If you are a collector of train sets, you certainly do not want to bypass the opportunity to purchase the Grand Canyon Express – a coveted addition to any toy train collection. Featuring over 16 feet of track and a radio-controlled locomotive, this sharp-looking train will be prized by just about anyone who finds train travel historically interesting. This particular item, which sells as gently used on eBay, features a green, red, black, and silver steam locomotive with a working headlight.
Take A Look At This Commemorative Toy Train
The battery-operated train also makes train sounds and features a coal tender car, blue D&RGW gondola car, red Rio caboose, and vibrant yellow Santa Fe tank car. The set has just about everything that will make the memory of riding on the Grand Canyon Railway come to life. If you have not collected trains before, you can develop an interest with this starter set. This Scientific Toys GS-brand train can also be purchased new online. Usually, the trains are in short supply – proof of the continued interest of train travel in the US.
Visit The Grand Canyon Depot
The Grand Canyon Railway is still operational today and carries passengers daily between Williams, Arizona and Grand Canyon National Park. Stretching 65 miles, the track was constructed and completed by the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway back on September 17, 1901.
Add A Grand Canyon Trip To Your Bucket List
While train executives once scoffed at the idea of building a route for tourists to see what they called “a large hole in the earth,” they soon came to realize their mistake. The Grand Canyon is not just a big chasm in the earth. It is a natural and beautiful work of art – one that should be included on just about everybody’s bucket list.
One Of The Popular Train Travel Options To Flagstaff And To The GC Railway
You can really get into the spirit of traveling by train by taking Amtrak’s Southwest Chief from major cities, such as LA or Chicago. The train, when coming from Chicago, arrives about 9 PM in the evening in Flagstaff. When it travels from Los Angeles, it arrives in Flagstaff about 4:30 AM in the morning.
Heading To Williams
From this location, you can take a shuttle, operated by Arizona Shuttle, from the depot at Flagstaff to the Grand Canyon Railway Depot, located in Williams, Arizona. Your rail adventure continues, with the train departing from Williams around 9:30 AM each day, arriving at the canyon at around 11:45 AM, or just before lunch.
An Open-Air Platform And Observation Domes
You can see a variety of terrains on this beautiful, if not epic, train ride. View pinyon pine forests as well as high-desert prairies with brush. You may also catch sight of animals, such as elk and mountain lions. Diesel locomotives pull historic rail cars in various service levels – from coach to luxurious parlor cars. One of the trains features a rear open-air platform while two other trains provide observation domes.
Departures And Arrivals
If you choose to go by train to the Grand Canyon, the Grand Canyon Railway at Williams schedules departures each day at 9:30 AM. The station is about 30 miles to the west of Flagstaff, Arizona, or just off of Interstate 40. The train travels to the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park, where it arrives at approximately 11:45 PM.
Two Hour Train Trips
Once more, going by train entails a travel distance of 65 miles, which takes just over two hours each way. That is 45 minutes quicker than what the first train to the Grand Canyon traveled in 1901. Train departure is about 3:30 PM from the Grand Canyon Railway Depot. Train travelers return to Williams, AZ about 5:45 PM if you return on the train. If you choose to take a Grand Canyon Train tour via a Las Vegas to Grand Canyon tour company, you can return to Las Vegas on a luxury tour bus instead.
Taking A Second Train From Williams
During peak times, a second train departs at 10:30 PM from Williams to the Grand Canyon. Whether you choose to go by the first or second train, you will be able to enjoy canyon activities for the same amount of time.
The Colorado Plateau
The area of the Grand Canyon you will visit is situated on the Colorado Plateau, which is located in northern Arizona. Most of the plateau sits at an elevation of about 5,000 feet. However, Williams and the Grand Canyon Railway Depot, which are also located on the plateau, sit at an elevation of around 7,000 feet. Because of the variance in elevations, you will see varying landscapes and weather when you take the train.
The Scenery Around And Near Grand Canyon National Park
While you will see Ponderosa pine when you start your train journey, you will experience open prairies and forests of pinion pines when you get closer to Grand Canyon National Park. Regardless of your mode of transport, you will be greeted by native peoples, a diverse climate, and interesting wildlife.
For example, Native American reservations lie around and inside the Grand Canyon. These reservations are occupied by people, such as the Havasupai, Paiute, Navajo, and Hopi. Also, the diversity of the climate makes it necessary for you to dress in layers. While Williams may see snowy winters or monsoon rains in late summer, the Colorado Plateau, at lower elevations, reveals a semi-arid environment, or a climate where water is scarce.
Grand Canyon Animals
As you travel through the area of the Grand Canyon, you will see animals, such as mountain lions, elk, mule deer, and skunks. The high desert features animals, such pronghorns, and attracts birds, such as California condors, horned owls, and bald eagles.
Plan A Real Grand Canyon Adventure Now
You can also go from Las Vegas by bus, via Grand Canyon Train Tours, a premium local Las Vegas tour provider. This is a good way to get initiated to the scenery of the Grand Canyon. If you stay overnight in the canyon, you can also take the train to Williams and back again. Plan a real adventure, regardless of your point of departure. You will be rewarded with an experience like no other.
About Grand Canyon Train
Grand Canyon Train Tours provides tours to the Grand Canyon South Rim on the historic Grand Canyon Railway from Las Vegas every day. You will travel to Williams, Arizona via luxury bus and enjoy entertainment and luxury accommodations along the way to the South Rim Train Depot. Prior to boarding the train you will see a reenactment of an old west gunfight with a fabulous ending that will have you ready to experience the train for yourself.
The Grand Canyon Train takes you on a 2 hour journey full of picturesque views into the famous Grand Canyon National Park. On your train adventure, the crew will keep you interested and laughing the whole way to the canyon as they point out sights to see and share historical facts, stories, and places with you. Don’t miss the wonderful guitar- playing and singing cowboys on board too! The Grand Canyon Train is an adventure that you won’t want to miss if you are visiting Las Vegas or the Grand Canyon.
