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Grand Canyon Railway Reporting marks GCRX,GCRY Locale Arizona Dates of operation 1989–present Track gauge 4 ft 8½ in (1,435 mm) (standard gauge) Headquarters Williams, Arizona Legend 63.7 Grand Canyon 59.9 National Park Boundary 57.2 Coconino 52.0 Imbleau (formerly Apex) 50.0 Hopi 44.8 Anita 43.8 Woodin 37.7 Willaha 29.0 Valle The Grand Canyon Railway (reporting mark GCRX), is a passenger railroad and heritage railway which operates between Williams, Arizona, and the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. Contents [hide] 1 History 1.1 Santa Fe Ownership 1.2 Max and Thelma Biegert Ownership 1.3 Xanterra Ownership 1.3.1 End of steam operation 1.3.2 Expansion Proposals 1.4 Phillip Anschutz Ownership 2 Operations 3 Historic designations 4 References 5 See also 6 External links // History Santa Fe Ownership In 1901, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway completed a branch line from Williams to Grand Canyon Village at the South Rim. The first scheduled train to carry paying passengers of the Grand Canyon Railway arrived from Williams on September 17 of that year. The 64–mile (103–kilometer) long trip cost $3.95, and naturalist John Muir later commended the railroad for its limited environmental impact. To accommodate travelers, the Santa Fe designed and built the El Tovar Hotel, located just 20 feet (6 meters) from the Canyon Rim. El Tovar opened its doors in January 1905. Competition with the automobile Plans by entertainer Arthur Godfrey to bring the railway back to life in 1977 fell through. In addition, two other companies attempted to resurrect the line in 1980 and 1984, with each attempt helping to maintain interest in preserving the line and saving it from scrapping. A group photo of passengers from the first run of the Grand Canyon Railway in 1901. Max and Thelma Biegert Ownership In 1988, the line was bought by a Phoenix, Arizona, couple, Max and Thelma Biegert. The railway was restored and in 1989 began operations as a separate company, independent of the Santa Fe. The first run of the restored railroad was on September 17, 1989, commemorating the September 17 debut of the original railroad.[1] The Biegerts, a couple from Nebraska, had made their fortune in crop dusting through Biegert Aviation founded in 1947 which had a large federal government contract for its B-17 and later C-54 fleet.[2] After leaving the crop-dusting business they operated a for profit day care business in Houston, Texas which became the Childrens World Learning Center and is now part of KinderCare Learning | ||||
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