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Yukon.--Surprised teams of huskies and perplexed herds of caribou may stop in their respective snow tracks this winter at first sight of what should be the fastest moving ground objects in the Yukon--two diesel-electric locomotives. Built by the General Electric Company to cope with the most punishing conditions on the continent, the new locomotives will be operated by the White Pass and Yukon Route between Skagway where temperatures reach 80 degrees above zero in the summer to Whitehorse, Canada where they drop to 65 degrees below zero in the winter.
In just 20 miles, the locomotives must pull their loads from sea level at Skagway to an elevation of 2,885 feet at the summit of White Pass. They are the first diesel-electric locomotives to be used in the Yukon.
For purposes of heating and crew comfort, each locomotive has a boxtype cab. With this structure, apparatus in the engine compartment has a larger air cushion between it and the engine hood than would be found in a regular road switcher. The extra air permits heating by radiation from the engine and accessories. A box cab also enables the fireman to reach all power plant and control apparatus without having to encounter the outside elements.
Each 80-ton diesel-electric is expected to pull 260 tons compared with 160 tons by the steam engines now in service. Average grade for the first 20 miles from Skagway is 2.6 per cent, with a maximum grade of 3.9 per cent.
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