 |
 Hotel Entrance, Depot Side |
 Hotel Lobby |
 Hotel
Registration Desk with Monument Valley paintings.
(Free Wireless Internet
available only in the Lobby.)
|
 Lobby fireplace with Grand Canyon paintings. |
 Limited mobility Room 1314 |
 Limited mobility Bathroom 1314 |
 Max and
Thelma's Central Fireplace, with GCR model trains.
|
  Breakfast and
Dinner Buffets in Max and Thelma's were included on our Package
|
 Grand Canyon Railway Hotel. |
 Next to Max and
Thelma's is the static display of Steam Engine 4960.
|
 One veteran
employee of the GCR I spoke to felt this beautiful engine should not be
left out in the elements like this. "They have plenty of engines
they could have put here for display."
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 |
 Williams, AZ, Grand Canyon Railway Depot |
 Ticket Window in GCR Depot |
 I expected
entertainment on the train, so in the Gift Shop I spotted Rusty Rogers,
who plays the Marshall in the show before departure, and on the train
to the Canyon.
|
 The day's weather is also posted in the Depot. |
 Giftshop in the Depot |
 Giftshop in the Depot |
 The original Depot included a Harvey House, that the GCR says they plan to restore. |
 A steam engine
of a different kind on display.
This one used
to power threshers and sawmills in its day.
|
 One of the cowboys in the pre-trip show. |
 A one-horsepower cowboy in the show. |
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 |
 Our First Class
seats were in the Coconino Dome Car, downstairs. Seats in the
dome cost a bit more. All First Class seat holders enjoy pre-paid
soft drinks, pastries, fresh fruit, coffee, and cash bar. Return
trips from the Canyon include champagne (or sparkling apple juice).
|
 |
 Katie was our
hostess on this 65-mile rail adventure to the Canyon. She surely
earned her tip at the end of the journey.
|
 Half of the
First class seats in a Dome car look like this, with restrooms under
the dome on the first level. The four of us had a nice
upholstered set of 4 seats facing each other. The group to our
right tried to move to the dome, but were politely asked to return to
their assigned seats (since dome seating is a little more).
|
 Other non-dome cars are First Class also. |
 I've found that
domes on other trains are sometimes hot, but guests today said the
temperature was fine.
|
 The pre-paid refreshments next to the Dome stairway. |
  As we left the
station, Katie encouraged us to wave goodbye to the "hired wavers" on
the platform.
|
 We turned
northbound, away from the current BNSF track.
There are no
open vestibules on the GCR so if you wan the wind in your face, and no
windows in front of your camera, book the Parlour Class with an
open-air rear platform.
|
 We passed the
GCR Shops on the east side of the track. Katie said these engines
were being restored for use. Hmmm, this conflicts with the fact
that they just announced the end of steam on this route.
|
 |
The Territorial Times (No. 1,
Volume XXIII) had an article about No. 539 (Left). It
arrived in Mid-April, 2007, on 3 flat cars from Battle Ground,
Washington. Built in 1917 and last ran for 40 years on the
Spokane, Portland and Seattle before becoming a park project in
Vancouver's Ester Short Park. GCR swapped No. 18 and No. 20
(2-8-0s) for the bigger 539 2-8-2. The two swapped locos. will do
service on the Mt. Hood Railway in Washington. No. 539 will be
enhanced to burn ultra-low-sulphur diesel fuel and retrofitted to use
less fuel and water than conventional steam engines.
|
 |
 After we were
underway, the authentic costumed Conductor and Brakeman had a few
minutes to answer questions.
|
 |
 |
 Ah, there's
Marshall Russ again. Photos with the cowboys is encouraged.
|
 |
 Sue Evans and
Bette DiSilva from Rhode Island enjoyed the entertainment and ride in
Coach Class.
Coach "C" had "Cute Kids" right. |
 |
 Morgan kept every smiling in Coach "C" Some coaches
have accommodations for Limited Mobility Passengers, (right).
|
 |
 The Cafe Car had "souvenirs available only on the train." |
 However, I
bought this same hat/shirt set (left) at the Max and Thelma's Gift Shop.
 Brakeman, Larry. |
 I was surprised
that the platform was not full of Lounge Class passengers. But
you can see here how exciting the terrain is, so the passengers were
inside enjoying the entertainment and refreshments.
|
 Veron Nixon,
L.A., and I enjoyed the open-air platform, the only place on the train
you can act like a dog in a pickup truck and let your tongue hang out
as the wind blows in your face.
|
 |
 Drum head of the open-rear-platform of the Chief Car. |
 |
 Entertainer in the Chief. |
 |
 |
 After walking
the train to see all the classes of service, I returned to my assigned
seat to find this guy, "fiddling around with my wife!"
|
 Crystal came
through our Coconino First Class car (standing, left). She seemed
to be involved on the train as well as in the Depots at Williams and
Grand Canyon National Park. She cheerfully changed our tickets
when we found out we were returning on a different car than our friends.
|
 The scenery
nearing the Canyon becomes more interesting in my estimation.
|
 The large
picture windows on the Arizona country side is better than wide screen
TV any day! On this 65-mile trip, there are very few examples of
'civilization' so you can enjoy unspoiled scenery and wildlife all the
way.
|
The northern terminus of the
line resides in Grand Canyon National Park. Constructed in 1909-1910,
Grand Canyon DepotGrand Canyon Depot is part of the Grand Canyon
National Park Historic District and is a National Historic Landmark.
Designed by architect Francis W. Wilson of Santa Barbara, Calif., the
log and wood-frame structure is two stories high. Originally, the
downstairs was designated for station facilities and the upstairs was
inhabited by the station agent’s family. Today, the first floor is used
for railway passenger services. The building is one of approximately 14
log depots known to have been constructed in the United States, and one
of only three remaining. Of the three, the Grand Canyon Depot is the
only one in which logs were used as the primary structural material and
which still serves an operating railroad. The Depot’s logs are squared
on three sides creating bearing surfaces, flat interior surfaces and a
rustic exterior appearance. Just beyond the depot is the El Tovar
Hotel, built in 1905 by the railroad. The El Tovar is the signature
hotel along the rim. The railroad built the depot five years after the
hotel and placed it conveniently close for the rail passengers.  |
 |
 Our Package
included a "Rim Tour and Hot Lunch" upon arrival. There were 6
busses this day, so the first 3 went to Lunch at the Maswik from the
depot. Our bus, in the second 3, went on the Rim Tour to
eliminate having so many people at the Lunch Buffet at once. Even
if you are not staying overnight, there is time for the Rim Tour and
lunch before the train leaves to return to Williams.
Our driver, Steve, (right) is completing his 9th year working the Park in the Summer Season. He was very informative as he took us to two very nice overlooks to the Canyon. |
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