by James Burke

The Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad is steaming up for another season of climbing smokely over Cumbres pass and tracing the shining steel thru shadowy Toltec Tunnel.

The rails are ready and waiting after sleeping ‘neath last winter’s snow. And through those snows the Iron Horses have snuggled and slept in the dimly lit recesses of the Chama engine house while craftsmen restored the precise shapes of their vital parts. Now flames are licking fireboxes and steam pressure is rising. 

This flies in the face of rumors heard earlier that the Cumbres & Toltec might not run this year. Operating difficulties resulting from deferred maintenance led to termination of the contract of the operator last October by the States of Colorado and New Mexico, who own the railroad. Efforts to find a qualified replacement operator failed until The Friends of the Cumbres & Toltec came forward. “The Friends,” a twelve year old non-profit New Mexico Corporation has had as their charter the responsibility for preserving the historic assets of the railroad not involved in the tourist operation. This has necessarily armed them with valuable insight and incentive. 

These credentials qualified them for supporting funds as follows. 
—Appropriated by the State of Colorado, $400,000. 
—Appropriated by the State of New Mexico, $400,000. 
—Appropriated by Federal Economic Development, $800,00. 
—Appropriated by the Railroad Commission, $100,000. 
—Appropriated by The Friends, $100,000. 

On March 2, 2000 The Friends was then awarded a contract to operate The Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad for five years. Since then preparations have flown full sails —in the offices—in the shops and out along the rails. 

But there was a pivotal prelude to these preparations—an epic rescue at the time of the critical crisis.

When the operating contract was terminated in October the season for extensive overhaul of the steam machines was at hand and the moneys to support such maintenance was nowhere apparent. The life of the railroad through the winter hung in jeopardy. 

Ralph Flowers was long a supporter of The Cumbres & Toltec. His tireless devotion of time and energies to the railroad might have ended with his sad death in September 1999—except for the provisions of his will—and the response it prompted. Donations to the Flowers Memorial Fund poured in from the world—from rail fans and historians who had ridden and loved these rails.

Under the snow covered roof of the Chama shops—from October ‘til March—lathes and drills cut cold steel. When the operating contracts was signed on March 2, the stage had already been set for success.

So the characters are suiting up. 
—The 489, last of the new narrow gage engines built in 1925. 
—The 487, older sister (by weeks) of the 489. 
—The 497, a standard gage engine of 1902 converted to narrow gauge in 1930. 
—The 463, a classic Mud Hen built for the narrow in 1903. 
And finally sister 488 to fill the bill until the 484 returns in the fall.

Such a remarkable recovery has resulted in another revival. Sister 483—the original Cumbres &Toltec Iron Horse is now the focus of The Friends of the 483. Long moribund around the roundhouse with compound complications. She is now judged recoverable in light of the above successes and will probably steam up to Cumbres soon! ARRIBA!