The fabled Grand Canyon Railway will fire up its 1923 steam engine for a total of 16 scheduled runs from Williams, Arizona, to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon in 2016 (total of 65 miles each way). It is estimated that less than 100 steam engines still regularly run in the U.S., thus making the sight, sound, smell and experience rather rare these days.
An antique in today’s high-tech world, locomotive No. 4960 is considered a unique modern marvel for the fact that it runs on waste vegetable oil collected from local restaurants and establishments around Williams. The oil is strained to remove water and remnants and used as a fuel alternative that reduces carbon emissions.
While the Grand Canyon Railway operates daily (excluding Christmas Day) and is normally powered with diesel engines, Locomotive No. 4960 will pull the train on the following days in 2016.
- February 13 – Presidents’ Day
- March 5 – First Saturday of the Month
- April 2 – First Saturday of the Month
- May 7 – First Saturday of the Month
- June 4 – First Saturday of the Month
- June 18 – Train Day
- July 2 – First Saturday of the Month
- August 6 – First Saturday of the Month
- August 24, 25, 26, 27 – National Park Service’s Centennial Celebration
- September 3 – First Saturday of the Month
- September 17 – Grand Canyon Railway’s 27th Anniversary of Its Inaugural Run
- September 24 (date to be confirmed) – 2nd Annual Man vs. Machine Bike Race
- October 1 – First Saturday of the Month
With rates the same as the daily train’s, passengers won’t need to shell out more “green” to board this green machine. Tickets start at $79 for adults and $47 for children ages 15 and younger. Trips aboard the steam engine train depart from Williams Depot at 9:30 a.m. and arrive at South Rim at 11:45 a.m. The train departs Grand Canyon Depot at 3:30 p.m., returning to the Williams Depot at 5:45 p.m. The complete trip lasts 2 hours and 15 minutes each way.
