Grand Canyon Railway

Grand Canyon Railway
Overview
Locale	Williams, AZ
Founded	1901
Former Operators	Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
Current Status	Operational
Technical
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge

The Grand Canyon Railway is a tourist and heritage railroad in Williams, Arizona, United States which carries passengers between Williams, Arizona, and the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park.

History

The 64-mile (103 km) railroad, built by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, was completed on September 17, 1901 when they 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. The 64-mile (103-kilometer) long trip cost $3.95, and naturalist John Muir later commended the railroad for its limited environmental impact. To accommodate travelers, the Santa Fe designed and built the El Tovar Hotel, located just 20 feet (6.1 meters) from the Canyon Rim. El Tovar opened its doors in January 1905.

Competition with the automobile forced the Santa Fe to cease operation of the Grand Canyon Railway in July 1968 (only three passengers were on the last run), although Santa Fe continued to use the tracks for freight until 1974.

Plans by entertainer Arthur Godfrey to resume service in 1977 fell through. In addition, two other companies attempted to resurrect the line in 1980 and 1984, with each attempt helping to maintain interest in preserving the line and saving it from scrapping.

In 1988, the line was bought by Max and Thelma Biegert. The railway was restored and in 1989 began operations as a separate company, independent of the Santa Fe. The first run of the restored railroad was on September 17, 1989, commemorating the September 17 debut of the original railroad.

Locomotive Roster

Current Locomotives:

Number	Images	Heritage	Type	Builder	Built	Status	Notes
29		Lake Superior & Ishpeming Railroad	2-8-0	American Locomotive Company	1906	Stored while awaiting FRA Mandated 1,472-Day Boiler Inspection and Overhaul
4960		Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad	2-8-2	Baldwin Locomotive Works	1923	Operational
295		Amtrak	EMD F40PHR	Electro-Motive Diesel	1979	Operational
237		Amtrak	EMD F40PHR	Electro-Motive Diesel	1977	Operational
239		Amtrak	EMD F40PHR	Electro-Motive Diesel	1977	Operational
1105		Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway	EMD GP7u	Electro-Motive Diesel	1952	Operational
2134		Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway	EMD GP7u	Electro-Motive Diesel	1953	Stored	It used to be painted in the Blue and Yellow freight scheme when it operates on the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway but now it's painted black.
4124		New Jersey Transit	EMD F40PH-2	Electro-Motive Diesel	1981	Operational
4128		New Jersey Transit	EMD F40PH-2	Electro-Motive Diesel	1981	Operational
6762		Canadian National Railway	Alco FPA-4	Montreal Locomotive Works	1958	Stored	Never operated on the GCR. Spare parts provider for the other diesel units. Still in Via Rail colors.
6776		Canadian National Railway	Alco FPA-4	Montreal Locomotive Works	1959	Static Display At the Grand Canyon Village	It previously operated back in 2009.
6768		Canadian National Railway	Alco FPA-4	Montreal Locomotive Works	1959	Stored	Never operated on the GCR. Spare parts provider for the other diesel units. Still in Via Rail colors.
6793		Canadian National Railway	Alco FPA-4	Montreal Locomotive Works	1959	Operational	In limited use. Ex-Potomac Eagle.
6860		Canadian National Railway	ALCO FPB-4	Montreal Locomotive Works	1959	Operational

Former Locomotives:

Number	Images	Heritage	Type	Builder	Notes
18		Lake Superior & Ishpeming	Steam	American Locomotive Company	Now At the Colebrookdale Railroad in Boyertown, Pennsylvania Undergoing Restoration.
19		Lake Superior & Ishpeming	Steam	American Locomotive Company	Now On Outdoor Static Display At the Frisco Heritage Museum Painted in Frisco Livery.
20		Lake Superior & Ishpeming	Steam	American Locomotive Company	Now On Outdoor Static Display At the Depot Museum in Allen, Texas.
5		Anaconda Copper Mining Company	Steam	Lima Locomotive Works	Now On Outdoor Static Display At the Arizona State Railroad Museum in Williams, Arizona.
539		Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railroad	Steam	American Locomotive Company	Sold to the Port of Kalama, Who Has the Hopes of Putting the Locomotive On Indoor Static Display.
2072		Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway	Diesel	Electro-Motive Diesel	Now Stored On the Oregon Eastern Railroad in Vale, Oregon.
6773		Canadian National Railway	Diesel	Montreal Locomotive Works	Sold to Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad in 2024
6871		Canadian National Railway	Diesel	Montreal Locomotive Works	Sold to Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad in 2024

Visiting Locomotives:

Image	Locomotive	Build Date	Wheel Arrangement	Manufacturer
	ATSF 3751	May 1927	4-8-4	Baldwin Locomotive Works
	Amtrak 66			GE Transportation Systems

Trivia

• The railroad carries hundreds of passengers to and from the canyon every day, totaling about 225,000 people per year.
• There are also other locomotives that occasionally visit the GCR, whether its for special events like Santa Fe No. 3751 or modern units from Amtrak, or just for temporary storage, like Manitou and Pike's Peak Railway No. 4, or the Arizona State Railroad Museum's locomotive collection.
• Steam locomotive operations on the Grand Canyon Railway were suspended in September 2008.
• 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.
  • The Grand Canyon Depot was originally constructed in 1909–10 for the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, in what is now Grand Canyon National Park. It is one of three remaining railroad depots in the United States built with logs as the primary structural material. The station is within 330 feet (100 m) of the rim of the canyon, opposite the El Tovar Hotel, also built by the railroad. The depot is designated a National Historic Landmark, is listed the National Register of Historic Places, and is included in the Grand Canyon Village National Historic Landmark District.
  • The Santa Fe Station in Williams was built in 1908 it is the oldest remaining port concrete structed in Arizona.
• 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. Xanterra is the corporate name and identity for what was originally known as the Fred Harvey Company, a company with restaurant, hotel and service ties to the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway as far back as 1876.
• 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.

Gallery