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Grand Canyon Railway releases steam schedule
Newsflash, for the uninformed or those who failed 4th grade science. All fresh water comes from rain and snow falling from the sky. The process is known as evaporation and condensation.
As for running a locomotive on vegetable oil, no big deal. An oil burner will burn most any flammable liquid provided the proper adjustments are made.
The environ-mentalists didn’t invent any of this. But the media is getting really good at spinning it that way.
The environmental angle is pretty neat though!
Jeffery: Some fresh water comes from aquifers that are NOT replenished by precipitation (The Agallala being a large non- replenished aquifer). But, that’s not the point. This is a diesel railroad that is trying to keep steam alive!
Jeffrey, why are you commenting on the source of fresh water on the earth? I see no mention of fresh water in the article or in the comments. Maybe I will comment that steam locomotives do not run on hot dogs. Even a fourth grader knows that!
From what I understand, the original GCRy Steam Program was discontinued in 2008 due to the Recession and rising fuel costs.
Also, people aren’t there to see the train, they’re there to see the Canyon. The train is only there to transport folks there, in an environmentally-conscious, entertaining and scenic way.
As long as 4960 is kept running, be grateful that you have SOMETHING rather than NOTHING.
GCR has had a very mixed record with steam. Years ago their ads featured the steam locos, yet when you got to Williams to ride the train, it was likely pulled by a diesel. Now it is going to run a steam train once a month. Big whoop! It wasn’t too long ago GCR said it was dropping steam because the National Park Service didn’t like the air pollution, and the steamer used many times as much diesel fuel per run than the diesel-electric. It wants the allure of steam, but the railroad really doesn’t want to RUN steam.
Donald has it right. I’ve seen it from the inside. GCR/Xanterra doesn’t run 4960 because they want to keep steam alive, they run it because it still brings in a small profit. They don’t like how much extra regulation is required to run the steam locomotive. I predict that Xanterra will kill the steam program within five years.
I hope to someday, go see the grand canyon. AND hopefully, ride on the GCR behind steam. As for burning vegetable oil in the 4960…well it is their steamer, and they are trying to be good stewards as far as the environment goes, so if their little contribution helps, GREAT! As long as they are willing to run a steam loco, with all of it’s attendant costs and limitations, I’m all for them. May they always be sucessful.
I hope to someday, go see the grand canyon. AND hopefully, ride on the GCR behind steam. As for burning vegetable oil in the 4960…well it is their steamer, and they are trying to be good stewards as far as the environment goes, so if their little contribution helps, GREAT! As long as they are willing to run a steam loco, with all of it’s attendant costs and limitations, I’m all for them. May they always be sucessful.
I hope to someday, go see the grand canyon. AND hopefully, ride on the GCR behind steam. As for burning vegetable oil in the 4960…well it is their steamer, and they are trying to be good stewards as far as the environment goes, so if their little contribution helps, GREAT! As long as they are willing to run a steam loco, with all of it’s attendant costs and limitations, I’m all for them. May they always be sucessful.