Grand Canyon’s “Steam Saturdays” round-trip normally operates the first Saturday each month March through October with ex-Chicago, Burlington & Quincy 2-8-2 No. 4960, but the additional September date was added at the beginning of the season anticipating a special centennial celebration.
Former Lake Superior & Ishpeming 2-8-0 No. 29 will team with 4960 for the occasion. The last time that happened was at the National Park Service’s 100th anniversary in August 2016, when the Amtrak Exhibit Train also made an appearance.
“Unfortunately, the Exhibit Train no longer exists and Amtrak was unwilling to display their equipment for the event, yet we managed to convince BNSF to bring their business train and display it at the Canyon,” the Park Service’s Trails and Rails National Director Jim Miculka tells Trains News Wire. “We will have Trails and Rails folks present to promote the National Park Service-Amtrak partnership,” he says.
On Sept. 21, BNSF’s train will depart Williams for the 64-mile run to the South Rim at 8:30 a.m. Grand Canyon’s doubleheader steam special leaves at 9:30 a.m., followed by a diesel-powered round-trip at 10:30 a.m. The public will be able to tour business train cars Canyon View and Gerald Grinstein, as well as Grand Canyon parlors Chief and Max Biegert, during the layover.
“Trails and Rails is excited to have BNSF at the event since they have historic ties to the park (BNSF predecessor Santa Fe completed the branch in 1901) and were responsible for the initial development of facilities on the South Rim,” Miculk adds.
For additional information and reservations, visit the Grand Canyon Railway website here www.thetrain.com.
“…the Exhibit Train no longer exists and Amtrak was unwilling to display their equipment…” Uh huh, uh huh.
Cool!!!