February 14, 2012. February 14, 2012. Grand Canyon Railway (GCR) operated the "Official Arizona Centennial Train" by making a special round-trip run to Grand Canyon National Park using GCR?s steam locomotive #4960. This historic locomotive has been converted to use recycled vegetable oil for fuel, and reclaimed rain and snow melt are used in the boiler for steam. Park Superintendent David Uberuaga is standing to the right of center.

Centennial Train passengers rode coach class in fully refurbished historic 1923 Harriman-style rail cars for only $7.50 round trip, approximately what it cost in 1912. The Winslow Harvey Girls and the Bill Williams Mountain Men were also onboard and provided narrative information and stories from Arizona?s history.

The train trip from Williams to Grand Canyon National Park takes approximately two hours and 15 minutes and runs 65 miles through ponderosa pine forests and scenic high-desert landscapes. The train normally offers four classes of service -- coach, first class, observation dome and luxury parlor. NPS Photo by Michael Quinn.

To help plan your trip to Grand Canyon National Park, download the 2012 Trip Planner. <a href="http://www.nps.gov/grca/parknews/upload/trip-planner-grca.pdf" rel="nofollow">www.nps.gov/grca/parknews/upload/trip-planner-grca.pdf</a>