Westours (Westours Motor Coaches, Inc.) coaches in the depot
Skagway, Alaska.
The Municipality of Skagway Borough, located in the Upper
Lynn Canal at the head of Taiya Inlet, is home to the northernmost ice-free,
deep-water port in North America and known today as a port of call for many of
the cruise ships plying these waters.
Skagway is historically considered the gateway to the Gold
Rush of 1898, and today has a permanent population of 1,240. For the road
traveller there are two ways of approaching the town - either by car aboard the
Alaska Marine Highway System ferry that plies its trade from Bellingham, Washington
State to Homer Alaska, or driving from Yukon, Canada via the White Pass.
This might seem unlikely territory for a major coach
operation, but a short walk from downtown on the Klondike Highway soon dispels
that notion. There, on the right-hand side of the road is what today is known
as the HAP (Holland America Line and Princess) Bus Yard which supplies vehicles
for the cruise ships in Alaska and Canada's Yukon. A collaboration of both
cruise companies with headquarters in Anchorage, Alaska and operating just
under 300 motorcoaches. Before HAP came HAL, Holland America Line (Westours),
Inc., a holding company that controlled three subsidiaries: Westours Motor
Coaches, Evergreen Trails and Westmark
Hotels of Canada. On 8th April 2002 HAL acquired Horizon Coach Lines
Ltd., with its operations mainly concentrated in Canada.
Gone are the days of the gold rush, replaced by the rush of
motorcoaches as they whisk the cruise passenger on day excursions into the
Yukon and woo betide any car driver that gets in their way. On one occasion a
convoy of coaches was preceded by an escort vehicle clearing the road ahead to ensure
speed was maintained on the steep inclines.
For a more sedate experience the Skagway Street Car Company
operates a sightseeing tour from the historic downtown area, and at the time
were using White Model 706s dating from 1936/37. I believe these vehicles are
now located in Yellowstone National Park. The company makes tentative historic
links to Martin Itjen, who in 1923 gave Alaska's first motorized sightseeing
tour in Skagway.
The best time to enjoy Skagway is when all the cruise ships
have gone and the town reverts to its sleepy, dusty former frontier self.
Walking along the boardwalk you can almost hear the jangle of spurs, so grab a stetson
and find your inner John Wayne.
Prevost Model: H5-60. Westours (Westours Motor Coaches,
Inc.). 1990 Prevost Model: H5-60 coach in the depot Skagway, Alaska. Sold to
Absolute Charters. Converted into an RV in October 2019.
Skagway Street Car
Company, 1936 White Model 706.
Skagway Street Car Company. 1937 White Model 706.
