Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year from John Warren at Directing Change Limited - Answers to the Xmas competition for Charity

1. A competition
Following on from the success of our last Xmas Card competitions, I thought we would spread more fun and cheer again this
year. I was trying to decide which of the many, worthy charities to make a donation to and looking for a good photograph for
my 7th Christmas Card when I thought why not get into the Christmas Spirit: spread the fun and cheer at Christmas?
If you win, I will donate the money that I would have spent on Christmas Cards to the Registered Charity of your choice. All
you have to do is identify as accurately as possible, the location of where these photographs were taken.
In the event of receiving more than one correct reply by the 15th of January 2017, I will draw the names out of a hat. In the
event of no correct replies, I will donate the money to a Registered Charity of my choice. Come on lets have some fun!
And do not forget to tell me the Charity of your Choice.
So where is this incredible feat of Engineering to be found? To win, be as accurate as you can! Please reply to
John.Warren@DirectingChange.co.uk
Answers will be posted on my website: Directing Change XMAS 2016 Competition after the 15th of January 2017
WishingyouaMerryChristmas
andaHappyNewYear
fromJohnWarrenatDirecting
Change

2. WishingyouaMerryChristmasandaHappyNewYear
fromJohnWarrenatDirectingChange

3. So did you get the answer?
There were two clues in the right hand photograph
1. An International Historic Civil Engineering Landmark
2. Gulch
• Look either of these up on the internet and you may have got
closer to the answer
• Use the technique of putting both in the search bar in quotes
with a & between them and you will get the answer
"An International Historic Civil Engineering Landmark" & "Gulch"
• Construction of this famous railroad started in May 1898 and
was built by over 35,000 individuals, “probably by the most
highly educated workforce ever assembled”
• It was Financed by British Investors.
• It was opened to the first train in 1899 with the first service
on 1st of August 1900
• The bridge was a framed steel cantilever rail bridge, at
milepost 18.6, over a 1200 foot wide gorge and stood 215
feet high – at the time it was the tallest railroad bridge in the
world.
• When Steam Engines were replaced by heavier diesel
engines, it was decided to reroute the railroad over a new
bridge built bedside it (see top and bottom photo).

4. Rotary Snowplough No. 1 was built in 1898 by the Cooke Locomotive and Machinery Company of Paterson, New Jersey
for WP&YR.
It helped the railroad face the challenges of heavy winter
snows with accumulations of up to 12 feet. Pushed by up to
2 helper engines, the rotary’s 10 huge blades sent snow
flying out to the side of the tracks by centrifugal force. It
was retired in 1965 but was used as recently as 2001 for a
ceremonial clearing of the rails. Rotary Snowplough No. 1
has been restored and can be seen by the Skagway Depot.
And that was another clue: Skagway!

5. A Civil Engineering Landmark
The White Pass & Yukon Route was designated an International Historic Civil Engineering Landmark in 1994.
This is an honour shared by only 36 world civil engineering marvels such as the Eiffel Tower, Statue of Liberty
and the Panama Canal. The WP&YR is recognized for the many difficult and hazardous obstacles that
construction overcame: design challenges, granite mountains, steep grades, cliff hanging turns and
unimaginable weather conditions. The courage and brave acts of the workers under the leadership of
dedicated builders are recognized by this prestigious designation.
History of the rail road - some great facts
or
wikipedia information
So its in Alaska, born of the Klondike Gold Rush of 1897.
The relevance of Gulch in the photo allows more accuracy

6. The definition of Gulch is a deep V- shaped
valley formed by erosion which my contain a
small stream or dry creek bed.
One of the tragedies of the Klondike Gold Rush, before the
railway was built, was that over 3,000 horses died on the
trail to get to the gold fields.
Each person was required to arrive at the Canadian Border
with a years supply of food and equipment. To carry this ton
of supplies took several trips over the hazardous terrain. So
many used pack horses. But the stampeders were merciless
in their treatment of the animals – they worked them to
death and then went back to the beach to get some more.
So the trial became known as the Dead Horse Trail and this
gulch, the Dead Horse Gulch.
So sad and bad. But good, in a way, that this incredible feat
of Engineering, stopped the further slaughter.

7. So why this photo for the Christmas Card aside from the snow?
Well, our family went on the Alaskan Cruise in September 2016 and I was so impressed by this story; the
bravery of the stampeders who were so desperate to strike it rich; the incredible feats of engineering
building this railway – well I just thought I would like to share it with you.

8. To learn more about this incredible story…
this video was taken by Paul Hodge on his expedition to Alaska.
It showcases the first gruelling phase of the famous 1897 Klondike Gold Rush ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rkypW7S1UA
So who won?
The most accurate answer is on the White Pass railway (on White Pass & Yukon Route) at milepost 18.6, at Dead
Horse Gulch in Alaska.
We had 85 views on LinkedIn and lots of out of office replies:
“left for Xmas” – lucky them
One that suggested it was in Portugal and one in India.
We also had 3 replies that were in the correct area from
• Chris “The Switchback Arch bridge on the White Pass and
Yukon Railway in Skagway, Alaska. The bridge is actually
situated over the White Pass”
• Richard “I would say that is USA rolling stock so ......your
photo is possibly the Yukon Scenic Railway, USA”
and
• James – “it’s in Alaska in Yukon and it’s on the white pass.
Chris was the only one that nominated a charity
so I will make a donation to the British Heart Foundation