Albuquerque Journal 4-15-04

Thursday, April 15, 2004
Cumbres & Toltec Makes Repairs for May 29 Run
By Rosalie Rayburn
Of the Journal
THE TRAVEL BIZ: Cries of all aboard and the whistle of the locomotive will soon ring out as the revamped Cumbres & Toltec trains hit the tracks.
A last-minute injection of $800,000 in federal and state funding will help the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad complete locomotive and track upgrades in time for the season opening on May 29, said the railroad's general manager Kim Flowers.
"We're good to go," Flowers said recently by phone from Chama.
Two of three vintage locomotives will be ready to carry tourists the 64 miles from Chama in New Mexico to San Antonito in Colorado on opening day. The third coal-burning steam locomotive should be ready to roll by mid-June, she said.
The railroad has secured a commitment for $500,000 from the federal Economic Development Administration and $300,000 from the Colorado Department of Local Affairs, Flowers said.
The funds came as a timely addition to about $3 million in state and federal funding received in the past two years for upgrades and operating expenses.
Last year, the excursion railroad struggled with just one locomotive while seeking cash to complete federally mandated safety modifications on its other locomotives. In 2002, Cumbres & Toltec had to close completely for a month because of wildfires in southern Colorado.
Businesses in Chama that saw tourism revenues slump about 50 percent over the past two years hope the return of the engines will translate into more tourist spending this season, Flowers said.
Flowers expects trains will run six days a week during the summer, with two trains running on the weekends.
NATIONAL TOURISM WEEK: Food, fun, door prizes and entertainment will be offered for tourists who drop by any one of the state Tourism Department's nine visitor centers during National Tourism Week, May 8-16.
The Santa Fe visitors center at the Lamy Building on Old Santa Fe Trail will present Irish dancers, the Ballet Folklorico de Familia; and the Paul Glickman Puppet Truck and Magic Show will perform from 1-3 p.m. May 15.
Door prizes will include dinner at the Pranzo Italian Grill and the Anasazi Restaurant, gift certificates for meals at the Pink Adobe Restaurant and the Blue Corn Cafe and Brewery and a one-night stay at the Inn on the Alameda.
The visitors center in Lordsburg will hold tourism week celebrations May 11. Centers in Anthony and Texico have chosen May 12, and the centers in Raton, Chama, Glenrio (near Tucumcari) and Gallup have chosen May 14 for their celebrations.
The Gallup center is now in a new location on the south side of I-40, west of the city. The department relocated the center from the north side of the freeway to catch more visitors as they enter the state.
The Travel Industry Association of America, a national tourism organization based in Washington, D.C., created National Tourism Week to encourage the industry to plan special events to create more public awareness of the value of tourism to the economy.
Tourism is "vital to the state's economic stability and growth," said Tourism Department secretary Mike Cerletti, in a statement. He said tourism brings $4 billion a year to the state's economy.
Each year the Albuquerque Convention and Visitors Bureau celebrates National Tourism Week by recognizing what it calls the "unsung heroes of tourism," said bureau spokeswoman Tania Armenta. This year the bureau will honor 2,000 volunteers who help the International Balloon Fiesta run smoothly. Volunteers such as the zebras, who guide balloon launches, and the parking attendants will be feted with food and tethered balloon rides at the balloon park.
NEW MEXICO SHAKES HANDS WITH OLD MEXICO: New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson joined Chihuahua, Mexico, Gov. Patricio Martinez last month in signing an agreement to strengthen trade ties between the two states, the state Tourism Department said.
The two states have pledged to coordinate efforts to promote each other in European, North American and Mexican markets. They agreed to coordinate promotional materials such as brochures, tourism maps and billboards, and exchange space in their state fairs and provide links to each other's tourism Web sites.
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