I appreciate John's comments regarding the efforts of Scenic Railways and Kyle Railways. While I was not associated with the railroad during the "Scenic" years other than as a fare paying passenger and a member of the NGRRA (Narrow Gauge Railroad Association) I was CMO from October of 1989 through May of 1996 during the "Kyle" years.
Clearly the work involved in creating the C&TS was no easy task. Remember there were no passenger cars, there were no terminal facilities in Antonito, and Chama was a "helper station with only a 2 stall dirt floor round house and no machinery. In addition there was no lunch facility at Osier, and last but not least there was no passenger base. Lets not forget there were also no employees.
When I arrived in Chama in 1989 there was a 4 stall engine house/car shop, a large depot, a water tank, and balloon loop at Antonito. There was a new large clean eating house at Osier. There was a new water tank at Los Pinos. There was a 2 stall concrete floor engine house with drop pit and a concrete floor machine shop with machinery at Chama. The "box car coaches" that "Scenic" had made first had largely been supplanted with two new train sets that looked like passenger cars and there were 3 functioning steam locomotives. Additionally there was a functioning business, a passenger base, some name recognition and a cadre of skilled dedicated employees. CLEARLY WE STOOD ON THE BACKS OF GIANTS.
During the time I was Chief Mechanical Officer we rebuilt all three running engines 484,487, and 489 including new flues, partial new flue sheets, re-contoured tires, new spring rigging, new driver axles, re-bored valve cages and cylinders, new piston rings and valve rings. We also finished and put into service a rebuild of the 488 including a new tender tank. We repaired the broken engine in GE diesel locomotive 19 and put that locomotive back in service. We traded the 482 (unservicable) to the D&S for the 497 and then rebuilt it including valve & cylinder boring, driver turning, and new flue sheet and flues. We rebuilt the Rotary snowplow and we leased an additional diesel locomotive so that both Chama and Antonito could have reserve switching/work train/rescue power. With a $550,000 federal grant which the Commision got we completely rebuilt the 463 (which had not seen service since 1954) running gear, boiler, cab, and tender, and we built 3 new passenger coaches. At the end of 1996 the C&TS had 6 servicable steam locomotives, 2 servicable diesel locomotives, and a functional rotary snowplow. It was ready to run a train a day out of each terminal and could triple head the trains out of Chama when ever necessary.
It became clear during the time I was there that it was not possible for roughly 10 men working only with hand tools to maintain 64 miles of mountain railroad. Working with the Commision purchased a tamper and began laying the ground work to get $10,000,000 worth of grants etc we felt would be necessary to bring the track and right of way into the condition we wanted to achieve.
During all this time ridership grew at a slow but steady rate.
To state that equipment maintenance was ignored for 30 years is an absolute falsehood and an insult to the many fine men who have worked for this railroad over the past 30 years.
To state that track maintenance was ignored indicates a lack of understanding of what it takes to keep a mountain railroad open.
The real underlying problems lie in a lack of support from the states over the years. During the time I was there New Mexico did not know or believe that they could support the railroad at a higher level than that appropriated by Colorado. New Mexico consistently approved the Commisions
budget requests but was limited by Colorado who provided only meager support. Since the passage of the "Tabor amendment" in Colorado the support which that state provides is even more embarrasingly paltry.
The Colorado Legislature treats the Cumbres & Toltec and Conejos County Like a "Slum Lord" they wont support it, fund it or sell it.
