Prince Rupert, BC: Railroad Ferry Barge to Alaska

(Satellite, if you know where the rail ferry was, please comment.)

Frank Keller Photography posted
Preparing to load the final CN barge. This would be the last barge from Whittier, Alaska to Prince Rupert, BC. Once this barge sailed all CN/CP traffic headed to Alaska would first travel to Seattle before getting on Alaska Marine Lines barge to Whittier. The route from Prince Rupert to Whittier was considerably shorter than Seattle to Whittier but expense finally put the nail in the coffin and the CN Barge is no more. 4.16.21

Eric W Cole: There were Prince Rupert based rail barges that serviced Ketchikan as well, when the Ketchikan Pulp Company mill was operating.

Mike Duffy: 8 track car float, very impressive.

Frank Keller Photography: Mike Duffy with a couple of switches on the deck as I recall.

Vincent Tarantella: Wait...?...going to barge-haul from further-away? ...and can make more money than a closer haul? I'll surmise the additional expense from further away is the break-even point for the dock workers, train crews, tug crews paychecks? The barges and dock equipment been paid for years ago. Let me guess, something needs replaced costing millions and nobody wants to put out the money?

Frank Keller Photography: Vincent Tarantella yes the barge needed significant improvements.

George E. Jones: IIRC, the original use of Prince Rupert/CN/CP as the southern terminus was the prohibitions of the Jones Act which prohibited foreign built vessels from operating between two American ports.

Frank Keller Photography: Jim Norton I bet they did.

[Some comments indicated that they loaded the barge from the center to the edges.]