Brian Pate's HOn3 Klondike Mines Rwy and HO CPR Shushwap Division

[mark dance]

Brian Pate has long loved the industrial architecture of the Klondike, specifically the sternwheelers, dredges, placer equipment and railways used during the gold rush.  He and his wife Margaret have visited the Klondike on information expeditions many times and this research has helped him create the beautiful models of his Klondike Mines Rwy.  Brian used artistic license and both set the KMR after world war II – long after the original KMR had ceased operations – and also to imagine a world where the surveyed but unbuilt Vancouver, Westminster & Yukon connected the 3’ gauge KMR to the standard gauge CPR mainline far to the South.
 
In addition highlighting his incredible modeling, his layout(s) also provide a platform for Brian’s other love on the hobby: operations.  Brian is a founder of Vancouver’s bi-annual operating invitational event, Vanrail, and the upcoming Vanrail 2015 in September unfortunately may well be the last time the KMR graces Vanrail.  The good news is that the Dawson City Museum in the Yukon has expressed interest in displaying much of the KMR and Brian is in Dawson now determining what is feasible.  If feasible, the local Vancouver MR community has already discussed how we can contribute to getting the KMR up to the Yukon and reassembling it in a somewhat working and maintainable fashion.
 
I have had the good fortune to operate on Brian’s layouts a few times and recall these session fondly.  It is like operating on a museum piece as the small sound-equipped trains snake around the dredges - both assembled and under construction - and the two sternwheelers the Minto and Keno.  Watching trains crawl down the streets of Dawson City or be switched by the dual gauge equipped switcher at Sicamous in front its stunning hotel/depot are a treat.
 
This week I had the good fortune of spending a couple of hours with Brian and Margaret videoing the KMR and CPR.  I have posted two videos from that session.  In the first, we walk around the layout and Brian explains to us what we are seeing and its history and relevance.

In the second we ride over the KMR first southbound on the pilot of the loco and then returning north to Dawson in the caboose.

I hope these videos can convey what a treat the layout is to run and what a wonderful job Brian has done of constructing it.
 
Thank you Brian from all those who have operated on it (so far)!
 
md

[Chris333]

Thanks. I have seen photos of this layout a few times, but these video's show much more.

[Scottl]

Thanks Mark.  I have also seen many pictures of this wonderful layout and it is even better learn that it might be preserved in Dawson.  He really captures the look and many of the key structures- wonderful.

The Yukon gold mines and Klondike history are a real passion of mine.  I've been fortunate to work in the area many times over the years and it still has many traces from that era including the Klondike Mines rail bed and several engines preserved in town.  Eric Johnston has documented the interesting rail history in the area in a series of books.  I have managed to track them all down and they will likely serve as my inspiration for a future modelling effort.