railroad near some of the original rail routes. You'll board at the train station and enjoy a short narrated journey to the mine. Your regular conductor and commentator is Earl Hughes, who provides lively commentary as you learn about mining from actual working hands at sites along the way.
The original Tanana Valley Railroad served over two dozen gold camps scattered throughout Interior Alaska in the early 1900s. Supplies arrived in Alaska on vessels that traveled from Seattle to the mouth of the Yukon River. Freight was then transferred to sternwheelers, which hauled it up the Yukon and Tanana Rivers to Interior Alaska. From there the Tanana Valley Railroad carried supplies to the gold camps.
"I must tell you how impressed I am with your tour. Especially with the informative, 'homespun' way your staff shared Alaska's mining life." |