For a true understanding of Yukon character visit the Yukon Transportation Museum – A Moving Experience. Come and experience big, impressive modes of transportation that tell dramatic, authentic, and personal stories of Yukon ingenuity and self-sufficiency.

The Yukon Transportation Museum brings transportation history to life. A giant Cold War Land Train? Was container shipping invented by the White Pass & Yukon Route? How do you make snowshoes? Where were the routes to the fabled Klondike gold creeks and who went? Follow the stories of the early bush pilots as they struggled to make community access easier. Hear the stories of the people that live along the Alaska Highway – the Gravel Magnet. At the Yukon Transportation Museum you will see, read, and hear about the rich history of the north through lively stories along with the interesting, detailed and surprising size of displays.                                                                                                                  

Be sure to come peruse our giftshop; guided tours and ongoing events scheduled.

SPOTLIGHT:

Full size replica of the Queen of the Yukon

Ryan B-1 monoplane. Grey in colour with skis for landing gear. Marked on the door with ‘Queen of the Yukon’. Body of plane is marked ‘G-CAHR’.

‘Queen of the Yukon’ was the sister ship to the ‘Spirit of St. Louis’, flown on the first non-stop transatlantic flight from North America to Paris by Charles Lindbergh on May 20, 1927. The Spirit of St. Louis was a redesigned Ryan M-2, known as the Ryan NYP. It had a larger wingspan and large reservoir in order to hold the 450 gallons of fuel needed to cross the Atlantic Ocean. The Ryan Brougham series of planes were modelled after the Spirit of St. Louis. They were advertised as a ‘sister ship’ of the Spirit of St. Louis, with an “interior completely upholstered in mohair. The interior was roomy with comfortable seats, perfect visibility, and easy access. “Lindbergh’s vessel was cramped because most of the room was taken by fuel. It was also equipped with minimal instruments, but was extremely unstable. He hoped the frequent turbulence would keep him awake during the long flight. Lindberg had the plane installed with an uncomfortable wicker seat to keep him alert during the 30 hours it would take to cross the Atlantic Ocean.

On May 5, 1928, pilot Tommy Stephens, with two passengers on board, was attempting to land the Queen of the Yukon in a gusty crosswind in Whitehorse. On his second try, he bounced once and crashed into Billy Puckett’s Model T Ford Truck. Passenger Elizabeth McDougal Titus was seriously injured in the crash, while the second passenger Mrs. Tommy Stephens and Pilot Stephens sustained minor bruises. The plane was beyond repair. They ordered another Ryan Brougham and in the interim flew an open cockpit biplane. The Queen of the Yukon II was in possession of the company for three months before the plane went down in Mayo due to engine failure. On November 2, 1929, Yukon Airways pilot John Melvin “Pat’ Patterson died in the crash of the Queen of the Yukon II, making him the first aviation fatality in the Yukon. This plane is a replica that was built for an exhibit in the Yukon Pavilion during the transportation themed Expo ’86 in Vancouver, British Columbia.