CHAMA, N.M. and ANTONITO, COLO. — The Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad has named Steven Butler as its new general manager. Butler takes over from Scott Gibbs, one of the railroad’s Colorado commissioners, who had temporarily stepped in to run day-to-day operations.
A life-long rail enthusiast, Butler’s family owned a tourist railroad in the Midwest. He has served as general manager and in other management positions, and also as a machinist, fireman, engineer, and chief mechanical officer at various railroads including Mt. Rainier Railroad & Logging Museum, Texas State Railroad, Morton Locomotive & Machine, and others.
Owned jointly by the states of New Mexico and Colorado, the C&TSRR is the longest steam heritage railroad in the United States, running between Antonito, Colo. and Chama, N.M. on former Denver & Rio Grande Western narrow-gauge trackage. The railroad is overseen by an interstate commission.
“We are thrilled that Steven will serve as the Cumbres & Toltec’s general manager,” Billy Elbrock, Chairman of the four-member Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad Commission, said in a new release. “He brings the varied expertise necessary to run both a locomotive and a railroad, from machine work to marketing. He knows this area and even worked briefly for the C&TSRR and was at our neighboring San Luis & Rio Grande Railroad in Alamosa for many years.”
Since the late 1990s, Butler has been a member of the Train/Heritage Rail Alliance board of directors, the National Board of Boiler’s Inspection Code Locomotive Boiler subgroup, American Society of Mechanical Engineers’ Locomotive subgroup and the Engineering Standards committee.
The Kromer is great! I wear mine with pride. It’s a railroad tradition. They’re also seen at steam traction events.
This guy LOOKS like a railroader. Love the Kromer. Congrats to all parties on the hire.