By Railfan & Railroad Staff

The Cumbres & Toltec Scenic railroad has appointed Steven Butler as its new general manager, the Colorado and New Mexico tourist railroad announced last week. Butler takes over for Scott Gibbs, one of the railroad’s Colorado Commissioners who had temporarily stepped in to run day-to-day operations.

Butler is a life-long rail enthusiast and his family once owned a railroad in the Midwest. He has experience in almost every aspect of running a steam-powered tourist railroad. 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 across the U.S., including at the Mt. Rainier Railroad & Logging Museum and Texas State Railroad.

“We are thrilled that Steven will serve as the Cumbres & Toltec’s general manager,” said Billy Elbrock, Chairman of the four-member Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad Commission. “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.”