When I visited the C&TSRR for the first time I was told that there was a lack of locomotives on the railroad especially in Antonito. The days that I went June 10th and 11th, 484 was working out of Chama and was hauling trains to Osier and back. In Antonito 168 was pulling a small 3 car train which I got to ride behind which I think is cool. But using a 4-6-0 that can only pull 3 cars isn’t economical. I was told by a volunteer that young people just don’t want to work for railroads like the C&TSRR, or volunteer which is very concerning to say the least. I do know that there was a lawsuit in 2023 by some former employees that called it “a toxic and hostile environment”. In addition to that I’ve heard claims that the C&TSRR has questionable management.
With all that said my question to anyone is do you think the C&TSRR has what it needs to survive for the next 50 years or do you think that it will fade into the history books if something isn’t done? If you are an employee please share your experiences working for the railroad.
The C&TSRR is owned by Colorado and Mexico. In 2024 it received funds from both states. In addition, it generates a significant amount of cash from ticket and food/beverage sales. It also received some monies from the federal government (American Rescue Plan), as well as grants and donations from Friends of the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad.
The railroad provide employment in the area where it operates. And supposedly it brings in tourists that are willing to leave some money with the locals. Both are a political plus. As long as the states continue to support the railroad, it is likely to survive.
I rode the train maybe 10 or 12 years ago. It was enjoyable, but it is in second place compared to the Durango & Silverton.
The Durango & Silverton has the advantage of a popular tourist town Durango, the authentic old mining town of Silverton, and a spectacular ride between them thru the canyon and high mountains. Cumbres &Toltec on the other has out of the way small towns at the terminals, and has more arid and less spectacular scenery between them. It does have the Toltec Gorge which is actually deeper, but is largely obscured and you can only see the bottom for a few seconds before you duck into a tunnel. It’s not surprising it gets less general patronage, but it should still be interesting to railfans, with its preserved division point yard, its helper district on the west side of Cumbres, and history of late era heavy traffic.
I think I recently read the C&T was bringing on new leadership, so I wonder if the hope is they will get things back on track.
The C&T has some unique traits that set it apart from the D&S. Both are amazing lines and have their own qualities, but the C&T feels a bit more authentic. Chama still pretty much looks as it did back in the 50s, Cumbres still has the depot and most of the original water towers still dot the lonely slim gauge between the tiny towns of Antonito and Chama. While the C&T lacks the dramatic peaks of the Needles, it’s tight switchbacks and grades are hallmarks of the narrow gauge and the sweeping vistas of the San Luis Valley and Toltec Gorge are amazingly beautiful in their own regard. The expanse and the remoteness of the line is what was a characteristic of this part of the DRGW system. I haven’t ridden the C&T since the early 2000s, but I do hope to get back soon and that they get things sorted. Some winter pictures from Chama back in 2018, below.
Could that photo of engine 463 at Lobato be out of sequence, since in the 1960-62 era it belonged to Gene Autry and wasn’t restored for operation until 1994 ?
The “Gene Autray” locomotive slide may have been bent by a friend, put in the same box in July 1996 when I moved to Israel, and not exposed by me. My error, and my deepest apokogies tobythe original photographer. The other photos were definitely mine.
I’m having some problems of both logistics and technical that require solutions before I can scan more slides, and I hope to begin work on solving a major problem this evening.
Meanwhile, here is a Colorado Southern flanger movement from a Holiday greeting card sent me about 25 years ago, by Leanord J. Bernstein of the D&RGW. We were introaduced by D&RGW VP Tom Long and became good friends, ditto his first wife Alice and my older sister Lillian, who lived in Aurora, Col. He passed away about 15 years ago, but not before he had a trip on VIA’s Budd-rquipped Canadian, which he thought did match his expectations in recreating the originasl California Zephyr experience.
some logistic problems remain. But I can post some more Colorado narrow guage 1960 photos if I do not edit them before posting, and then return, via different computer,to edit them! So, herewith; and some obviously require some serious editing, which I hope to do in the next few days.
