The Grand Canyon Railway made its first journey to the Grand Canyon on 17th September 1901.  The Railroad was originally built to transport ore from the Anita mines, 45 miles north of Williams in the late 1800s.  The railroad changed management and consolidated numerous times in the early years.  Finally, the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway took over and completed the track to Grand Canyon in 1901.  The company decided it could make a return on its investment through tourism because the ore mining was proving to be unsustainable.

The company began construction of a Grand Canyon Village, to provide hotel and leisure facilities for tourists.  All supplies used in the construction of the village came to Northern Arizona aboard the train. The train also brought all water to the Grand Canyon until 1926.  Supplies were not the only things carried in trains: ranching and lumber were the primary industries of the early 1900s.  Ranchers and lumberjacks used the Grand Canyon Railway to transport their stock and materials.

The Grand Canyon Railway closed in 1968 as passenger numbers fell to uneconomic levels.  The cause of this was the rise in popularity of car travel.  The Interstate highway system was well advanced, and people just wanted to travel places in their new shiny cars.

However, the Railway was purchased by entrepreneurs Max and Thelma Biegert who began a detailed restoration process.  The decaying tracks were rebuilt, the historic depots at both ends of the line were restored, and after 21 years, passenger services were once again able to return to Grand Canyon National Park.  The Railway re-opened on 17th September 1989, eighty-eight years to the day of the first-ever passenger train to the Grand Canyon.

Full Historical details can be found at: http://www.thetrain.com/history/  

End of steam operation
In September 2008, TRAINS magazine reported that new owners, Xanterra, would no longer operate its steam locomotives.  The decision came as a result of the increased cost of coal, and the late 2000s recession which was cutting passenger numbers.  As a consequence of the decision, 20 employees were laid off.  Locomotive 4960 has been placed on static display at the Williams depot.  The passenger trains continue to run, but with diesel locomotives only.