Steam & Excursion > Earth Day on the Grand Canyon Railway

To celebrate Earth Day yesterday, the GCRY utilized steam locomotive 4960 to lead Train 4 up to the Grand Canyon (a pair of F40's were tucked behind the 4960). The 4960 has been converted to burn waste vegetable oil collected from restaurants in Northern Arizona. 

The steam engine "usually" handles the first Saturday of the month trains. But, we had a warm and dry winter in Northern AZ, so there's no guarantee of steam during the summer. There's another mid-week run for 4960 planned for next month.

Train 4 is approaching Pronghorn Ranch Road at 9:45AM on 4/22/26. Cell phone pic.

 

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Well done - Great view.
Bob

Nice shot Ray.  I've never seen the 4960 in action after the conversion to vegetable oil but I read that it smells like french fries when it goes by.

stevelv Wrote:
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> Nice shot Ray.  I've never seen the 4960 in
> action after the conversion to vegetable oil but I
> read that it smells like french fries when it goes
> by.

It doesn't smell like French fries at all. It just stinks.

Posted from Android

Chris Bost
Leesport, PA

Thanks for being trackside and posting.

stevelv Wrote:
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> Nice shot Ray.  I've never seen the 4960 in
> action after the conversion to vegetable oil but I
> read that it smells like french fries when it goes
> by.

If people really think that it's just because their mind is making that connection and tricking them into thinking french fries. Reclaimed vegetable oil in a steam locomotive has a strange smell. When working hard it's not terribly offputting but not nice either. Kind of reminds me of grilling steak that is on the verge of burning. When drifting it smells horrible.

Interesting picture, lazy stack, wonder if the F40s were feeling their oats?

Out 

callum_out Wrote:
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> Interesting picture, lazy stack, wonder if the
> F40s were feeling their oats?
>
> Out 

Maybe it's down-grade, and the F40s are in dynamic brake.

Nice one!
GK

Just wondering about use of  the locomotive. If you run 50 times year you'll probably barely  make 
1472 in 15 years. We probably won't like the frequency but does look like good asset management.

Out 






 

callum_out Wrote:
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> Just wondering about use of  the locomotive. If
> you run 50 times year you'll probably barely 
> make 
> 1472 in 15 years. We probably won't like the
> frequency but does look like good asset
> management.
>
> Out 
>
>
>
>
>
>
>  

If you’re good at math you can run almost 100 days a year and still make 1472 days last 15 years.

Posted from iPhone

I used to work at Lamb Weston (?) Potato processing Plant, in Twin Falls,Idaho. We made Fries, Curly Fries, and also "Tater Tots"
So I would suggest a nickname for this engine as "Tater Toots" if the whistle also smells like that too?
Just kidding of course.

A common occurrence at that plant was the mechanics getting skin burns from working on the really hot/fast (maybe 1,000° or more,IIRC) grease fryer valves there, sometimes sending them to the hospital.
The finished potato products would get hot fried/pre cooked there, then flash frozen, and then stored frozen for shipment.
You cold smell that frier exhaust from outside the plant, if you were near that place and down wind of it.

Posted from Android

Jim Baker
Riverside, CA



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 04/25/26 12:20 by RailRat.

callum_out Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Just wondering about use of  the locomotive. If
> you run 50 times year you'll probably barely 
> make 
> 1472 in 15 years. We probably won't like the
> frequency but does look like good asset
> management.

Not sure where you went to school, but 50 days per year times 15 years equals 750 days, which is a little more than half of 1472 days.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/25/26 13:03 by longliveSP.

Certainly correct but I was roughing the additional hot days that always seem to occur. The
15/1472 seem liike such clear dates to consider the until real numbers show up. 

Out