WILLIAMS, Ariz. — Grand Canyon Railway’s No. 4960 completed three consecutive Saturdays of round-trip excursions from Williams to the south rim of Grand Canyon National Park on Aug. 5, 12, and 19. The 100-year-old 2-8-2 commemorated its centennial year with an official celebration as part of the Aug. 12 run.
The locomotive “ran like a champ,” said Eric Hadder, chief mechanical officer of the Grand Canyon Railway. The last two Saturdays saw No. 4960 parked in front of the Grand Canyon depot during the layover, with stairs leading up to the cab to allow visitors to look inside. For Hadder, it was a memorable highlight. “We had a lot of folks taking an interest in the locomotive,” he said. “Everyone wanted to get their picture taken by the cab.”
The next excursion for No. 4960 is scheduled for Sept. 2, as part of the railway’s 2023 steam schedule, which sees the steam locomotive run on the first Saturday of each month along with additional dates for special occasions. According to Hadder, the two weeks leading up to the trip will see routine servicing and inspection.
The 2-8-2 was built in 1923 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works for the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad. In the late 1950s, No. 4960 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. It currently burns waste vegetable oil since 2009.
For more information, visit the Grand Canyon Railway and Hotel website.
Oh! The memories. One of the finest fan trips I took was a Chicago to Streator Il behind 4960, thence to Zearing with an E8, and then return to Chicago behind CB&Q’s’s 4-8-4 whose number escapes me. My wife and my new (2 yr old ) son. He likes trains today but is not as much as I. Thanks GC Ry for keeping her alive.
The beloved 2-8-2 Grand Canyon No. 4960 is one hundred years old now and it is still on fire, mighty and rolling well. Run dear rail friend run!
Dr. Güntürk Üstün