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Bill Reed

Bill Reed came to Skagway, Alaska in 1944 as a boy with his family. Growing up in Skagway, he worked for the White Pass and Yukon Railroad in various positions during the 1950’s and 1960’s, including as a gandy dancer at a section house, as a hosteler helper, and as a fireman on steam engines. He also has some experience with railroads in the Lower 48, including with mainline freight traffic as a fireman. Eventually, Bill moved to Fairbanks, Alaska where he is active in the community. He is a performer and singer, and is a founding member of Fairbanks Light Opera Theater and Opera Fairbanks.

Bill Reed appears in the following new Jukebox projects:

Railroads of Alaska

Interview Title	Abstract	Archive #: Oral History	Project	Date of Interview
Bill Reed	This is a recording of Bill Reed giving a presentation titled "I Remember the White Pass and Yukon Railroad” on May 11, 2010 at the Friends of the Tanana Valley Railroad’s monthly "Rail Stories" public lecture series held at the Tanana Valley Railroad Train Museum at Pioneer Park in Fairbanks, Alaska. He is introduced by the organization's president, Dan Osborne. In this presentation, Bill provides a series of anecdotes about growing up with and working for the White Pass and Yukon Railroad in Skagway, Alaska. It includes funny stories about speeding down the rail on a hand cart, an employee who couldn't read well enough to understand the Fragile labeling on freight, and characters he worked with on the railroad. He also tells about accidents and scary near miss experiences.	2010-02-06	Railroads of Alaska	May 11, 2010