Cumbres & Toltec derailment - 5/24

Does anyone have any details about this? There is also a report that the C&TS is down to one operable engine. Is this true?

My understanding is that the locomotive derailed a short distance out of Chama on Sunday morning. No injuries. I was riding the train from Antonito on Tuesday morning and our departure was delayed several hours due to having to bus the passangers there from Chama so that they could ride to Osier and back to Antonito. The derailment occured due to the heavy rains weakening the roadbed. They were to be back up and running with the Wed. morning train.

Yeah, an interesting incident--considering that the FRA had just, (about three weeks before), gave the C&TSRR a glowing report of a railroad in very good shape. The trackwork that has been done is very shoddy, with zero drainage. The bridges need work-varies with the bridge. And with the economy in the shape it is in--there is less and less money coming in from the two owners, Colorado and New Mexico. And in New Mexico, the political support that has sustained the railroad is almost non-exsistant. None of the GOP candidates for Governor will back it and the lone Democrat, Lt. Gov. Diane Denish is looking a 2 to 3 Billion dollar deficit come election time. And if the so-called "Friends of the C&TSRR" can't stick a bunch of money in their pockets--they won't be around much longer either. This year, so far, ridership is reported to be down 9.9%--bet is it is really a lot worse.

Jeanne GG1
Have spent a couple of days trying to reply to your PM--gets kicked back everytime.