Between 1907 and 1911, in the face of howling winds, surging glaciers, and temperatures falling to 60 below zero, the Copper River & Northwestern Railway was built through the wilderness of eastern Alaska. This video traces the epic story of the railroad's construction.

The sequel to this video follows my journey along the Copper River in search of the railroad's remains:

Check out my main channel - toldinstone - for many more historical documentaries:    / toldinstone  

Please consider supporting my videos on Patreon:
  / toldinstone  

If you liked this video, you might also enjoy my book “Naked Statues, Fat Gladiators, and War Elephants: Frequently Asked Questions about the Ancient Greeks and Romans.”

https://www.amazon.com/Naked-Statues-...

If you're so inclined, you can follow me elsewhere on the web:
  / toldinstone  
  / toldinstone  
  / 20993845.garrett_ryan  

Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
0:43 Copper at Kennicott
1:51 The Alaska Syndicate
2:49 Big Mike Heney
3:29 The Copper River route
4:08 Construction begins
4:57 Bringing boats over the mountains
5:41 Canyons, dynamite, and ice
6:41 Planning the Million Dollar Bridge
7:49 Piers and caissons
8:30 Working through the winter
9:00 Laying the falsework
10:05 The spans begin to rise
11:05 The final push
12:16 The Chitina Bridge
12:50 The Kuskulana Bridge
13:28 The Gilahina Trestle
14:02 The tracks reach Kennicott
15:20 The railroad is abandoned
16:24 My journey down the Copper River