Grand Canyon Limited
Encyclopedia
The Grand Canyon Limited was one of the named passenger trains
of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
. It was assigned train Nos. 23 & 24, and its route stretched between Chicago, Illinois, and Los Angeles, California
.
In 1901, the Santa Fe Railroad completed a 64-mile (103-km) long branch line from Williams, Arizona
, to "Grand Canyon Village" at the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park
. The first scheduled train of the Grand Canyon Railway
to convey paying passengers arrived from Williams on September 17 of that year.
Branch line trains as well as special excursions departing from Southern California
, Chicago, and Texas
and travelling directly to the Rim were often schedule as a part of the Santa Fe's Southwestern
promotional strategy. Finally, on June 29, 1929, service commenced on the Grand Canyon Limited, named for the railroad's most popular tourist attraction. It quickly became one of America's most celebrated vacation trains.
Under typical operation the westward trains were split in two sections upon arrival at Barstow
, in order that one section could travel directly to San Francisco (Oakland
-Richmond
) via the Tehachapi Loop
, while the other continued on to Los Angeles. During World War II
, the Limited was often run in two or three sections to transport troops between Chicago-Los Angeles and San Francisco. In its later years, the train steadily lost passengers to the railroad's flashier, more-modern name trains such as the Super Chief
and its streamlined
passenger cars.
The Grand Canyon train lost its name in early 1968 when the railway petitioned the ICC
to drop service to the Grand Canyon National Park
; however the train would continue to operate as Trains 23 and 24 until the May 1, 1971 handover of all passenger service to Amtrak
.
The original rolling stock delivered for the second-class Grand Canyon Limited consisted of all heavyweight cars built by the Pullman-Standard. The equipment used on both trains was as follows:
Train consists varied daily as traffic density fluctuated; the train often ran in two or three sections during the summer months.
Near the end of its career, in 1968, reflecting the dwindling passenger
traffic of the time, a typical consist between the Chicago and Kansas City
portion of the trip was as follows:
Train
A train is a connected series of vehicles for rail transport that move along a track to transport cargo or passengers from one place to another place. The track usually consists of two rails, but might also be a monorail or maglev guideway.Propulsion for the train is provided by a separate...
of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often abbreviated as Santa Fe, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The company was first chartered in February 1859...
. It was assigned train Nos. 23 & 24, and its route stretched between Chicago, Illinois, and Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
.
In 1901, the Santa Fe Railroad completed a 64-mile (103-km) long branch line from Williams, Arizona
Williams, Arizona
Williams is a city in Coconino County, Arizona, United States west of Flagstaff. Its population was 2,842 at the 2000 census; according to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 3,094. It lies on the route of Historic Route 66, Interstate 40, and the Southwest Chief Amtrak...
, to "Grand Canyon Village" at the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park
Grand Canyon National Park
Grand Canyon National Park is the United States' 15th oldest national park and is located in Arizona. Within the park lies the Grand Canyon, a gorge of the Colorado River, considered to be one of the Wonders of the World. The park covers of unincorporated area in Coconino and Mohave counties.Most...
. The first scheduled train of the Grand Canyon Railway
Grand Canyon Railway
The Grand Canyon Railway , is a passenger railroad which operates between Williams, Arizona, and Grand Canyon National Park South Rim.-Santa Fe Ownership:...
to convey paying passengers arrived from Williams on September 17 of that year.
Branch line trains as well as special excursions departing from Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
, Chicago, and Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
and travelling directly to the Rim were often schedule as a part of the Santa Fe's Southwestern
Southwestern United States
The Southwestern United States is a region defined in different ways by different sources. Broad definitions include nearly a quarter of the United States, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah...
promotional strategy. Finally, on June 29, 1929, service commenced on the Grand Canyon Limited, named for the railroad's most popular tourist attraction. It quickly became one of America's most celebrated vacation trains.
Under typical operation the westward trains were split in two sections upon arrival at Barstow
Barstow, California
Barstow is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. The population was 22,639 at the 2010 census, up from 21,119 at the 2000 census. Barstow is located north of San Bernardino....
, in order that one section could travel directly to San Francisco (Oakland
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
-Richmond
Richmond, California
Richmond is a city in western Contra Costa County, California, United States. The city was incorporated on August 7, 1905. It is located in the East Bay, part of the San Francisco Bay Area. It is a residential inner suburb of San Francisco, as well as the site of heavy industry, which has been...
