WILLIAMS, Ariz. — Grand Canyon Railway and Hotel’s 2-8-2 No. 4960 led a charter train on June 10, one week after its scheduled “First Saturday” excursion. The Williams-Grand Canyon National Park trip was part of the itinerary for last week’s National Model Railroad Association’s PSR Grand Canyon Special Convention, hosted by the Arizona Division.
With only five passenger cars, the railway’s F40 diesel was excluded from the consist, allowing No. 4960 to handle the train unassisted. However, the ex-Santa Fe branch line’s twists and turns with steep grades provided challenges for the former Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad locomotive.
“Being designed for a flatland railroad, No. 4960 has a low factor of adhesion and is very slippery,” said Eric Hadder, chief mechanical officer of Grand Canyon Railway. “Running the locomotive by itself brings this lack of adhesion to light.”
Sand for traction helps, but it’s not always enough as the crew made two attempts up the 3 percent grade and tight curves of the wye at the Grand Canyon’s south rim, according to Hadder. Despite the challenges of operating solo, No. 4960’s performance last Saturday was fantastic, he said.
The next steam-powered excursion is set for July 1. This is part of the Grand Canyon Railway’s 2023 steam season, operating the first Saturday of each month along with additional dates for special occasions. No. 4960, which will turn 100 this year, is scheduled to operate that day. In the meantime, the shop crew will repair and test the Worthington Feedwater system.
“It has a broken condensate drain on the steam supply,” Hadder explained. “Which is probably attributing to the poor performance of the system.”
The 2-8-2 was built in 1923 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works for the ex-CB&Q. In the late 1950s, it was selected to pull “fan trip” trains on the railroad until the end of the steam excursion program in 1966. Purchased by Grand Canyon Railway in 1989, the locomotive has been in active service since 1996 after undergoing an extensive rebuild and being converted to burn oil. No. 4960 currently burns waste vegetable oil.
For more information, visit the Grand Canyon Railway and Hotel website.
On April 23, 2022, following the passing of Trains Magazine editor Jim Wrinn, No. 4960’s tender was painted with the message “Steam on, Jim Wrinn”, with the locomotive pulling an Earth Day excursion in Wrinn’s honor.
Dr. Güntürk Üstün