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Grand Canyon Railway #29 is a 2-8-0 "Consolidation" type steam locomotive built by ALCO in 1906 for the Lake Superior and Ishpeming Railway. The locomotive was designed to haul carloads of iron ore.
The locomotive was retired from service in 1962 and it was sold to Marquette & Huron Mountain as No. 29. The locomotive was donated to the Grand Canyon Railroad in 1989 and was put in the shop for restoration to working order. No. 29 went into service on the Grand Canyon in the spring of 1990.
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, 1901. To accommodate travelers, the Santa Fe designed and built the El Tovar Hotel, located just 20 feet from the Canyon Rim. El Tovar opened its doors in January 1905.
Competition with the automobile forced the Santa Fe to cease operation of the Grand Canyon Railway in July 1968 although it continued to use the tracks for freight until 1974.
In 1988, the line was bought by Max and Thelma Biegert, a couple from Phoenix, Arizona. 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.
In 2006, Xanterra bought the railroad. Xanterra is the corporate name and identity for what was originally known as the Fred Harvey Company, with ties to the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway as far back as 1876.
Citing environmental concerns, steam locomotive operations on the Grand Canyon Railway were suspended in September 2008, but returned in 2009 when Xanterra converted the steam locomotives to operate using waste vegetable oil, and installed a rainwater collection system on the maintenance building to fill boilers when available. Since 2011, special occasion trips, and at least one roundtrip per month during the summer is operated using a steam locomotive.
On October 26 and 27th, Trains Magazine sponsored a photo charter featuring No. 29 pulling vintage Pullman cars from the 1920’s in one of its last runs before being taken out of service because its boiler inspection has expired.
10 сен 2024