New management at the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad could mean a more kid-friendly train. American Heritage Railways, which will begin running operations next year, owns the rights to both The Polar Express and The Little Engine That Could.
“Events are very important to them,” said Randy Randall, Cumbres & Toltec’s commission chairman. “I think they’re going to be more creative in their approach to the railroad, but they’re also deeply committed to its historic components.”
The switch was announced by train officials Thursday. For the past six years, the more-than-a-century-old railroad running between Chama and Antonito, Colo., has been operated by the nonprofit Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Management Corp.
Elmer Salazar, the president of Scenic Management, said that with the company’s contract running out at the end of this year it was time to step aside and let the pros take over.
“My analogy is, we’ve spent the last six years working hard to dramatically improve the infrastructure and capacity of the Cumbres & Toltec,” Salazar said. “Now it’s time to take the railroad to the next level. American Heritage Railways, we think, will do a super job of doing exactly that.”
American Heritage won out during a bidding process against five other applicants, Randall said, although he declined to give the amount of the contract until it’s completed next month.
The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad in southwestern Colorado and the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad in North Carolina are also run by American Heritage Railways.
The company is expected to create more options for riders, Randall said. American Heritage has theme events like Polar Express, in which it creates a North Pole stop with Santa’s toy shop, and a pumpkin patch ride with a labyrinth of hay bales and characters from the classic comic strip Peanuts, Randall said.
They also will consider creating shorter rides out of Chama and Antonito, which would run between the all-day trips passengers typically take on the Cumbres & Toltec.
“They definitely have the experience and knowledge to do what we need to increase ridership,” Randall said.
The train’s ridership figures are pivotal to the economy in Chama, according to Salazar, and numbers dipped significantly last year when the Lovato Trestle just outside the small northern New Mexico town caught fire (the cause has never been determined).
After the fire, Randall said, about 28,000 people rode the train despite having to take a shuttle from Chama a few miles up the rail past the burned trestle.
The trestle was fixed before the current train season, which ends this weekend, and ridership increased to about 34,000, Randall said.
With American Heritage in charge, train officials are hoping for a significant boost.
“It’s time to take the railroad to the next level,” Salazar said, “and American Heritage, we think, will do a super job of doing exactly that. The goal is to get to 60,000 riders.”
The train employs 18 people year-round, with about 60 more who work seasonally. Randall said the management switch is not expected to lead to any layoffs.
Calls seeking comment from American Heritage Railways were not returned Thursday.
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