Grand Canyon Railway is part of Arizona's storied past. When the railroad was originally built, steam powered the first passengers on September 17, 1901 from Williams, Arizona to the Grand Canyon South Rim. While diesel power has replaced steam for most runs, on special event dates, the famed steam locomotives strut their stuff - now fueled by waste vegetable oil.
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National Train Day - May 12 and 13, 2012 |
Locomotive Shop Tours
Go behind the scenes at the Grand Canyon Railway's Locomotive Shop.
Tickets are $5 per person and can be purchased at the Information Tent on site at the Williams Depot. Locomotive Shop tours will be available on the hour from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. All proceeds will go to the Williams Food Bank. Note- no open-toe shoes or heels!
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The Grand Canyon Railway in cooperation with the Grand Chapter of the NHRS and the Williams - Grand Canyon Chamber are cooperating to host an event for National Train Day, in Williams on May 12 and 13.
Activities begin each day at 10:00 a.m. |
The highlight of the two-day event will be the "Cataract Creek Rambler" - a 45 minute train ride in open-window passenger coaches, pulled behind 1923 Baldwin Steam locomotive 4960, which has been recently converted to burn waste vegetable oil. Trains leave every hour on the hour from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets are sold on the day of the event.
National Train Day was started by Amtrak in 2008 to commemorate the completion of the first transcontinental railroad, May 10, 1869. Amtrak sponsors major events in Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia. Local communities around the country are invited to host their own events. Visit www.nationaltrainday.com for more information on activities around the country.
Note: AAA member discounts do not apply to rail events. |
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2012 Steam Train Schedule |
Learn More about the Grand Canyon
AAA Grand Canyon Railway Specials
Travel aboard the legendary Grand Canyon Railway on an exclusive 2- or 3-night "Rails to Rim" AAA getaway. And get discounts on rail tickets.
» Learn More
» Book online
Note: AAA member discounts do not apply to these special events.
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TRAIN TO THE GRAND CANYON'S SOUTH RIM
On two select dates, you can get steamed all the way to the Canyon, pulled by world-famous steam locomotive No. 4960. |
| Date |
Event |
Departure Times |
| Feb. 14 |
Arizona Centennial |
9:30 a.m. |
| June 2 |
Kick-Off to Summer |
9:30 a.m |
| July 4 |
Independence Day |
9:30 a.m. |
| Sept. 15 |
111th Anniversary |
9:30 a.m.
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CATARACT CREEK RAMBLER
On dates listed, the steam locomotive will make hourly eight-mile trips from Williams with a single class of service aboard te train's historic 1923 Harriman cars. Tickets are available on site only. |
| Date |
Event |
Departure Times |
| May 12, 13 |
National Train Day |
On the hour from |
| June 9 |
Summer fun |
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. |
Note: AAA member benefits do not apply to event rides.
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Celebrating a Tradition of Steam
The Grand Canyon Railway commemorates the anniversary of their rebirth every September with a special roundtrip run to the Grand Canyon using steam locomotive No. 4960 fueled by recycled vegetable oil. The steam locomotive also makes several eight-mile trips on special days throughout the year with a single class of service in the train's historic 1923 Harriman cars.
For years the Railway operated steam engines from Memorial Day to Labor Day, but in 2008 they discontinued regular runs because of environmental considerations. Operating an all-diesel fleet of locomotives year-round saves a considerable amount of fuel and reduces greenhouse gas emissions and air pollutants associated with steam locomotives.
The Grand Canyon Railway recently became the first tourist railway in the United States to receive ISO 14001 third-party certification of its environmental management system (EMS) after a two-year process involving complete review, development, and implementation of environmental initiatives in all of its operations.
The Grand Canyon Railway has two operable steam locomotives that have been restored to like-new working condition. Locomotive No. 4960 was built in 1923 by Baldwin Locomotive Works in Philadelphia. It operated a freight- and coal-hauling service for the Midwestern Chicago, Burlington and Quincy (CB&Q) railroad until the late 1950s and made its first official run on the Grand Canyon line in 1996. Locomotive No. 29 was restored in 2004 at a cost of more than $1 million and 26,000 man-hours of labor. An SC-3 class locomotive, Locomotive No. 29 was built in 1906 by ALCO in Pittsburgh and weighs 185 tons.
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| Driving to Williams, Arizona |
Distance to Williams
Flagstaff - 32 miles
Sedona - 61 miles
Phoenix - 178 miles
Tucson - 278 miles |
Williams is located off Interstate 40, 32 miles west of Flagstaff.
Williams Depot: 233 N. Grand Canyon Blvd, Williams, AZ 86046
Driving from Tucson and Phoenix:
From Tucson, take I-10 to Phoenix/I-17 north. From Phoenix, take I-17 north to Flagstaff. At the I-40 interchange go west toward Williams.
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