See 3 Generations of Royals Hop the Canadian Rails!

All aboard!

When Prince William and Princess Kate stepped onto a steam train in Yukon, Canada, on Wednesday, they were keeping up a royal tradition.

The royal couple followed two older generations in enjoying the splendor of the Canadian railways, which are surrounded by magnificent mountains.

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William and Kate made an impromptu stop to see the train in Carcross after hearing how his grandmother Queen Elizabeth traveled in one of its carriages when she visited the area with husband Prince Philip in 1959.

And before that momentous trip, the reigning monarch's parents, George VI and Queen Elizabeth (the Queen Mum), crossed the country by Canadian Pacific train in 1939.

On their own excursion, William and Kate climbed into the cab and took turns pulling on the loud whistle. Their guide, First Nation Chief Andy Carvill, told the royal couple about the queen's carriage – which has been fitted with a marble table for the Queen.

"The Duke asked if he could go in and they got inside the train my blew the steam whistle," he told reporters.

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When they left the train, they gingerly inched along the railway track above a stretch of water, holding on tightly as they did, in what appeared to be a daredevil maneuver. Although the drop-off was short, there wasn't a rail to halt any fall, so they had to watch their step.

Earlier in the day, Before they made their stop to see the train, the couple had been to Montana mountain to hear about the Single Track to Success program that has created jobs for local First Nation people.