) via the Tehachapi Loop
Tehachapi Loop
The Tehachapi Loop is a long 'spiral', or helix, on The Union Pacific Railroad through Tehachapi Pass, in south central California. The railroad line connects Bakersfield in the San Joaquin Valley to Mojave in the Antelope Valley. The loop takes its name from the circuitous route it takes, in...
, while the other continued on to Los Angeles. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the Limited was often run in two or three sections to transport troops between Chicago-Los Angeles and San Francisco. In its later years, the train steadily lost passengers to the railroad's flashier, more-modern name trains such as the Super Chief
Super Chief
The Super Chief was one of the named passenger trains and the flagship of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. It was often referred to as "The Train of the Stars" because of the many celebrities who traveled on the streamliner between Chicago, Illinois and Los Angeles, California.The Super...
and its streamlined
Streamliner
A streamliner is a vehicle incorporating streamlining in a shape providing reduced air resistance. The term is applied to high-speed railway trainsets of the 1930s to 1950s, and to their successor "bullet trains". Less commonly, the term is applied to fully faired recumbent bicycles...
passenger cars.
The Grand Canyon train lost its name in early 1968 when the railway petitioned the ICC
Interstate Commerce Commission
The Interstate Commerce Commission was a regulatory body in the United States created by the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887. The agency's original purpose was to regulate railroads to ensure fair rates, to eliminate rate discrimination, and to regulate other aspects of common carriers, including...
to drop service to the Grand Canyon National Park
Grand Canyon National Park
Grand Canyon National Park is the United States' 15th oldest national park and is located in Arizona. Within the park lies the Grand Canyon, a gorge of the Colorado River, considered to be one of the Wonders of the World. The park covers of unincorporated area in Coconino and Mohave counties.Most...
; however the train would continue to operate as Trains 23 and 24 until the May 1, 1971 handover of all passenger service to Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
.
Timeline
- September 17, 1901: The Santa Fe inaugurates service on the Grand Canyon RailwayGrand Canyon RailwayThe Grand Canyon Railway , is a passenger railroad which operates between Williams, Arizona, and Grand Canyon National Park South Rim.-Santa Fe Ownership:...
, running between Williams, Arizona, and the South Rim of Grand Canyon. - January 1905: The first-class, Santa Fe-built El Tovar Hotel opens its doors. The structure is situated just 20 feet from the canyon rim.
- June 29, 1929: The Grand Canyon Limited enters service; schedule 66 hours each way between Chicago and Los Angeles.
- June 4, 1938: the Grand Canyon Limited and the NavajoNavajo (passenger train)The Navajo was one of the named passenger trains of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. The economy train entered daily service between Chicago-Los Angeles-San Francisco as train Nos...
are rerouted over the BelenBelen, New MexicoBelen is a city in Valencia County, New Mexico, United States. Belen is Spanish for Bethlehem, and over time has gained the nickname "Hub City" because of the Belen Cutoff of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. The Cutoff made it possible for many more trains to travel east and west across...
cutoff through Amarillo, TexasAmarillo, TexasAmarillo is the 14th-largest city, by population, in the state of Texas, the largest in the Texas Panhandle, and the seat of Potter County. A portion of the city extends into Randall County. The population was 190,695 at the 2010 census...
. Transit time is reduced to 60 hr 15 min westward and 58 hr 35 min eastward. - July 7, 1945: Combined train No. 2 (The Scout) and No. 24, powered by locomotive #3733, strikes a "CaterpillarCaterpillar Inc.Caterpillar Inc. , also known as "CAT", designs, manufactures, markets and sells machinery and engines and sells financial products and insurance to customers via a worldwide dealer network. Caterpillar is the world's largest manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas...
" shovel. The locomotive's pilot, headlight, and cylinders are damaged in the collision. - June 2, 1946: The Grand Canyon Limited is rerouted from Santa Fe's Second District (via PasadenaPasadena, CaliforniaPasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
) to the Third District (via RiversideRiverside, CaliforniaRiverside is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, and the county seat of the eponymous county. Named for its location beside the Santa Ana River, it is the largest city in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metropolitan area of Southern California, 4th largest inland California...
