NATIONAL RAILROAD HALL OF FAME
INDUCTS GRAND CANYON RAILWAY PRESERVATIONISTS

Galesburg, Illinois – Max and Thelma Biegert, entrepreneurs and preservationists of the Grand Canyon Railway, have been inducted into the National Railroad Hall of Fame. They are honored for their dedication to preserving the historic Grand Canyon Railway in Arizona, turning an abandoned and lifeless property into a viable line carrying tourists from Williams, Arizona, to the south rim of the Grand Canyon, according to Bob Bondi, Founder and President Emeritus of the Hall of Fame.

Max and Thelma Biegert began restoring the Grand Canyon railway in the mid 1980’s and successfully returned railway service to the line on September 17, 1989, exactly 88 years after the first passenger train ran on the line.  Using restored steam and vintage diesel engines along with classic coaches, Grand Canyon Railway carries more than 230,000 people to Grand Canyon National Park each year, dramatically relieving congestion in the park. 

The National Railroad Hall of Fame honors the men and women who built the rails through annual inductions of noteworthy individuals in three categories:  Birth and Development Era, 1800 to 1865; Golden Era, 1866 to 1945; and Modern Era, 1946 to present.  The Hall of Fame is located in Galesburg, Illinois, by designation of the United States Congress.

Grand Canyon Railway was the lifeline to Grand Canyon National Park in the early 20th century.  The first train ran on September 17, 1901, connecting at Williams to the Santa Fe to give tourists a direct route from Chicago to the east and Los Angeles to the west.  Competition from the automobile—spurred by completion of the interstate highway system—and the airplane contrived to kill the line.  Passenger service to Grand Canyon National Park stopped in 1968 and the line fell into disuse.  Max and Thelma Biegert reopened Grand Canyon Railway two decades after it closed, restoring and rebuilding key structures, including hotels and the historic depot at Williams. 

Restoration of the Grand Canyon Railway has created over 500 direct jobs in Williams, Arizona, population 4,000, and countless secondary jobs in the area.  The Railway is now the largest employer in town and serves over 500,000 visitors per year.  The Biegert’s brought the Railway back into operation at significant personal risk, expending over $10,000,000 of their own money from 1988 through 1991.  Their effort and accomplishment have made them the most well known – and loved – residents of this small town.