The 64-mile railway brought passengers from Williams, Arizona, to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. The trains helped make the canyon more accessible to tourists, and also attracted famous passengers like John Muir, Clark Gable, and Doris Day.
The railway's popularity began to decline with the rise of the automobile in the 1930s. By 1968, the final train carried just these passengers.
Two decades later, it resumed operations after receiving new investments. It now carries more than 225,000 passengers to the Grand Canyon each year.