-FullertonFullerton, CaliforniaFullerton is a city located in northern Orange County, California. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 135,161.It was founded in 1887 by George and Edward Amerige and named for George H. Fullerton, who secured the land on behalf of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway...
) to balance the number of passenger trains entering the Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal (LAUPT). - June 8, 1947: The line receives its first diesel locomotives and stainless-steel lightweight passenger cars. The train is broken into two separate sections and the name is shortened to the Grand Canyon. The operating schedule is reduced to 48 hours, 45 minutes.
- December 27, 1949: Train No. 23 collides with an automobile at a grade crossing in Highland Park, California, which flattens the wheels on the locomotives.
- May 31, 1951: Combined train No. 2 (The Scout) and No. 23 is sideswiped by train No. 123 in Chandler, ArizonaChandler, Arizona-Demographics:As of the Census of 2010, there were 236,123 people, 86,924 households, and 60,212 families residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 73.3% White, 4.8% Black or African American, 1.5% Native American, 8.2% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 21.9% Hispanic or Latino, and 8.3%...
, derailing cars #RSX 287, express #2558, baggage #1634, and "chair" cars #3108 and #3070. No. 123 cars baggage #1791 and #1601, "chair" cars #3087, #3158, and #1169, diner #1461, lounge #136, and sleepers L.S. Hungerford, Tonelea, Toreva, and Centgate also sustain damage. - April 5, 1964: Train No. 123, consisting of five locomotives and 16 cars, encounters a rockslide while traveling at 81 miles-per-hour through Doublea, Arizona.
- Early 1968: The Santa Fe Railway files for permission to discontinue all passenger service to the Grand Canyon National ParkGrand Canyon National ParkGrand Canyon National Park is the United States' 15th oldest national park and is located in Arizona. Within the park lies the Grand Canyon, a gorge of the Colorado River, considered to be one of the Wonders of the World. The park covers of unincorporated area in Coconino and Mohave counties.Most...
; the Grand Canyon train is stripped of its name becoming simply Trains 23 and 24. - May 2, 1971: The final Train 24, dispatched from Los AngelesLos ÁngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
on April 30, arrives at Dearborn Station in Chicago, ending Santa Fe revenue passenger service.
Equipment used
A wide variety of steam- and diesel-powered locomotives served the Grand Canyon Limited over the course of its lifetime.The original rolling stock delivered for the second-class Grand Canyon Limited consisted of all heavyweight cars built by the Pullman-Standard. The equipment used on both trains was as follows:
- a BaggageBaggage carA baggage car or luggage van is a type of railway vehicle often forming part of the composition of passenger trains and used to carry passengers' checked baggage, as well as parcels . Being typically coupled at the front of the train behind the locomotive, this type of car is sometimes described...
-Dormitory-Buffet Smoking Car - two "Chair" cars (Coaches)
- a Dining carDining carA dining car or restaurant carriage , also diner, is a railroad passenger car that serves meals in the manner of a full-service, sit-down restaurant....
- three compartment and drawing-room SleepersSleeping carThe sleeping car or sleeper is a railway/railroad passenger car that can accommodate all its passengers in beds of one kind or another, primarily for the purpose of making nighttime travel more restful. The first such cars saw sporadic use on American railroads in the 1830s and could be configured...
- a full open-end ObservationObservation carAn observation car/carriage/coach is a type of railroad passenger car, generally operated in a passenger train as the last carriage, with windows on the rear of the car for passengers' viewing pleasure...
/ Parlor car
Train consists varied daily as traffic density fluctuated; the train often ran in two or three sections during the summer months.
Near the end of its career, in 1968, reflecting the dwindling passenger
traffic of the time, a typical consist between the Chicago and Kansas City
portion of the trip was as follows:
- Two Alco PA's
- One Streamline Baggage Car
- Two coaches
See also
- Grand Canyon RailwayGrand Canyon RailwayThe Grand Canyon Railway , is a passenger railroad which operates between Williams, Arizona, and Grand Canyon National Park South Rim.-Santa Fe Ownership:...
- Passenger train service on the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
External links
- Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway
- California State Railway Museum
- Santa Fe Railway Historical & Modeling Society
- Passenger trains operating on the eve of Amtrak