The Grand Canyon Railway is a heritage railroad which carries passengers between Williams, Arizona, and the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park.
The railroad, built by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, was completed on September 17, 1901. The arrival of trains led increased tourism to the area, and the railway company was instrumental in the creation of the Grand Canyon Village to serve guests. Declining ridership due to the increasing usage of the automobile led the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway to cease passenger service of the Grand Canyon Railway in July 1968 and freight service on the line ended in 1974.
Private investors purchased the line in 1988, restored the facilities, and started running passenger trains again on September 17, 1989. Today, the railroad carries hundreds of passengers to and from the canyon every day and operates year-round.
The entire Grand Canyon Railway has been added to the National Register of Historic Places, recognizing the contribution the train has made to the history of the United States.
History
Santa Fe ownership
thumb|Inaugural run, September 1901|alt=|left
In 1901, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway completed a branch line from Williams to Grand Canyon Village at the South Rim. The first scheduled train to carry paying passengers of the Grand Canyon Railway arrived from Williams on September 17 of that year. The long trip cost $3.95, and naturalist John Muir later commended the railroad for its limited environmental impact. After leaving the crop-dusting business, they operated a for-profit day care business in Houston, Texas, which became the Children's World Learning Center and is now part of KinderCare Learning Centers. The Biegerts never intended to get into the rail business. They had loaned money secured by the tracks to another person for the rail line. When they defaulted the Biegerts took over the line. In conjunction with the startup, the Biegerts were principal investors in the short-lived Farwest Airlines, an air taxi service operating a DHC Dash 7 that was intended to bring tourists from California, Las Vegas and Phoenix to Flagstaff where the passengers would then take the rail line.
The railway originally looked into acquiring and importing some of the China Railways KD7 class 2-8-0s to haul their tourist excursion trains, but they quickly backed out of the deal, due to the Tiananmen Square massacre complicating the exporting process.
The first locomotives the railway acquired were a pair of EMD GP7u units from the Santa Fe, as well as four 2-8-0 consolidation steam locomotives formerly operated by the Lake Superior and Ishpeming Railroad. In the early 1990s, the Grand Canyon Railway purchased a fleet of 1950s-era MLW FPA-4 Diesel-electric locomotives, featuring an iconic "snub nose" design. The fleet consisted of two cab-equipped lead A unit models and two cabless booster B unit models. The new locomotives supplemented the fleet of steam locomotives and allowed the railway to grow into a year-round operation. In 1996, the railway boosted their steam roster by rebuilding a 2-8-2 Mikado; former Chicago Burlington and Quincy 4960, a locomotive with a long history of excursion service.
The MLW FPA-4 locomotives lacked the features found in more modern units, such as increased horsepower and dynamic brakes. Therefore, in February 2003, the Grand Canyon Railway purchased three late-1970s F40PH locomotives from Amtrak and placed them into service in 2004.
Xanterra ownership
thumb|No. 6776 with an excursion train at the [[Williams Depot, April 2006]]
On September 21, 2006, it was announced that Xanterra Travel Collection, submitted the winning bid (for an undisclosed sum) and was selected as the new owner for the Grand Canyon Railway.
thumb|GCRY's [[EMD F40PH|F40FH No. 237 at Grand Canyon Village, 2011]]
Steam locomotives would return to the Grand Canyon Railway on September 19, 2009. Xanterra converted the steam locomotives to operate using waste vegetable oil collected from restaurants across Northern Arizona and installed a rainwater collection system near the maintenance shop to fill boilers when available. Since 2011, special occasion trips, and at least one roundtrip per month during the summer is operated using a steam locomotive. In 2017, the Grand Canyon Railway added to its fleet of diesel locomotives, purchasing two additional F40PH units from New Jersey Transit. As of 2021, the Grand Canyon Railway only has two steam locomotives left in their roster. In 2019, the GCR purchased three Ex-Rio Grande business cars, and since then, the GCR used them exclusively for private charter service, with the option of being pulled by steam or diesel.
Operations
The railroad carries hundreds of passengers to and from the canyon every day, totaling about 225,000 people per year.
The restored Santa Fe Railway Station in Williams serves as the southern terminus for the Grand Canyon Railway and the Grand Canyon Depot, owned by the National Park Service, is the northern terminus for passengers of the line.
Most trains are pulled by the Railway's fleet of F40PH diesel locomotives. They were regeared to run at freight locomotive speeds and have been redesignated as F40FH. Steam locomotives pull trains on special holidays and the first Saturday of the peak travel season (March through October). The Grand Canyon Railway's fleet of historic FPA-4 diesel locomotives also see occasional use.
Passengers ride to and from the Grand Canyon in 1950s era climate-controlled coaches. During the peak travel season, 1920s era Pullman Harriman style coaches with open windows are also available.
The railroad adds to the Old West experience by having actors dressed as bandits stage a mock train robbery during the return trip from the Grand Canyon to Williams.
The Grand Canyon Railway offers at least one daily round trip of its Williams Flyer train between Williams and the Grand Canyon every day except on Christmas Day, December 25. During peak demand periods a second train departure is added.
