The Grand Canyon Railway is a little of everything – a trip through time, an engineering marvel and an authentic way to experience nature’s most breathtaking site. It’s also the most environmentally-friendly tourist railway in the country. The GCR operates locomotives that have been in use since the early 20th century and has re- invented them as lean, green, whistle-blowing machines. No wonder this rail-riding experience is the epic Grand Prize in the 2015 Water – Use It Wisely Kids Contest!
The fleet of trains making the round-trip journey to the Grand Canyon once again includes steam engines, which took a hiatus in 2008 due to environmental considerations. A steam engine typically uses 15,000 gallons of water per trip, which is why they only run 
on special dates. To avoid using precious ground water, the GCR harvests rain water and snow melt, and so far has collected about 80,000 gallons which will power the steam trains through the end of this year. Additionally, the GCR operates new steam engines fueled by cleaner waste vegetable oil, which joined the GCR’s air-friendly fleet of diesel-fueled trains that runs all year.
After significantly reducing the carbon footprint of its trains, the Grand Canyon Railway proudly became the first tourist rail system in the country to become ISO 14001 Certified. You can read all about what this important certification means and GCR’s environmental impact on its website, thetrain.com.
Of course, hopping aboard a sustainable train isn’t the only reason you’ll feel good about taking home the Kids Contest Grand Prize. Just look at all that is bundled into this summer AZ family getaway:
- – 4 first class rail tickets
- – 1 night stay at the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel
- – $250 Visa gift card
You have until May 31st to enter the contest, so hurry! You don’t want your winning chance to leave the station.