greatcats
Engineer
A few months ago I bid for a package of items at a silent auction for the benefit of our local homeless shelter in Flagstaff, at which I volunteer most Monday evenings. Included in the various offerings were two roundtrip tickets on the Grand Canyon Railway from Williams, which I have not ridden in ten years. Some of you may know that I was a tour bus driver several years ago at Grand Canyon, most of our work there having to do with meeting the train and giving 90 minute tours, although I preferred the tours designed for those staying at Grand Canyon, not just dropping in for a day trip. But, I am pretty familiar with their operation and sometimes drove taxis to and from Williams for those staying at the Canyon making one way trips on the train. Last week I looked at the vouchers and saw that they had to be used by August 1, so I asked a lady friend from my church to accompany me. We did have a fairly nice day, with some observations to follow.
We were on the second train of the morning, but I saw the conductor of the first train, Bernie, and he recognized my face from over six years ago! I did especially enjoy the banjo player, who I thought I recognized. Yes, that was him, who played with a group some years ago at a wine bar in Flagstaff. And he remembered me, too, going back to 2007, as the bus driver who drove 80 miles from Grand Canyon to see his friends perform.
As far as the operation of the train goes, nothing was startlingly different. The basic accommodation in which we rode was one of the Budd cars. I asked our car attendant which prior railroad they came from and she looked totally confused by my term. The lady conductor thought they came from CSX. Doing some Googling, I found that they are former RDC cars from the Boston and Maine which also did time on the Virginia Railway Express, with motors removed. While not elegant equipment, they are fairly attractive on the inside and were comfortably air conditioned, seating around 94 passengers. I did not sample the snack car or any of the upgrade cars. Our car attendant was a very nice lady, although a bit too loud on the PA. My main problem with this operation is that it is a hokey tourist operation. OK, the gimmicks and Wild West stuff appeal to kiddies and their families. ( I am the eccentric bachelor with eclectic interests. ) Ho hum. A personable young man was taking photos of passengers, cruise ship style. Two photos and a brochure of some type for $35? I told him to have a nice day.
Most people say the ride on this line is not very interesting. True, and it offers about a three second view of the Canyon while entering the Village. Just south of the Village is Coconino Canyon with a big S curve. That is good, but I did enjoy the perspective from the train looking across the desert at the buttes and extinct volcanoes from the vantage points being several miles away from Highway 64. Some parts of it remind me of riding the Sunset Limited west of Del Rio, TX. My friend and I had lunch at El Tovar Hotel, her first time there, and we took the shuttle bus out for brief visits to two of the overlooks on Hermit Road, dispensing my tour guide information, which is my true calling. A good day, but I really am not a big fan of tourist railroads. I remember in 1963, when I was 12, having traveled by trailer from New Jersey, watching the Santa Fe train with sleepers leave in the evening for Williams to be coupled onto east and westbound through trains. Fat chance of that returning! Goodnight.
We were on the second train of the morning, but I saw the conductor of the first train, Bernie, and he recognized my face from over six years ago! I did especially enjoy the banjo player, who I thought I recognized. Yes, that was him, who played with a group some years ago at a wine bar in Flagstaff. And he remembered me, too, going back to 2007, as the bus driver who drove 80 miles from Grand Canyon to see his friends perform.
As far as the operation of the train goes, nothing was startlingly different. The basic accommodation in which we rode was one of the Budd cars. I asked our car attendant which prior railroad they came from and she looked totally confused by my term. The lady conductor thought they came from CSX. Doing some Googling, I found that they are former RDC cars from the Boston and Maine which also did time on the Virginia Railway Express, with motors removed. While not elegant equipment, they are fairly attractive on the inside and were comfortably air conditioned, seating around 94 passengers. I did not sample the snack car or any of the upgrade cars. Our car attendant was a very nice lady, although a bit too loud on the PA. My main problem with this operation is that it is a hokey tourist operation. OK, the gimmicks and Wild West stuff appeal to kiddies and their families. ( I am the eccentric bachelor with eclectic interests. ) Ho hum. A personable young man was taking photos of passengers, cruise ship style. Two photos and a brochure of some type for $35? I told him to have a nice day.
Most people say the ride on this line is not very interesting. True, and it offers about a three second view of the Canyon while entering the Village. Just south of the Village is Coconino Canyon with a big S curve. That is good, but I did enjoy the perspective from the train looking across the desert at the buttes and extinct volcanoes from the vantage points being several miles away from Highway 64. Some parts of it remind me of riding the Sunset Limited west of Del Rio, TX. My friend and I had lunch at El Tovar Hotel, her first time there, and we took the shuttle bus out for brief visits to two of the overlooks on Hermit Road, dispensing my tour guide information, which is my true calling. A good day, but I really am not a big fan of tourist railroads. I remember in 1963, when I was 12, having traveled by trailer from New Jersey, watching the Santa Fe train with sleepers leave in the evening for Williams to be coupled onto east and westbound through trains. Fat chance of that returning! Goodnight.
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