The Grand Canyon Railway

[chuck geiger]

Saturday June 8, was quite an excursion from Williams, AZ to the Grand Canyon. Getting reacquainted with a line I got to see in 1971 when visiting my aunt who staying in a motor home in The South Rim. Some of the coolest parts of the old AT&SF were the great branches, Fallbrook, Escondido, Blythe, the Grand Canyon and more.



The Grand Canyon Railway follows the AT&SF operating policies and procedures and most of the old sidings and station names remain today. I was able to capture most of them on the run yesterday.



Williams





Outside Williams towards Valle



Thanks to Conductor Kyle who knows the line up and down for the stories and locations of the sidings and old stations - This is Willaha:







Coconino, formerly Apex:





Coming into Grand Canyon Depot, turning around on the WYE:







Heading back to Williams:



Quivero:







Assorted pictures from a great ride and lots of fun, rode VIP in the observation and the staff was excellent. My wife threw one great 64th.

[MK]

Great pictures Chuck!  Must have been a great trip!

[Joetrain59]

Didn't they have a steam engine???
 Joe D

[Point353]

Looks like Guy Fieri has put on a few pounds.

[MK]

Looks like Guy Fieri has put on a few pounds.

LOL!!!!!!   

[johnb]

Didn't they have a steam engine???
 Joe D

they only run steam one day a month....and it costs extra

[C855B]

Nice to see it running, especially given the apparent demand. That would make sense in some respects. South Rim is an arduous drive by itself, then the crowds and traffic in and out is not to be scoffed at - even 15 years ago when we last tried. Worth it to take the train.

Maybe my perception is warped by the passage of time, but didn't they almost shutter a few (...or many...) years ago?

[johnb]

Nice to see it running, especially given the apparent demand. That would make sense in some respects. South Rim is an arduous drive by itself, then the crowds and traffic in and out is not to be scoffed at - even 15 years ago when we last tried. Worth it to take the train.

Maybe my perception is warped by the passage of time, but didn't they almost shutter a few (...or many...) years ago?

I honestly prefer the north rim, a lot more shade, a lot less people and cooler

[C855B]

I honestly prefer the north rim, a lot more shade, a lot less people and cooler

Yeah, I don't dispute that, but there are reasons it's less popular. North Rim requires dedicating an entire day, the south facing views makes photography challenging, and the cooler weather translates to more snow earlier and later in the season. Besides, in the context of our vacation priorities the closest railroad action is 200 miles away. 

Not a bucket list item, or, rather, already checked-off. I visited on several occasions in the '60s, overnighting in the cabins, even experiencing a light evening snow. Beautiful, what a memory.

Then there was the recent trip mentioned. The canyon is awe-inspiring without doubt, but the views have not changed since my teen years... once you ignore the rampant overdevelopment and OMG crowds since then. This last time, when we were pulling into the park and in the queue (not even peak season!), watching the tour helicopters come and go and dropped-jaw at the lineup of tchotchke stands on the road in, just outside the park boundary, we immediately had a flashback to the miserable, cattle-car grade touristy experience with similar "attractions" we encountered in Maui which desecrated the experience. So we turned around and did not look back. I wanted to keep the mental images of what the GC was like before the setting was trashed.

Not to take away from Chuck's experience at all, which bypassed the ugly stuff. In fact, if we got the itch we'd do something like what he and his wife did - catch the train in Williams, lunch at the El Tovar or Harvey House, sight-see, and head back. Make a day of it, ample railfanning included. Much, much more civilized.

[johnb]

Mike, I totally agree with all of your points

[chuck geiger]

Boys it was a cattle call on acid. North Rim in a few weeks. We were just there in April, this was really for the GCR trip.
Look I am Artemis Gordon:

[eja]

Only way to see the canyon is to hike in and out !   Wife and I have done this from both rims.

[johnb]

Only way to see the canyon is to hike in and out !   Wife and I have done this from both rims.

is it harder than Fossil Creek?

[eja]

is it harder than Fossil Creek?

Don't know  .. haven't done that one yet.

[chuck geiger]

Verde Canyon Railroad is next in July.