{| class="wikitable" style="display: inline-table;margin:1em auto;"
|+Train Schedule
!Station
!Time
|-
|Leave Williams
|9:30 am
|-
|Arrive Grand Canyon
|11:45 am
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" |Layover<br />(time at Grand Canyon)
|-
|Leave Grand Canyon
|3:30 pm
|-
|Arrive Williams
|5:45 pm
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="display: inline-table;margin:1em auto;"
|+Second Train Schedule<br /><small>(peak demand periods only)</small>
!Station
!Time
|-
|Leave Williams
|10:30 am
|-
|Arrive Grand Canyon
|12:45 pm
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" |Layover<br />(time at Grand Canyon)
|-
|Leave Grand Canyon
|4:30 pm
|-
|Arrive Williams
|6:45 pm
|}
During the winter season (November – January), the line runs The Polar Express from Williams to the 'North Pole', a station about north of town. In 2008, this winter service carried about 78,000 passengers.
The route included stops at Quivero, Valle, Willaha, and Coconino stations.
Historic designations
The entire Grand Canyon Railway has been added to the National Register of Historic Places for being associated with events that made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of the history of the United States. In the nomination to the register, the railroad was credited with, "Opening up of a large area north of Williams, the building of the Grand Canyon National Park facilities at the south rim, establishment of a solid tourist trade in the American Southwest, support of cattle and sheep ranching, copper and uranium mining, lumber industries, and the building of a sub culture around the railroad that continues to this day."
The Grand Canyon Depot was added to the register on September 6, 1974, while the Williams Depot and the rest of the railroad between Williams and the Grand Canyon National Park was added as a Historic District on August 23, 2000. The Grand Canyon Depot was also designated as a National Historic Landmark on May 28, 1987, for its outstanding historical significance.
Equipment
Locomotives
{| class="wikitable"
|+Locomotive details
!Type
!Builder
!Model
!Image
!
!Built
!Former owner
!Status
|-
| rowspan="2" |Steam
|American Locomotive Company
|
|frameless|150x150px
|29
|1906
|Lake Superior and Ishpeming
|Undergoing 1,472-day inspection and overhaul
|-
|Baldwin Locomotive Works
|
|frameless|150x150px
|4960
|1923
|Chicago Burlington and Quincy
|Operational
|-
| rowspan="17" |Diesel
| rowspan="2" |Electro-Motive Diesel
| rowspan="2" |GP7u
| rowspan="2" |frameless|150x150px
|1105
|1952
| rowspan="2" |
|Operational
|-
|2134
|1953
|Stored
|-
| rowspan="5" |Montreal Locomotive Works
| rowspan="4" |FPA-4
| rowspan="5" |frameless|150x150px
|6762
| rowspan="5" |1958
| rowspan="5" |Canadian National, Via Rail, Potomac Eagle Scenic Railroad (6793)
| rowspan="2" |Out of service, used for parts
|-
|6768
|-
|6776
|Display
|-
|6793
| rowspan="2" |Operational
|-
| FPB-4
|6860
|-
| rowspan="8" |Electro-Motive Diesel
| rowspan="8" |F40FH
| rowspan="8" |frameless|150x150px
|237
| rowspan="2" |1977
| rowspan="6" |Amtrak
| rowspan="4" |Operational
|-
|239
|-
|295
|1979
|-
|365
|1981
|-
|401
|1988
|Stored, awaiting restoration
|-
|407
|1987
|Stored, awaiting restoration
|-
|4124
| rowspan="2" |1981
| rowspan="2" |NJ Transit
| rowspan="2" |Operational
|-
|4128
|}
Former units
{| class="wikitable"
|+Locomotive details
|-
!Type
!Builder
!Model
!Image
!
!Built
!Former owner
!Status
!Current owner
|-
| rowspan="4" |Steam
| rowspan="4" |American Locomotive Company
| rowspan="3" |2-8-0
|frameless|150x150px
|18
| rowspan="3" |1910
| rowspan="3" |Lake Superior and Ishpeming
|Undergoing 1,472-day inspection and overhaul
|The Maguire Family Foundation
|-
|left|frameless|150x150px
|19
|Display
|City of Frisco, Texas
|-
|frameless|150x150px
|20
|Display
|City of Allen, Texas
|-
|2-8-2
|frameless|150x150px
|539
|1917
|Northern Pacific, Spokane Portland and Seattle
|Display
|Port of Kalama, Washington
|-
| rowspan="3" |Diesel
|Electro-Motive Diesel
|GP7u
|frameless|150x150px
|2072
|1953
|Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe
|Scrapped
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |Montreal Locomotive Works
|FPA-4
| rowspan="2" |frameless|150x150px
|6773
| rowspan="2" |1958
| rowspan="2" |Canadian National, Via Rail
|Operational
| rowspan="2" |Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad
|-
|FPB-4
|6871
|Undergoing restoration
|}
Rolling stock
{| class="wikitable"
|+Rolling stock details
!Type
!Builder
!Model
!Image
!
!Built
!Name
!Heritage
!Status
!Current owner
|-
|Passenger Equipment
|Budd Company
|Dome car
|
|1108
|1948
|
|Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad
|Under restoration
|Illinois Railway Museum
|}
See also
- ATSF Grand Canyon Limited
- Grand Canyon Railway 4960
- Grand Canyon Railway 29
- History of the Grand Canyon area
- List of heritage railroads in the United States
- List of heritage railways