CHAMA, N.M. — The Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad has made leadership changes in the wake of a start to its season that has seen the heritage railway face difficulties in maintaining scheduled operations.
Former CEO Eric Mason and former General Manager Steven Butler have rejoined the railroad, the railroad said in a recent press release. Mason has returned as interim general manager, a role he previously held in leading a restructuring of the organization in 2019. Butler, the general manager in 2023, returns in the newly created position of chief mechanical officer. Also, Merrill Gutierrez, who has been with the railroad for four years, has bene named as Chama shop manager.
The railroad, which began its 54th season on May 31, has not been able to maintain its two-trains-per-day schedule over its first three weeks because of delays in repairs to some of its locomotives.
“It’s a privilege to be entrusted to help ensure the legacy of this historic steam railroad,” Mason said in a press release. “The Cumbres & Toltec team is committed to returning our operations to full capacity, and giving the care and commitment required to safeguard this treasure for generations to come. … Despite the slow start, the Cumbres & Toltec is expected to have another exceptional year. Many trips, especially during the gorgeous fall season, are nearly sold out. People want to experience the railroad’s authenticity, rich history and absolute fun and are eager to get on board for this bucket-list adventure.”
Scott Gibbs is a member of the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad Commission, which oversees the railway owned by the states of Colorado and New Mexico. He said, “It’s been a disappointing start to the season, but our reservations team has performed an amazing job of rescheduling, so a vast majority of passengers have still been able to ride with us and others have rebooked for later dates or were offered full refunds.
“The good news is that the Cumbres & Toltec is going to be in a much better position as key repairs have been made. We’ll be back to running two trains a day, six days a week, ensuring we can meet the demand from passengers who travel from all over the world to experience the thrill of historic steam railroading.”
Good news if the two gentlemen have the authority to deal with the very serious personnel issues that brought on the recently dismissed Federal discrimination lawsuit and have the Commission back them up.