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The mixture is 40% to 50% cleaner burning than diesel fuel alone and the 1930 locomotive’s exhaust has an aroma of French fries, earning it the nickname French Fry Express.
The Greater Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce has recognized Grand Canyon Railway as its Green Business of the Year.
The mixture is 40% to 50% cleaner burning than diesel fuel alone and the 1930 locomotive’s exhaust has an aroma of French fries, earning it the nickname French Fry Express.
The recently presented award, now in its third year, recognizes local businesses and non-profits that reduce operational impacts on the environment.
“We hear from our business community frequently about how much they’re doing to preserve our environment and keep our quality of life high here in Flagstaff,” said Julie Pastrick, Greater Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce president and CEO.
That includes water conservation, lighting to protect the dark skies and recycling. “It’s really a joy to be in a community where environmental awareness is high and businesses care,” she said.
Grand Canyon Railway “is a community asset that is treasured by so many,” said Pastrick, adding that not everyone is aware of the company’s environmental values.
It starts with Grand Canyon Railway reducing automobile traffic and emissions at Grand Canyon National Park.
“By our numbers, it always fluctuates, but we believe we keep approximately 60,000 vehicles out of the national park by folks instead taking our train to Grand Canyon,” said Sam Langner, Grand Canyon Railway community relations manager.
The Railway, owned and operated by the Xanterra Travel Collection, also retrofitted its steam locomotive in 2009 to operate on a mix of recycled vegetable oil and diesel fuel. The oil is collected from Xanterra’s restaurants at Grand Canyon and Williams.
The mixture is 40% to 50% cleaner burning than diesel fuel alone and the 1930 locomotive’s exhaust has an aroma of French fries, earning it the nickname French Fry Express.
“Wherever that idea came from, it’s just brilliant,” Pastrick said.
The next big idea for Grand Canyon Railway is studying the feasibility of converting a diesel-electric locomotive to a regenerative battery locomotive. Regenerative battery technology allows a recharge of the locomotive batteries from the braking systems while the train is traveling downhill, according to Grand Canyon Railway General Manager Jeff D’Arpa.
The Grand Canyon route could be ideal for this technology since the trip goes downhill from Williams at an elevation of 6,770 feet to roughly a midpoint below 6,000 feet and then uphill to the South Rim at 6,800 feet.
Grand Canyon Railway is considering applying for a U.S. Department of Transportation grant for the locomotive conversion, D’Arpa said.
The battery-powered electric locomotive could be charged with solar panels at its locomotive shop in Williams, according to Langner.
Xanterra’s motto is “legendary hospitality with a softer footprint,” he explained.
As part of that ethic, Xanterra has its Operation Shrivelly Apples, which collects outdated fruits and vegetables, and other food waste from its restaurants to feed the mules at the Grand Canyon mule barn.
“There’s always an interesting twist that our teams implement,” Langner said.
A Xanterra partner – Kastlfel – makes t-shirts sold at Xanterra’s South Rim gift shops from recycled plastic bottles. It takes about six 16-ounce plastic bottles to make one shirt, which keeps those bottles out of the landfill, according to Kastlfel.
The Greater Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce also gave an honorable mention to Nackard Pepsi and Forest Highlands for each company’s Green Business efforts.
Last year, Arizona Snow Bowl was the Green Business Award winner for large companies and Quality Connections was the winner for smaller companies.
Mother Road Brewery was the first Green Business Award winner two years ago.
Of course, Flagstaff and the rest of the nation will celebrate Earth Day on April 22. It has been celebrated since 1970, marking the beginning of the modern environmental movement. FBN
By Peter Corbett, FBN
Photo by Peter Corbett: Grand Canyon Railway’s steam locomotive moves along the South Rim.
Filed Under: Business, Local News, Sedona, Tourism, Williams, Winslow
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